Produce Spotlight: Garlic
For many people, this time of year can mean Christmas party after family dinner after holiday brunch… Which can often mean lots of rich food, appetizers and sweet treats. Not to mention the booze! While abstaining from the festivities entirely isn’t necessary (unless you have a health condition with strict dietary restrictions) practising moderation is. But it’s difficult. Some helpful suggestions to prevent the holiday bulge:
- Eat before you go: If you know you’ll be tempted by the host’s famous crab dip, choose to load up on some low calorie, fibre packed & nutrient rich veggies (perhaps in smoothie form!) before leaving the house.
- Make the veggie tray your friend: There’s always at least one at any given function! Fibrous vegetables such as broccoli & celery will help fill you up as well.
- Avoid creamy foods: Dairy laden dips & cheesy appetizers have a tendency to be among the worst offenders. Dairy products aren’t digested well by many people either, which can lead to bloating & inflammation internally.
- Arrive late to the party: While catching up with friends & family you may not see often is fun, dodging grandma as she tries to shove a never ending number of date squares down your throat isn’t. Reducing the amount of time spent in a potentially unhealthy environment will surely be beneficial to your waistline.
- Make it an active gathering: Suggest getting everybody together at the rink, or maybe rent snowshoes from UNBC and go for a walk before diving into your dinner.
- Go one for one: If you have a tendency to overindulge in holiday beverages, make a pact to drink a full glass of water before refilling your wine glass. Drinking extra water will also help fill you up, so you’re less likely to grab another pig in a blanket.
- Designate yourself DD: You could volunteer to be the designated driver if the host tends to be pushy when it comes to drinking. Liquid calories can really add up! Be sure to get home safe either way.
- Don’t forget to enjoy the holiday season! If you need a little help getting your pants to fit in January, we’ve got a Holistic Nutritionist on staff and a variety of individually tailored weight loss programs available. See you next year!
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