Think - before you eat, before you dine
As we plan our end of year office parties with colleagues, celebrations of Christmas with family or excesses of New Years Eve, this festive period can be seen as a health disaster. However it does not need to be such. With foresight and consideration you can continue to celebrate and even indulge without all of the excesses which are normally associated with this time of year.
Whether food or drinks are the concern, both areas can be adapted to be considerate of your overall health habits or goals. You have worked hard all year on a sensible eating plan and to indulge as is traditional done this time of year is dietary suicide.
Starting with drinks - as this is generally the first thing you will find in your hand at any type of festive or celebratory event, choose wisely. If you have not had at least one glass of water prior to arriving, this becomes a top priority. Other than filling your stomach quickly, it does not contain any of the negative nutritional impacts of sugar and/or alcohol levels which are present in the commonly presented beverages. If you do choose a sugar or alcohol containing beverage, always add ice to ‘thin’ the drink rather than for its temperature adjusting qualities and follow it up with a glass of water or if this causes snide comments from your fellow party goers, drink it very slowly to minimize the negative impact this may have on your diet.
Try to avoid buffets. Unless you have a strong sense of quantity, it is very easy to overeat at this type of meal. To help; choose a chair at a table as far from the buffet table as possible – this causes inconvenience to you resulting in less trips to the buffet table; select the smallest available plate and select plenty of raw foods first and follow this up with a bowl of (non-cream) soup. Raw foods generally contain lots of fibre, water or both which will fill you without all of the fats and oils which the hot dishes will probably contain. Always remember that which ever plate you choose, NEVER place food on the rim of the plate. Most importantly on the dessert section of the buffet table, choose only fresh fruits unless you are prepared to make some considerable activity adjustments the following day. You do not need the sugar hit that you will get from this section of the meal.
If you are organizing a buffet, suggest a ‘stand-up’ buffet – when compared to a sit-down buffet, it can be difficult to eat a lot of food while standing with a drink in one hand and a plate in the other.
If the meal is a ‘sit down’ style, then NEVER order a second helping regardless of how good it tastes or how much your host insists. The first serving will be more than sufficient for your nutritional requirements. You may find difficulty if the meal is a ‘family service’ style of food presentation with the food placed in the centre of the table. If available, choose raw foods or steamed rice first and add lots of self control before anything else to your plate.
Regardless of the style of function you are attending, your body has the same nutritional requirements yesterday as it did today. If you consume or plan to consume a level of food or drinks that is in excess of your ‘norm’, then make the adjustments accordingly. Consume less on the day before or the day after. Make sure you body is fully hydrated BEFORE joining the party. Business men are habitual in their low water consumption levels so a glass, or preferably two, of water will make a big difference in helping to reduce the quantity of other items you consume. Water will also greatly assist in counterbalancing the dehydrating effect of any alcohol consumed. It can also help to drink a glass or two of water when you get home whether you feel you need it or not, as this will help flush out some of the body’s toxins resulting from the indulgences of the celebrations.
And finally, exercise. This does not have to be a marathon run or an hour at the gym. It can be a simple as a walk around the block, scrubbing the bathroom or a round of golf, but make sure you, at the very least, continue whatever exercise program you are on over this period - it is more important now than at any other time of the year. Exercise will assist in balancing out any of the excesses in which you may have indulged yourself. If these indulgences are too great, simply increase the intensity or duration of the activity. If you are normally a ‘couch potato’, consider taking a flight of stairs instead of the elevator, taking the dog for a walk or use the on/off button on the TV instead of the remote control. Any exercise is better than none.
But remember that this is a time of celebration, so providing you make your selections with thought and consideration of the consequences you will avoid or at the very least minimize any dietary indiscretions. If you do over indulge despite the very best of planning or intentions do not feel guilty about them, but make the necessary adjustments over the coming days. After all, food (and life) is to enjoy.