How to Eat Right and Still Enjoy the Holidays

There are so many temptations during the holiday season it’s no wonder many of us get stressed over how to get through it all while still being able to fit into our jeans come January 1st.

As someone who loves food, giving up great food during the holidays for me isn’t an option.  And it shouldn’t be for you either.

So here are a few ways to bring pleasure — not the pounds — to the holiday festivities:

1)  Aim to maintain. I recently heard about someone who skipped her friends holiday party because she was dieting and thought there would be too many tempting foods.   To me that’s unfortunate and not so healthy.  Instead of trying to completely overhaul your diet and lose weight during the holidays, try to maintain your current weight.

And if you really do want to lose weight, be realistic about just how much you can lose and don’t beat yourself for having a few treats.

2)  Don’t completely deny yourself of holiday foods. This time of year is all about celebration and festivity, and food is an integral part of that.  When you tell yourself you can’t have certain foods, you want them even more (studies even prove this).  That’s when overeating, bingeing and feeling out of control becomes part of your holiday experience.  So eat the holiday foods you enjoy, just don’t over-do it.

3)  Eat three square meals a day, just like you should do all-year-round.  It might make sense on paper to cut calories by skipping meals during the day when you know you’re going to a holiday party or dinner later.  But this strategy almost always backfires and leads to overeating, low energy, guilt, and generally feeling bad.

So take the time to have a decent breakfast that will help you feel full and keep your energy up.

4)  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. No matter what you eat, enjoy it.  I’d rather see someone take a piece of cake and truly savor and enjoy it, than someone eating a salad and hating every minute of it, or wishing they were eating the cake instead.

5)  Keep liquid calories in check. Oftentimes holiday drinks like eggnog are loaded with calories, sugar and fat. So beware.  Also, best to limit all alcohol to one or two drinks.  It not only adds extra calories, but after a few drinks its way to easy to reach for more food — even if you’re full. Often I’ll alternate between water and alcohol.  This not only helps me cut down on alcoholic beverages, but keeps me hydrated so I don’t get a headache the next day!

6)  Just say know to the junk food. Don’t blow your calories on things like chips or a candy bar.  Instead, save your snack allowance for a decadent dish or your favorite dessert that will make you feel more satisfied.  There are so many good treats around this time of year, best to have a small piece of something really good than the normal crappy, junk food!

7)  Add exercise whenever and wherever you can. I try to maintain my exercise routine, but realize it can get hard when things get busy.  But even if you can fit it one or two short sessions a week, that’s good.  It will not only help you handle the stress of the busy season better, but it will keep you feeling fit and less likely to over-indulge later on at the party.

8)   Share the joy of the food. Often I’ll take a piece of cake, have a few bites, and then give the rest to my husband.  And if he doesn’t want it I’ll just push it aside.  And if you love to bake (like I do!) give some away to friends and neighbors.  I enjoy baking cookies, but I can only eat so many without putting on the pounds.  So I’ll often share it with others, and they’re really happy!

So make this holiday season one of pleasure and one you remember for the good times with family and friends.  Relax, enjoy yourself, and eat in moderation so you don’t have to forgo all the delicious holiday treats.

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Mediterranean Diet – The Healthiest on the Planet?

 

Many years ago I was invited to spend some time in Italy.  After a tiring but adventurous morning of walking and exploring the island of Capri, my friend and I were hungry and ready for a good lunch.  But we didn’t want to eat at a typical tourist restaurant. 

We wanted an authentic meal and experience.

After what seemed like an hour of searching, we stumbled upon a restaurant nestled on the edge of the island overlooking the Mediterranean — the perfect place!   We sat outdoors on the veranda shaded by the trees, grape vines, and had a light breeze from the water. 

It felt like we could literally reach out and touch the sea.

We had a lunch of grilled peppers, melon and prosciutto, fresh pasta, fish, crusty bread, and in true Mediterranean fashion — had a carafe of the house red wine.  We had 2 hours of leisurely eating, drinking, relaxing and the occasional chat with the restaurant owners.

That day, I experienced what the Mediterranean diet & lifestyle is all about:  plenty of exercise, delicious food in reasonable portions, eating at a relaxed pace, and taking pleasure in the meal.  I felt wonderful!

Earlier this week I attended the 15th Annual Mediterranean Diet Conference, where I heard about the latest and up-to-date scientific evidence about the Mediterranean diet from some of the world’s most renown experts in nutrition. 

I heard all the latest statistics from research showing that the Mediterranean Diet is good for you.

I heard why we should be eating certain foods, and not others.

But at the conference I was surrounded mostly by nutritionists and dietitians.  Nothing against them and they do good work — but they have been taught to base their knowledge solely on science.  They tell people how many fat grams, carbohydrates, ounces of meat, sugar, diary, etc. that everyone needs.  The basically follow the USDA Pyramid and the concept that everyone should follow the same “rules.”

I’m not a proponent of diets, and don’t believe we all should be eating the same foods to say healthy and slim. 

I also don’t believe we should always be looking at science to tell us what to eat.  I mean, it was the scientists in the 80’s and 90′s who told us to eat a low-fat diet, which we now know DO NOT WORK. 

 With all that said — the Mediterranean diet is not really a “diet” in the true sense, where one has to follow a very strict regimen.  The traditional diets of the Mediterranean vary from country to country, as the term “Mediterranean” refers to regions in 16 countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia and Israel, and eight other countries.

The main foods of the Mediterranean diet ARE very healthy, and incorporating some of them into your meals can help you eat better and lose weight.  

At the conference, the proponents of the Mediterranean diet did include a NEW component:   the social aspect.

Eating with others and the respect for time at the table. 

This is something that years ago changed that way I looked at food and helped me live a healthier life.

But at the conference, these scientists, nutritionists and dietitians only touched on that subject.  It was simply a very small side-bar.  Everything they talked about was based on the FOOD and SCIENCE, and not our relationship to food, how we view it, the role culture has in it, food preferences, and our conflict between eating for health and eating for pleasure.

From my personal experience living in France, traveling and studying in Italy, in addition to my travels to other parts of the Mediterranean — eating for pleasure  was KEY.  

We need to have an appreciation & love of genuine food and the enjoyment of food with others.  The Mediterraneans (and other cultures) have understood this concept for hundreds of years.

It’s not just the food that makes them healthy…

It’s also their approach to food, their relationship to it, their respect for it, and the belief ALL FOOD is good for you if eaten in moderation.  They don’t stress out at every meal worrying about calories, fat grams, and carbohydrates.  They look at food as something positive — NOT as something that can make them fat or thin.  They take part in what I call “positive eating.”

THAT’S what I experienced in the Mediterranean.  Not counting, weighing, and agonizing over what I was eating.  I learned how to eat without guilt, while having a healthy approach to – and relationship with – food.

THAT’S A KEY ISSUE as to why the Mediterranean people are healthy & slim.  

It’s the food they eat AND their relationship to it.

So for your next meal, in addition to incorporating & eating some of the healthy foods of the Mediterranean — also take a positive approach and enjoy the food (and wine) with others.  Look at it as something you enjoy and not something you agonize over.

You just might get a glimpse into the same wonderful feeling I had eating lunch that day in Capri. 

Okay, you won’t have the Mediterranean Sea in front of you…but you can still find enjoyment, feel a connection with others, and have a better relationship with food.  The more you do this, the more you’ll start to feel better and lose some weight in the process.

That’s what the Mediterraneans understand — it’s Mediterranean living – and not just a Mediterranean diet, that makes them healthy and slim.

What do YOU think?  Do you agree or disagree?  

What have you experienced in your travels as to why people in the Mediterranean (or other cultures) are healthy and slim?