Health Hack Of The Week:How To Avoid Overeating During The Holidays

The Christmas Holiday is well on its way and one of the symptoms will be too much food! Christmas comes with an array of meals that range from delicious roasted turkey to creamy mashed potatoes. But how do you make sure you don’t get too stuffed through the holidays? We have compiled a list of 5 ways you can make sure you avoid weight gain during this special and fun time. Enjoy!

1) Eat Salads Before You Eat

One of the key steps is to try and eat before you eat. Having a bowl of salad or fruit will go a long way in alleviating hunger. And when those extra munchies come around for leftovers, you may already be full from the healthy stuff! And that way, you are making sure you are full of the good stuff and not all the junk you can find at holiday parties.

2) Chew Slowly

Chewing slowly is a sure way of reducing the amount that you consume during the holidays. We often rush while we are eating and it is not apparently evident how that can affect weight gain or weight loss. It may not be easy to eat slowly when there is an abundance of options but it’s worth it! When we eat very fast, our bodies find it harder to recognize when we full. In some cases, you may not know you are full until 20 minutes after your body is! So savor every bite of delicious roast beef and mashed potatoes!

3) Use Smaller Plates

Seems like a no brainier but many people don’t take advantage of this fact: You eat less when your plate is smaller. This only makes sense as your plate will not be able to hold as much food and you will have to go through the extra effort of filling it up once it gets empty. Using a small plate is proven to actually make you feel fuller with less food.

4) Take It Easy On The Carbs

Simple carbs often come up as the white foods in the big meals. That means things that are high in carbohydrates like white sugars or bread. Although these types of foods give you brief energy boosts, they cannot sustain you in a nutritional type of sense because they are simple carbs. Simple carbs are digested faster than complex carbs and that can increase insulin which will leave you feeling even hungrier at times. Therefore,avoiding these foods is really important for your day to day survival.

5) Turn Off The T.V While You Eat

This idea may seem barbaric to many but television is one of the reasons why many people feel the need to eat. As human beings we learn ques and behaviours based on societal rules. And society says if you are sitting in front of the T.V, you are either eating dinner or having a snack while your favourite sitcom comes on. This learned behaviour is part of the reason you may sometimes feel the need to have chips or popcorn while at a movie. Removing this expectation of entertainment and food will help you concentrate on what you are eating more.