How to still enjoy hearty festive meals without worrying about weight gain

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you still fail to stop the number on your weighing machine from climbing. And the double whammy celebration period betwixt Christmas and New Twelvemonth'due south Eve isn't going to help – it'due south when you lot're likely to gain annihilation from 0.5kg to 1kg around this time.

Case in point: A typical hearty Christmas dinner tin have from 800 to 1,000 calories, said dietitian Jaclyn Reutens, who is the founder of Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants.

That'southward from just one get-together – and doesn't even include the liquid calories from alcohol.

That's not to say you have to trade the Christmas dear-glazed ham for apparently, steamed craven breast, or raise a glass of cranberry juice instead of champagne to the New year.

That really wouldn't be off-white, especially in a year where we all need some festive cheering up – if non for the trunk, then for the spirit.

READ: Christmas foods that are actually healthy for you – and they're not vegetables

So how do you lot bask the festive moment without packing on likewise much calories when the feasting begins this calendar week?

We asked some experts to come up with a gameplan – here's a look at some mutual scenarios that you're likely to see and what you can do.

Happy, healthy holidays!

SCENARIO #ane: A ZOOM GATHERING WITH BYO Nutrient

Many of us are probably itching to meet upwards in person. Only with Phase 3 only kicking off on Dec 28 and we're notwithstanding limited to social gatherings of upward to five people until then, online get-togethers is still an option if you've got a agglomeration of get-togethers lined up.

As for the food, it's a downer to exist eating a salad while you watch your Zoom mates chow downwards on gingerbread cookies and other treats. Just you lot can still have your log block and consume it, besides, said Dr Chester Lan, a resident medico at DTAP Clinic, by limiting your portions and sectionalization out your food.

"For case, choose a smaller handbag of chips over a larger one. If you have a big bag, pour out a serving and keep the residuum out of sight," he said. You can too go along the remaining portion with someone who can help you control your intake.

(Photo: Pixabay/Photo Mix)

If y'all have the tendency to munch mindlessly during Zoom gatherings, try replacing bites of food with sips of water to reduce the calories consumed, suggested Melanie Anthonysamy, the diet team lead at digital health platform HealthifyMe.

"Add some Christmas colours and flavours by infusing your h2o with fruits such as apples, berries, passionfruit, lemon and mint," she said.

It is okay to nibble as long as you do it consciously. Permit yourself a maximum of 2 servings per dish.

Drinking h2o is also a good idea considering when you are well hydrated, your body will not mix up your hunger and thirst cues, which prevents you lot from overeating, she added.

Another style to avoid munching mindlessly is to exist more engaged in the conversation, suggested Anthonysamy. "You'd realise that you don't really accept time to munch as you are spending time processing and engaging in the conversation."

SCENARIO #2: COOKING AND ORDERING Nutrient FOR A SMALL GATHERING

Festive dishes are ample and there'due south a high chance you lot'll stop up with a tabular array total of protein, fat and refined sugar if you're not careful.

To go around that, y'all can omit the ham if you're already serving turkey and roast beef to avoid putting out too much protein, brash Anthonysamy.

Wherever possible, serve unprocessed fruits and vegetables. For instance, omit fruitcake and opt for fresh fruits instead to cut down on refined sugar and fatty, she said.

(Photo: Pixabay/Public Domain Pictures)

For a gathering of five, Anthonysamy suggested prepping the following:

  • One small whole turkey
  • 10 pocket-sized slices of roast beef
  • A big pot of roasted vegetables
  • One small log cake
  • Fruits

READ: Festive Singapore treats: 5 local home bakers and cooks worth supporting​​​​​​​

Or you can substitute the in a higher place nutrient (simply don't swap out the fruits and vegetables) with these options suggested by Reutens for a party of v:

  • 500g roast beef
  • 150g ham (or become the smallest leg or roll)
  • 1 or 2 racks of ribs, depending on the number of ribs each rack has (3 ribs per person)
  • 400g log cake
  • 400g bread pudding (two tablespoons of brandy sauce per person)
  • 150g fruit block
  • 150g panettone

SCENARIO #three: TRYING OUT ASIAN-INSPIRED FESTIVE TREATS

It is the time of the year when hotels, restaurants and cafes show off their culinary creativity past dressing up traditional festive treats with Asian flavours. After all, who doesn't dear the thought of a buah keluak turkey or gula melaka log cake?

But with nifty flavours come great calorie counts. And it can be difficult to intermission downwardly the verbal nutritional profiles (such as carbohydrates, protein, carbohydrate and fat, etc) of these hybrid dishes equally the recipes differ – as well, we aren't privy to them.

(Photo: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

So, we got Reutens to provide the nutritional values of the original dishes, which can give you a rough idea of how much you're consuming when you're tucking into the fusion version. Hither's a wait:

  • Buah keluak turkey

Inspired by: Ayam buah keluak

Per 100g: 136 calories, 9g fat, 485mg sodium

  • Five-spice wagyu beefiness

Inspired by: Five-spice pork stew

Per 100g: 144 calories, 10g fat, 1g saccharide, 648mg sodium

  • Char siew rack of ribs

Inspired by: Char siew pork

Per 100g: 255 calories, 12.7g fatty, half-dozen.2g sugar, 476mg sodium

READ: The hottest turkeys in boondocks this flavour? They're full of Asian spices

  • Thai-style poached salmon

Inspired by: Thai-way steamed fish

Per 100g: 111 calories, 3.3g fat, 297mg sodium

  • Gula melaka log cake

Inspired by: Pandan chiffon whorl

Per slice: 135 calories, 7g fat, 9.1g sugar, 74mg sodium

  • Eggnog bubble milk tea

Inspired by: Bubble milk tea

Per medium cup: 335 calories, 13.6g fat, 28g sugar, 34mg sodium

SCENARIO #4: Y'all Tin can'T HELP But EAT WHAT'S IN Front OF YOU

We utilize the word "binge" so casually that we sometimes forget that rampage eating is actually a form of eating disorder. "It needs to be differentiated from overeating," said Dr Melvin Wait, the manager of PanAsia Surgery in Mountain Elizabeth Hospital, Mountain Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Parkway East Hospital.

(Photo: Freepik/rawpixel)

The departure: Rampage eating involves compulsively eating a large amount of food in a brusk period, even when you lot're not hungry.

"It is oftentimes an emotional response to some sort of stress or depression, and may be associated with guilt or disgust later on the binge," said Dr Look.

Over-eating, on the other hand, is "an act of mindlessness and lack of control", like nosotros sometimes do at a buffet, for case.

It is "harmless if it only occurs infrequently", he said. Of course, overeating can become a trouble, he warned, if it's habitual and is combined with a lack of exercise.

If yous tend to binge, taking smaller meals more oftentimes could exist better for yous. If yous don't binge, maybe skipping meals can help to reduce your overall caloric intake.

To preclude overeating and ensure a balanced meal, here's what Anthonysamy recommends putting together for your plate that'south around 500 to 600 calories:

  • 1/2 piece of turkey thigh without peel
  • 2 or three thin slices of roast beef
  • Half plate of roasted vegetables with few murphy cubes
  • A few pieces of cut fruit
  • i minor piece of cake

SCENARIO #5: NIBBLING Here AND At that place INSTEAD OF SITTING Downwards AT THE TABLE

It is okay to crumb every bit long as you do it consciously, said Reutens.

"Allow yourself a maximum of 2 servings per dish. Each serving is one spoon-full or ladle-full. Pick the dishes that are worth the extra calories for the second serving," she advised.

READ: Heartburn? How to bargain with acid reflux when y'all overeat this festive flavor

"Giving yourself the selection to eat everything makes information technology less restrictive and yous might stop up not needing the second helping." If that doesn't curb your over-grazing, stick to 5 dishes, said Reutens.

SCENARIO #half-dozen: SKIPPING BREAKFAST AND Luncheon FOR THAT BIG DINNER

In that location are two schools of thought on this, said Dr Lan. Intermittent fasters will tell y'all that skipping a meal or two tin can let you use upwardly your caloric stores and reduce the overall calories consumed in a day.

(Photo: Pexels/Any Lane)

"Only the downside to intermittent fasting is that it is not safe for everyone to do (for instance, diabetics on medication and people with gastritis symptoms).

Some people who skip meals may end up even hungrier when they finally eat, resulting in overeating and bingeing," said Dr Lan.

Moreover, there are studies that have shown that eating more oftentimes throughout the mean solar day may decrease hunger and overall food intake, he added.

The best thing to do is to sympathise what your body does when y'all skip a meal, said Dr Lan.

"If you tend to binge, taking smaller meals more than often could exist meliorate for you. If yous don't binge, maybe skipping meals tin can assist to reduce your overall caloric intake."

Not sure how much alcohol (a standard drink) looks like in a glass? Do measuring it out at dwelling house.

Christmas dinners tend to be loftier in carbohydrates and fat, then to remainder out your day's nutrients, Anthonysamy suggested eating more fibre and protein for breakfast and tiffin, which volition also continue you lot total without consuming likewise many calories. Pick from her list below:

  • Garden salad with craven breast/canned tuna in water/boiled egg and a tablespoon of mixed basics. Apply herbs and lemon juice instead of a salad dressing.
  • Sweet potato with roasted vegetables and tofu
  • Banana yoghurt smoothie with vegetables such equally spinach leaves
  • Chickpea salad with quinoa
  • Vegetable soup with chicken/fish/egg
  • Miso tofu soup with leafy vegetables
  • A piece of wholemeal bread with a difficult-boiled egg and a side salad

SCENARIO #7: DRINKING A LOT OF ALCOHOL

They say to drink in moderation simply just how much alcohol is that? Anthonysamy cited the Health Promotion Lath's guidelines of two standard drinks a day for men; for women, that's 1 standard beverage a day.

"A standard drink contains 10g of booze and is equivalent to a 330ml tin of regular beer, one-half a glass (100ml) of vino, or 30ml of hard liquor."

(Photo: Pixabay/Terri Cnudde)

Not sure how much booze that looks like in a drinking glass? Practise measuring it out at dwelling, said Anthonysamy. "You lot will be better at eyeballing a glass to make up one's mind the alcohol content when you're out drinking."

Admittedly, it can be difficult to runway the number of drinks you've had, specially if you're drinking a variety.

Dr Lan recommended using apps such every bit DrinkControl and DrinkCoach to assistance you out. "These apps let you set your goal for how much you want to restrict your alcohol intake, non just for one session merely over a month as well."

If you can, drink a non-alcoholic drink between each serving of alcohol, suggested Dr Lan, and choose a single serving instead of a larger one (for instance, a single shot over a double shot).

If you lot're paying for the drinks, pay equally you lodge instead of keeping an open tab. That style, you'll feel the compression and are acutely enlightened of how much you are drinking, he said.

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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/christmas-new-year-dinner-food-health-tips-235891

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