eating well in the holidays |

The intentional use of the word ‘spread’ as a pun for the title of this note is inspired by the fact that the average person gains about 2 kilograms over the Christmas period. For some this may come as a shock while for others, only 2 seems like a relief, but the point is we cannot afford it either way.

Preventing or managing obesity or chronic diseases has to be a full time effort with consistency as a key to success. “But, it is Christmas?” is not a feasible excuse to ditch your healthy eating habits and indulge excessively when it comes to high energy, nutrient empty festive foods. A weight loss of just 10 % achieved by an overweight person contributes significantly to management and prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. It stands to reason then that a weight gain of 2 kilograms over Christmas is somewhat detrimental to the management and prevention of chronic disease.

Starting a new year heavier than the last is unlikely to be inspiring or motivating and for this reason alone, combating the Christmas Spread will be a worthwhile effort. The good news is that healthy eating need not be boring or bland. I have been gathering ideas over the last few weeks and below is a round up of my favourite healthy festive eating tips and recipes.

Wishing you a wonderful, healthy, happy and safe Christmas to see you well into 2017!

5 tips to manage your weight during Christmas:

Do not over indulge on your own, save the treats for the social events
When eating from a buffet, first scan and select before serving to avoid a pile of tasters. Rather create an enjoyable meal with a few foods that compliment each other
Make your bakes healthier by substituting ingredients, making mini varieties or simply reducing the sugar content by 1/3
Keep eating vegetables every day – roasted, steamed or simply tossed together in a salad
Stay hydrated with water and keep moving

5 ways to reduce the intake of sugary beverages:

Flavour your own water with fruit and vegetable slices
Dilute 100% berry juice with soda water and sugar free lemonade
Make your own iced tea with Rooibos tea, ice, frozen berries and mint
Alternate alcoholic beverages with soda water or dilute wine with soda water and ice
Use a splash of cordial in soda water rather than drinking fizzy drinks