Healthy Holidays

If there is a difficult time of the year to watch your diet, it’s now. You might still be munching on Halloween candy, the big Thanksgiving meal is still hanging out in you lower GI and the holiday parties that abound in December begin this weekend. Couple that with a slowdown in training and we might just find ourselves five or ten pounds heavier. So, here’s a little damage control. It’s still over 13 weeks till Firebird Triathlon in Chandler and 15 weeks till Lake Havasu Tri March 20th. Spend the next four weeks making informed choices with your diet and putting in some base training. You’ll burn those fat stores for energy and those five to ten pounds won’t seem like such a problem at the start of your 12 week cycle of training for a spring triathlon.

Additionally, put the holidays in perspective. It’s 4-6 weeks out of 52 in a year or about 10% of the year. It’s what you do the other 90% that significantly affects your health and performance. Since we all know the holidays can be a battle ground for the diet conscious, have a plan to stay on a healthy course, e.g., eat salads, fruits and vegetables before digging into the chips, cheeses and heavy casserole dishes. Think ahead and make healthy choices. Do not skip meals in anticipation of a party or large meal. You will be more apt to overeat- this is a bad habit to get into. Continue with at least 3 meals per day plus healthy snacks. Drink plenty of water between meals. This keeps you hydrated, aids in digestion and elimination of waste products. Also, thirst can also be confused with hunger and cause you to drink too much of a high calorie liquid. Eggnog, for example, has about the same number of calories as a piece of pie. Spend your calories carefully. If you are really looking forward to having something that only comes around once per year have it, but avoid something else that may be high in calories and is more common, something you can get anytime. Step away from the food table to visit. It is very easy to keep eating when socializing and thoughtlessly take in too many calories. Find a place away from the food to visit and play games. Get active. Gathering with family, friends and co-workers doesn’t have to be all about food. Try taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights; play Twister; wrestle with the kids; organize a comedy club night instead of a large dinner party. Maintain base training from now until the end of the year- don’t wait until January 1st. Incorporate a new food into holiday meals. Try a new recipe this season. Try a new fresh vegetable or fruit salad; add in brussel sprouts, squash, mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, cut some of the sugar and marshmallows out of the sweet potatoes, make a low fat cheesecake and substitute Splenda in place of sugar. Remember the standards as well: Be Satisfied with small amounts of food. Avoid concentrated sweets and sugar. Appreciate food quality, not quantity. Take your time eating. Chew your food well (approximately 20 times for each bite) before swallowing. Stop eating at the first sign of fullness. Remember to avoid “mindless eating” and make informed decisions. Now is the time to take control of your diet so that you can go into the new-year one step ahead.

Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD
(Registered Dietitian, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) specializednutrition@gmail.com
520-249-1599 for a consultation.