Comfort Foods and Holiday Eating

For some, it's hard to imagine tossing together some mixed greens and fresh, crisp fruit with your choice of lean protein at any meal this time of year. It seems as if our bodies have heeded the seasonal warning to consume higher calorie foods that will help our systems survive the long, lean winter months. Perhaps much like the grizzly bear, we humans go through a diluted hyperphagia.

If we were still as physically active as the generations before us, we could definitely find merit in this philosophy. We are definitely not, though I am sad to say. So, what to do? Well, I have some suggestions for you to make decisions on calorie consumption slightly more clear.

1. Steam, bake or saute your veggies. You must continue to bring in the nutrients from foods such as vegetables, so don't avoid them just because you think they have to come in salad form. Warm, lightly cooked vegetables are extremely healthy and combined with a tablespoon or two of olive or coconut oil on low heat can help to account for some essentially fatty acids in the diet as well.

2. Don't overdo the potato dishes. We often turn to potatoes in the winter for our vegetable of choice. And often, we consume these at dinner when we are beginning to shut down for the day. This is not advantageous for those of us wanting to maintain or drop some body fat. Potatoes are high in energy which means they are high in carbohydrates. Consuming too much energy or carbohydrates can and will add layers and tighten the waist band.

3. Continue to consume water. We tend to think in patterns which narrow our ability to come up with options. Water does not have to be consumed cold or on ice. In fact, water is most suitable to our system for utilization when it is at least room temperature. Consuming hot water like you would hot tea, will help to bring comfort and security to the psyche which may subside the urge to consume. Once the body feels warm fluid coming in, it relaxes a bit knowing it can get warm if it needs to and the survival mode switch is not inherently triggered.

4. Watch the baked goods. It's fine to indulge here and there as long as here and there happen once or twice a week instead of once or twice a day. I suggest to all my clients to use the free website www.fitday.com to track their daily food intake. Unless you see your caloric intake in black and white, you can only speculate on the numbers. And I have to say, most greatly underestimate the quantity and caloric capacity of foods.

Comments and questions are welcome. I have much more advice to come so keep it here and stay tuned in for more holiday and general eating tips and suggestions to help you thrive in this season of overindulgence.

Yours in health and wellness,
Rochelle Gravance
habitsforming@yahoo.com

PS- The Holiday Meltdown Boot Camp starts next week and is officially closed to only those that responded before the cutoff day. If you did not get in, I will be hosting future boot camps you will not want to miss. Send me an e-mail with your contact information so you can be the first to find out when the next boot camp starts. You can be sure the next one will start sometime in December.