The Christmas season and the end and beginning of the year parties represent an important challenge to take care of your health.Francisco Herrera Morales, nutritionist, indicated that consuming excess food during these dates and implementing unhealthy nutritional practices in a very short time can affect health and at the same time cause the rebound effect to manifest suddenly. In this situation, he recommends enjoying the activities without incurring excesses and being aware of the health problems that can arise.
To do this, the specialist provides 10 key tips to maintain healthy eating habits during this time:
1) Consider five meal times per day: By distributing food in a more balanced way, sudden changes in blood glucose levels will be avoided, thus preventing sudden peaks in energy storage (mainly fat accumulation) or binge eating. hungry for lunch/dinner.
2) Breakfast is one of the main meal times: A proper breakfast provides adequate fuel to cope with daily activities and workload. It is recommended that the following food groups be incorporated: Cereal-dairy-fruit, which offer energy and minerals, protein and calcium and finally dietary fiber along with vitamins and minerals.
3) Healthy snacks: It is necessary to incorporate mid-morning and afternoon snacks, with foods such as fruits, snacks low in fat and added sugar, natural juices, dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) and avoid sweet and salty pastries. In the case of dairy products, skim products are an excellent option due to their low calorie content.
5) Incorporate whole foods at this time: They can be progressively included at breakfast (whole wheat bread) and during lunch or dinner (whole rice). Whole foods are absorbed more slowly by the body, which means better assimilation and therefore fewer blood sugar spikes. In addition, they have more dietary fiber.
6) Use little salt and more spices: A good technique is to partially replace the salt with spices, which enhance the flavor without increasing the sodium content. Marinades with spices provide better flavor to foods, in case you prepare some baked meat.
7) Legumes should always be present: Accompanied by a cereal such as rice, they have the same protein quality as meat. These combinations provide complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
8) Fresh salads and vegetables: There is a wide variety of fresh vegetables that can be combined such as lettuce, tomato, cabbage, carrots, beets, spinach, watercress, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Dress salads with lemon, olive oil and avoid fat-laden dressings.
9) Modify Christmas recipes: To avoid excess calories in many of the preparations characteristic of this season, try to replace ingredients high in sugar and fat with those that are reduced in calories.
10) A moderate toast at Christmas and New Year’s Eve: Experts advise moderate consumption that, above all, does not reduce the ability to drive vehicles and thus avoid accidents, which represents one of the greatest risks during the holidays. Among the consequences of alcohol abuse are complications in the liver, pancreas and gastroesophageal tract.
Easy on the Wine
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises not to exceed two glasses of wine or beer per day, in the case of men and half that in women, within what is considered moderate consumption.
