Holidays: Not Worth the Weight!

Yes, it’s almost that time of the year again when you’re more stuffed than your turkey and Santa is not the only one with a belly. How many times have you told yourself you have this under control because you plan to start January 1^st with your new year’s resolution and lose that holiday weight?

Holiday weight gain is actually, on average, only a pound, but some may gain up to 5-10 lbs. Research shows that the pounds tend to stay on until the next year. Then you inherit another pound the following holiday and so on and so on. It’s time to break the cycle!

If you go into the holidays with the mindset that you will “fix” whatever happens and get back on track after, it’s already too late and you will fall into the “free for all” trap that’s hard to come out of.

You know that Skinny Minnie that never seems to look like she gained a pound during the holidays? There’s also Uncle Joe who sleeps 13 hours after inhaling a 10 lb turkey while patting his belly. The main difference between the former and the latter is the former plans ahead. Don’t let the holidays get the best of you!

Think of a holiday meal as another typical day with better and more food that will not make you feel well if you indulge too much. Eating the same dish twice will not really provide any more pleasure to your palate. Some research shows that after the 5^th bite, food doesn’t get any more palatable or pleasurable. Carry on with your typical diet and exercise routine. If you don’t have one, start now with a short 20 minute walk, jog, or simple exercise video. Plan to lose a couple of pounds before the holidays if you’re worried about gaining weight. Stick to your typical breakfast and lunch so when the cake and treats come rolling through the office, it’ll be easier to say no or control the portion. Yes, it’s hard to say no to free food, but you’ll also be saying no to undesired weight gain and hello to a healthy New Year.

If you don’t already, avoid fast food, especially before the holidays. It also wouldn’t hurt to check in with your weight once a week so see where you are and if you need to be a little more mindful of your eating.

Tips to consider when at holiday parties/gatherings.

• Make sure you’ve eaten something before so you’re not starving when you arrive
• You don’t have to eat all of the food in one sitting. Save it for days to come.
• Donate extra food/desserts to a shelter
• Eat until full, not because it’s staring back at you
• Load your plate first with lower-calorie foods and then save a small spot for the high-fat treats
• Go for a holiday bike ride, ice skating, or window shopping with friends.

Remember, the holidays are about getting together with loved ones, not about gathering around the buffet table. If you start with a plan now, you will get through the holidays without the stress of added weight.

No Ordinary Cinnamon Tea

This is a delicious, hearty, and soothing winter tea with a bite. The combination of nutty and sweet flavors with cinnamon will fulfill your sweet cravings while keeping you warm.

You will need:

• 1 T of chopped walnuts
• ½ T shredded coconut
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tablespoon of powdered cinnamon
• 1 cup of water
• Sugar- according to taste

1. Boil cinnamon stick in a cup of water or dissolve ground cinnamon in boiling water
2. Add sugar, walnuts, and coconut. Enjoy!

This is how I like to make it, but of course you can adjust the walnut to coconut ratio to your liking!

Health Benefits of Cinnamon:

• Anti-inflammatory which helps arthritis and diabetes
• Lowers blood sugar

• Used as a remedy for colds and indigestion
• Helps lower cholesterol
• Natural food preservative that prevents bacterial growth
• Great source of Manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium
• Some studies indicate it’s smell alone can help improve memory

Organic Schmorganic?

After recently seeing the film What’s Organic About Organic?, defining this term is not as easy as I thought. A criticism of the organic label is that it is merely a marketing strategy in the consumer world to make their product seem superior. Also, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has some guidelines that can be open to interpretation and create loopholes for the organic seal. Then there are foods in the mainstream organic market such as organic TV dinners, organic Twinkies, and other organic "junk food" that are incongruous with the “healthy” ideal the term is often associated with. So does this mean we give up on organic products all together? What about local foods that aren’t organic?

There are some clear benefits of eating organic, especially, when it comes to meat and dairy. Organic foods are grown without antibiotics that humans can become resistant to and without growth hormones that can negatively affect our bodies and metabolism. The abuse, mistreatment, and extremely unsanitary conditions of slaughter houses in conventional agriculture are horrifying and will surely change your outlook on meat. In addition to ruining our bodies, conventional agriculture greatly contributes to carbon emissions while organic agriculture can greatly reduce them by utilizing natural sources of energy to grow food.

Besides making your fruit look camera ready and perfectly shaped, pesticides sprayed on these crops were originally used as chemical warfare agents! Even though, they’re diluted, their cumulative effect is toxic and many farmers have died from overexposure. Washing your fruit with simple water is not going to cut it either, as they’re made to resist even harsh rain water. Even peeling the fruit is not a guarantee as they can seep into thin skinned fruits and vegetables.

Though shopping at the farmers’ market is environmentally friendly by reducing carbon emissions from foods that are otherwise flown from across the world, they do not always practice organic methods. Some farmers, however, cannot afford the organic label, but practice their farming in an equal, if not superior way to large farms that can afford the organic certification. Supporting local farmers is supporting food security as we will have to rely less and less on imports. In the event of food contamination, eating locally makes it easier to trace the source. Local farmers have an extremely hard time competing with cheap conventional products in the grocery stores and rely on selling their crops directly to live.

If you want the best of both worlds, ideally, you can ask the farmers at the market if they practice organic agriculture, but you will have to take their word for it if they are not formally certified. Whether you buy organic or local, even if it’s just one item, it’s surely more advantageous than conventional foods. The conventional food may cost less, but consider the hidden cost of your health, the cost of the underpaid workers, and the cost of our environment.

If you haven’t seen Food Inc. or What’s Organic About Organic? I encourage you to do so and see for yourself. I know it’s easier to look the other way and pretend our food isn’t tainted, when at the end of the day, we’re all just dollar signs to these huge, conventional food manufacturers.