6 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain –
This following is a guest post from my friend Mary Vance who is a fellow nutritionist and blogger:
Is this a time of temptation for you?
It’s been said that the average adult gains over five pounds over the holiday season, but more recent studies say holiday weight gain is as little as one pound. Either way, we all tend to indulge a bit more than usual, so I’ve come up with some tips to help you stay on track til the new year (when everyone hits the gym!).
6 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain
1) Up the Alkalinity: Sugary indulgences and too much booze make a body acidic, and an acidic body is more prone to inflammation, pain, and degenerative conditions. To restore alkalinity, drink an 8 ounce glass of hot water with the juice from a 1/2 a lemon. You can also add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to help rev up your metabolism and strengthen immunity. This is especially good if you stayed out too late and are hungover, as this drink is cleansing for the liver. Don’t hit the coffee too hard–it’s very acidic. Stick to green tea or coconut water (both good for hangovers!)
2) Enjoy a protein rich breakfast within an hour of waking. This means exclude cereals, oatmeal, pastries, and bread products, all of which break down into sugar and are low in protein, leading to a crash and sugar cravings later. Try an egg-veggie scramble or chicken apple sausage with spinach (both ready in 10 minutes).
3) Chew your food slowly and eat mindfully! It’s easy to pop handfuls of treats during the day when the candy dish overfloweth, but ask yourself if you really want that third truffle, and slowly enjoy the treats you do indulge in.
Concentrate on chewing each bite of food 30 times. Mindful eating is one of the most powerful ways to enjoy and absorb nutrients from food.
4) Are you Thirsty? When you are under the urge to overeat or indulge in unhealthy snacking, make yourself a cup of green or herbal tea or drink a glass of water. We often mistaken thirst for hunger.
5) Get plenty of probiotic foods. My fave is raw kraut. Or take a probiotic supplement to keep your internal terrain balanced and healthy. Probiotics feed the good bacteria in your digestive tract, enhance digestion, combat bad yeast that contribute to sugar cravings, and boost immunity.
6) Think before you drink: While alcoholic beverages add to the celebratory nature of the holidays, they pack a lot of calories without nutrients, cause cellular damage, and lead to overeating. Cut down on alcohol consumption by drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic drink you imbibe. Good choices are champagne, red wine, or vodka/club soda. Try not to exceed two drinks. See the best choices here.
Prevent party pig-out: DON’T ARRIVE AT PARTY HUNGRY
Avoid refined foods like gluten & sugar which trigger cravings before events. Include fiber, protein, and good fats like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil in every meal to help you feel full. It’s the refined foods like pretzels that make you hungry. Survey the entire food spread first, then choose a few things that you really want–avoid the breaded, fried, or gluten-based foods and stick to the protein-based apps like shrimp, eggs, salmon, or meatballs.
Need More Support?
Don’t let the holiday treats tempt you!
Guess what me and my friend Mary have cooked up to help you get the body of your dreams in 2013?!
January JumpStart Body/Lifestyle Makeover
Brought to you by Mary Vance, NC and Caitlin Weeks, NC (aka: Grass Fed Girl)
Begins Wednesday January 8, 2013 at 7pm PST
Are you ready for a fresh start?
Join nutrition consultants Mary & Caitlin for this virtual 3-class workshop series to help you jumpstart weight loss and make over body and lifestyle so you can reach your wellness goals in 2013!
We have designed this workshop with a holistic focus to help you lose weight, break sugar/carb cravings, reduce stress, exercise properly (hint: we don’t want you out there pounding the pavement for hours every day!), sleep like a baby, and eat delicious REAL food.
No fads, no fasting, no funny stuff. Learn the foods you should be eating to boost energy, lose weight and thrive.
Here is what you’ll get:
3 hour-long group tele-seminars (so you can attend by phone from anywhere in the world) hosted by certified nutritionists. (They will be recorded in case you miss a call)
Class 1 will give you all the details you need to know to kick off your
jumpstart: what to eat and what to ditch and our top tips to stay on track.
Class 2 covers the lifestyle factors you must have in place to be healthy and reduce sugar cravings. Plus, the best types of exercise for health and weight loss.
Class 3 will give you all the tips you need to make your awesome results
stick. AND you’ll get a manual filled with all the information we cover + tips and easy recipes AND a customized workout plan designed by personal trainer Caitlin Weeks.
PLUS you’ll have access to your nutritionists throughout the program so you can ask us your questions. We’ll set up a forum where everyone can share recipes, tips, and talk about fun wellness topics.
The best part? You get all this for $97!
Class dates:
Wednesday evenings at 7pm PST
January 9, 16, and 23
Join from your home or office by phone from anywhere.
Sign up now to secure your spot!
Registration is limited so we can give everyone personalized attention.
Questions or inquiries?
Call (415) 786-7938 for Mary info@maryvancenc.com
(415) 624-5121 for Caitlin caitlintweeks@gmail.com
