Post-Thanksgiving Detox

So did your best intentions do eat mindfully on Thanksgiving disappear as quickly as the pumpkin pie?  Did the stress of the family gathering cause you to eat your body weight in stuffing in hopes of being sent into a blissful carb coma?  Did a one day holiday celebration turn into a weekend of eating indulgence? 

Okay, first major holiday of the eating season is done.  So now it's time to get back on track and refocus as we navigate the rest of the eating season. Here are some tips on how to detox from the Thanksgiving eating frenzy.

• Get back in the routine.  Skipping meals may sound like a good way to account for a weekend of overeating but this only sets you up for overeating at the next meal.  Eating meals and snacks at regular intervals helps to stabilize your blood sugar, keep your energy up, and prevent you from reaching for a sugary treat in the afternoon.
• Power Up with Protein.  We tend to eat more carbs at holidays (such as stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, pies, etc...) since they tend to be a central focus.  Too many carbs makes us feel sleepy and causes a roller coaster reaction of blood sugar highs then low. Focus on having protein at meals and snacks such as lean meats, beans, tofu, and low fat dairy products.  Protein is digested more slowly than carbs and it also causes you to burn a few more calories as you digest it.
• Hide the Scale and Hydrate. All those extra carbs, alcohol, and salty foods have left you dehydrated and bloated.  Starchy foods and salt tend to make us retain water while alcohol tends to dehydrate us, causing the kidneys to hold onto the water the body has.  This can make us seem like we gained weight but it's really water weight.  Water is essential to digestion as it helps the body make bile and stomach acids.  If you are dehydrated, the body needs to pull water from other parts of the body to get the digestive work done, which can cause bloating and cramping.  Make sure to drink water throughout the day so you can rehydrate and help your body process the food you eat.
• Focus on fruits and veggies.  The fiber in fruits and veggies is Mother Nature's helper. The fiber not only helps keep you regular but also helps to fill you up for fewer calories.  Reach for 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Saute some spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms to add to your morning eggs; snack on fruit between meals; skip the pasta and stir fry zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms in tomato sauce.
• "Waste" it or "Waist" it. If the leftover pie is still taunting you, remove the temptation and pitch it.  Stop worrying about "wasting" food because if you eat it, it goes to your "waist." Eating food when you're not hungry will not help one starving child.  Doesn't that food look better in the trash can than on your waist?
• Shake What Your Momma Gave You.  The holidays are supposed to be happy, but oftentimes it stirs up negative emotions instead. Exercise helps to boost you mood and burn some extra calories.

Check back this week for some healthy recipes to help you continue the holiday detox.

A Healthier Thanksgiving

It’s easy to overindulge on Thanksgiving since it’s a day focused on eating. Here are some tips to help you enjoy a healthier holiday.  Also, check out my blog post from last year with some healthy pumpkin recipes.

1. Don’t Go Hungry.

Many people either eat very little or forgo eating in anticipation of the afternoon feast. Skipping meals leads to overwhelming hunger – the kind where anything and everything looks good. Reaching this level of hunger often causes you to over-serve yourself, eating larger portions than you normally would. Instead of starving yourself, start the day with a fiber-rich breakfast, such as oatmeal or whole grain toast, and add a generous serving of protein, such as eggs or a Greek-style yogurt. The fiber and protein will help to stabilize your blood sugar and keep you feeling full longer.

2. Take 30-60 minutes for a brisk walk or jog before the big meal.

Get a jump on burning those holiday dinner calories by sneaking in some activity during the day. Keeping yourself busy before the main feast can help prevent you from mindlessly nibbling on snacks.

3. Eat the best and leave the rest!

Don’t waste your calories on foods that you could have anytime of the year. Instead be strategic about your eating by choosing those items that are special to the occasion that you really want to eat. Fill-up on lean cuts of turkey breast and vegetables and only eat those heavier holiday foods that really excite your taste buds.

4. Eat slowly and enjoy each bite.

Thanksgiving is probably one of the few days that we actually take the time to sit down and relax during the meal. Instead of gobbling up your dinner, wait at least 20 minutes before you get a second helping. This is very important since it takes at least this long for your body to register how full it actually is. You may realize after 20 minutes that you don't want seconds after all.

5. Give yourself permission to indulge.

Rather than constantly worrying about how many calories are in the stuffing or pumpkin pie, give yourself permission to enjoy the day. Instead of feeling guilty about your choices, be present in the moment and pay attention to what you’re eating and how full you’re feeling. Eating mindfully makes the meal a more satisfying experience as you fully engage your senses. It allows you to realize when you’re satisfied and stop eating. Being mindful also prevents the meaning of Thanksgiving from getting lost in all that food.

The important thing to remember is that Thanksgiving comes once a year. Overindulging on one holiday is not a big deal – it’s what you’re doing consistently on the rest of those 364 days that really matter.

Perfect Pairings: Healthy Fat & Carotenoids

Did you know that adding a healthy fat to your veggies can help you absorb the antioxidants even better?  That's because many of the nutrients (such as carotenoids) in veggies are fat-soluble, meaning that their absorption is pretty wimpy when there's no fat in the mix. 

So first, a quick science lesson.

Phytochemicals are the compounds found in plant foods that impart the tastes, aromas, colors, and other characteristics to the fruits and veggies we love.  They give garlic its pungent flavor, tomatoes their dark red color, and hot peppers their burning sensation. 

Carotenoids are among the best known phytochemicals and include the well-known beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  They are the naturally occurring pigments that give color to many red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables along with many dark green veggies.  Carotenoids are found in everything from apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, kale, and collard greens.  Besides making your fruits and veggies look pretty, they act as antioxidants in the body and protect your cells from damage, reduce the risk of cancer, and bolster the immune system.  For example, did you know that the carotenoid lycopene is the pigment that not only gives tomatoes, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, and watermelon their red color but also protects you against cancers of the esophagus, prostrate, and stomach? 

Here's a quick and easy recipe filled with carotenoids from the carrot and red pepper and some healthy monounsaturated fat from almond butter to help you aborb them.

Carrot Salad with Almond Dressing

Serves 4

2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup raisins

Dressing

1/4 cup creamy almond butter
1 Tbsp lime juice
1.5 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 tsp honey
Pinch red pepper flakes

1.  Mix carrots, bell pepper, cilantro and raisins in a large bowl.
2.  In a small bowl, whisk together almond butter, lime juice, low-sodium soy sauce, honey and red pepper flakes.
3.  Add dressing to carrot mixture and combine thoroughly.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:  190 calories, 5 g protein, 27 g carbs, 9.5 g fat, 3 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 325 mg sodium

Is Your Personality Sabotaging Your Diet?

How you approach life can affect how you take care of your health.  It's important to be aware of how your coping patterns play into your eating and exercise habits.  For no matter what diet you follow, some behaviors can sabotage weight loss.

Are you a persistent procrastinator who always has an excuse for putting off losing weight? Are you a people pleaser that always says "yes" to other people without taking care of yourself? How about an overreaching achiever whose perfectionist tendencies make you feel you never lose weight fast enough and feel disappointed even when you make progress?

Personality and behavior play the main role according to obesity internist Robert Kushner and his wife, Nancy, a nurse practitioner, co-authors of Dr. Kushner's Personality Type Diet . In their book, they describe how different personality types affect eating habits and provide solutions to implement new healthy behaviors. 

Here's a list to help determine what type of eater you are with solutions to address the personality traits that get in the way of weight loss.

Unguided grazer

Eats anytime and anywhere — while driving, working, reading, watching TV or surfing the Internet. Usually chooses foods that are convenient and readily accessible. Frequently eats past the point of fullness.

Solution: Make a commitment to eat three meals a day. Midmorning and late-afternoon snacks may help ward off hunger. Don't do anything else while eating, and try to slow down and enjoy food.

Nighttime nibbler

Often goes all day without eating much — or anything. May consume far more calories than intended at night because of ravenous hunger. Dinner often blends into continual trips to the kitchen for snacks.

Solution: Plan to eat lunch and a midafternoon snack. Lunch might be a sandwich, yogurt or soup. The snack might be an apple and peanut butter or low-fat string cheese and crackers. Calorie-proof the house, getting rid of favorite nighttime munchies. Plan on one nightly snack that's satisfying. Eat it slowly and enjoy.

Convenient consumer

Eats mostly convenience, packaged, frozen and fast foods that are often high in fat and calories and low in fiber. Has few fresh foods or home-cooked meals.

Solution: Downsize fast-food meals and convenience foods. Buy single servings. Look for healthful alternatives whenever possible. Get baked chips instead of regular ones, broiled chicken instead of fried. Avoid creamy sauces. To add flavor to foods, experiment with spices such as fresh rosemary and tarragon and sauces such as teriyaki or spicy barbecue.

Fruitless feaster

Eats a plain meat-and-potatoes menu, except for an occasional glass of orange juice, a banana or apple. Consumes few fruits and vegetables, thus missing out on the vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients these foods contain.

Solution: Add blueberries, strawberries or bananas to cereal. Add mushrooms, spinach and green peppers to omelets. Put baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, apple and orange slices in lunch. Add baby spinach, arugula and tomatoes to sandwiches.

Mindless muncher

Snacks throughout the day and night whether hungry or not — sometimes out of boredom or to take a break in the middle of the day. Doesn't pass up a plate of food, vending machine or snack shop. The sight or smell of food triggers the compulsion to eat.

Solution: Keep a food diary for only two days, which will help convert mindless eating to conscious consumption. Read food labels to figure out quantities. Try healthful alternatives such as cherry tomatoes dipped in light ranch dressing, baked chips and vegetarian bean dip or whole-wheat pita with hummus dip.

Hearty portioner

Overindulges on unhealthful foods or even healthful ones. May consume three to five times the norm.

Solution: Picture a picnic plate with dividers, and portion your plate so that three-quarters is covered with fruits, vegetables and salad, and the meat and starch are in the smaller compartments. Overcome portion traps at restaurants by splitting entrees and ordering extra salad or vegetables. Scan food labels for calories per serving.

Deprived sneaker

May eat a strict diet of "good" foods one day, then overeat on "bad" foods on another. Instead of eating a small slice of chocolate cake, may choose fat-free cookies, but after eating eight of them, feels deprived.

Solution: Drop the dieting mind-set along with the long lists of forbidden foods. Choose flavorful foods that contain healthful oils and fiber. For instance, add nuts and avocado to salads, use olive oil in stir-frys. Follow the 80/20 rule — if 80% of your diet is healthful, the other 20% can be less so.

Eating healthfully requires more than just knowing what to do but being able to implement it.  It's important to seek support from a health professional such as a registered dietitian that can help you implement habits that can help you reach your goals.