Photo by Danilo Rizzuti via freedigitalphotos.net

Pamela was not looking forward to heading back to the office after Thanksgiving.  It wasn’t the work or the coworkers.  She loved them.  It was the 10 pounds that she was convinced she gained last year from eating the holiday treats at the office.  She had always had problems with sweets and her weight.  This year she had finally lost 25 pounds.  It was an amazing accomplishment for her and she was afraid that the holidays treats at the office woukd get the best of her again. She had worked so hard to lose each and every pound.  The last thing she wanted was to gain any of them back.

Like Pamela, many people find it challenging to stick to a healthy eating plan when co-workers or clients are constantly bringing holiday treats.  Don’t fear though because even though holiday treats like chocolates, cookies, candies and cakes might tempt you, there are some tricks to help you resist.

How can I resist the holiday treats?
Here are 4 things you can do to take control of the holiday treat situation:

1. Plan ahead: Bring healthy snacks to work, such as fresh fruit or veggies and eat them when you get hungry. You will be less likely to binge on unhealthy treats when you are not hungry.
2. Start a healthy trend: Bring fruit or hummus with veggies to the office instead of baked goods. You would be surprised how many people find the opportunity to eat something healthier refreshing.  Other people might even follow suit and bring healthy treats to work as well.
3. Out of site, out of mind: If you can, place the holiday treats out of your sight.  If you don’t see them, you will be less tempted by them.
4. Say no to food pushers: No matter how hard your co-workers try to make you feel guilty for not eating the sweets they brought, stay strong.  Don’t let them tempt you or make you feel guilty about eating healthy.  Just politely say “No, thank you,” and walk away from the situation.

The bottom line:
You should not let the holidays destroy the healthy diet you have worked so hard to maintain. With a little planning you can eat healthy this season.  And remember it is okay to indulge in a treat, occasionally.  You don’t let the holidays make you lose control.  Moderation is the key during the holidays, just as it is all year round.

Photo by Rhett Sutphin via Flickr

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many Americans are looking forward to a feast.  There will be tables laden with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, yams, mashed potatoes, bread, salads, vegetables, and various pies.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?  What most people are not looking forward to is the sleepiness that follows the meal, which they blame the tryptophan in the turkey for.  But is turkey really to blame?

What is tryptophan?
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means that we have to get it from plant or animal sources because our bodies don’t naturally produce it.  Tryptophan plays an important role in the production of serotonin, which leads to calmness and can make you sleepy.  Tryptophan is also an important factor in the production of niacin, a B vitamin.  And turkey contains tryptophan, which is why it has gotten a bad rap for making people tired.  But other foods, such as chicken, egg whites, cheese, sunflower seeds, some fish, soybeans and pork chops have as much or more tryptophan as turkey and you don’t see people blaming those foods when they feel tired.

Does eating turkey cause fatigue?
Even though tryptophan is present in turkey, it is not the cause of the sedative effect that we feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner.  In order for tryptophan to make you sleepy, you have to consume it on an empty stomach without consuming any other protein.  Besides, the amount of turkey eaten during Thanksgiving is generally too small to have any appreciable effect.  Scientists now believe that it is actually the eating of a heavy meal that is rich in carbohydrates that causes the tiredness, not the turkey.  Of course, any alcohol that is consumed with the meal only adds to that effect.

What can you do to be less tired?
If you decide that you would rather skip the after meal stupor this year, here are 3 things you can do to prevent that lethargic feeling:

1. Don’t overeat: When you overeat, you will feel more lethargic because blood is diverted to your digestive system from other organ systems, making you fatigued.  After all, it takes a lot of energy to digest a large meal.
2. Limit carbohydrates: Meals that are heavy in carbohydrates trigger an insulin effect, making you tired.
3. Limit fats: High fat foods take more energy to digest, requiring extra blood to be diverted to the digestive system, leaving less energy for other bodily functions, resulting in lower energy levels.
4. Limit or avoid alcohol: Alcohol makes you more lethargic because it is a central nervous system depressant.

The bottom line:
The tryptophan in turkey has been blamed for causing the after dinner fatigue on Thanksgiving day, but the blame needs to be redirected to the true cause: overeating and too many carbohydrates and fats.  So, if you don’t want to feel the overwhelming need to take a nap after the big meal this year, eat a more balanced meal that is not too high in carbohydrates or fats.  And do not overeat or drink too much alcohol.  If you follow this simple formula, you may make it through the Thanksgiving festivities without passing out on the couch after the meal.

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References used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and whfoods.com.

The holidays have arrived. It is time for festivities with family and friends, gift giving and, of course, food. For many people the holiday season is when the gingerbread cookies, candy canes and fruit cakes start coming out of the pantry and the eggnog flows freely. Yummy as we might think these treats are, a lot of us may not be aware how much sugar, saturated fat and calories are packed into them. Moderation is the key with these items if you are trying to lose weight, or just trying not to pack on any extra pounds while staying healthy. But, how can you know what is a reasonable amount of these items to eat, if you don’t know how good or bad for you they might be?

Know what you are eating
A lot of times we are not aware how bad things are for us until someone tells us.  When it comes to your health, ignorance is not bliss.  Like G.I. Joe said in those old cartoons, “Knowing is half the battle.”  Once you have the facts, you’re halfway there.  Then it is time to implement what you have learned, right?  Here is some nutritional information on a few traditional holiday items to help you with the first half of the battle.

1. Eggnog: This holiday beverage is high in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar.  One cup (8 ounces or 237mL) contains 343 calories, 56% of your daily saturated fat, 50% of your daily cholesterol and 24.1 grams of sugar.  This festive drink, although it may taste good, is not a healthy beverage.  So, if you were planning on drinking a lot of eggnog this year, I would rethink that plan if I were you. Keep the amount of this drink you consume low because it is one of the least healthy holiday items you can consume.
2. Gingerbread Cookies: It is easy to go on a cookie binge when gingerbread cookies are around because it is such a tasty holiday treat and we don’t get them the rest of the year.  But, did you know that one of these cookies can run you up to 60 calories?  If you ate 10 of those, that would be 600 calories.  That’s probably more calories than you were expecting in just one sitting.  So, spend your calories wisely and go easy on the plate of gingerbread cookies that your neighbors or co-workers brought.  Try to limit yourself to 1-2 a day instead of the whole plate.  I know it’s hard.  Those things are tasty!
3. Candy Canes: These iconic red and white Christmas candies are everywhere during the holidays. They’re seen in window displays, used to decorate Christmas trees and are, of course, eventually eaten.  They are best known as being tasty candies.  But, did you know that each candy cane contains about 45 calories?  While these are less frightening as far as caloric intake goes; if eaten in excess they can still swell your daily calorie intake.  Plus, they can load you up with way too much sugar if you eat them all day.  So, by all means have some of these during the holidays, but keep how many you eat on a given day under control.  It’s amazing how easy it can be to devour a few while doing something else and not realize how many you had until you see the wrappers sitting on the table.
4. Fruit Cakes: Even though it is the butt of many jokes and might not please everyone’s taste buds, it is an ingrained holiday tradition found in many households.  Fruitcake is a very dense cake, full of dried fruits and nuts.  Sounds healthy, right?  You get fruits and nuts!  Well a moderate slice can also run you over 200 and sometimes even 300 calories.  So, if fruit cake is part of your holiday fun, eat small portions of it this holiday season and savor every bite.

The bottom line is that you don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite holiday treats.  But you should consume everything in moderation.  Although these holiday goodies might be very tasty, in excess they start becoming unhealthy.  So forewarned is forearmed.  You now have the knowledge and “Knowing is half the battle!”

Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone.  Be healthy, but don’t deprive yourself completely of the holiday foods you enjoy.

Halloween was just the harbinger of things to come. It brought candy and temptation, attempting to open a crack in your resolve that the following holidays could exploit. Hopefully, you were able to fight the temptation of Halloween, avoided having more than two or three sweets and emerged with your healthy diet intact.

Many people tell me that from Halloween through the end of the year is when they will have an almost impossible time avoiding unhealthy foods and overeating. They also tell me that they won’t have time to workout during the holiday season. As a result, they gain weight or let their diets fail during the holidays, but that doesn’t have to be the case, even while enjoying the holiday season. You just need to make your health a priority and make smart choices.

You can be healthy this holiday season
I understand that the holidays bring on extra food and sweets. Coworkers start filling the break room with more goodies than normal.  Neighbors come by with cookies and cakes. Plus, all the big dinners, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas can be overwhelming. During this time of year, food is tempting you non-stop. And we all know that eating all those cakes, cookies, candies and large portions can derail your weight loss or weight maintenance goal. So, here are a few tips that you should remember this holiday season to keep you on track for your weight loss goal, if you have one, or at least not gain a few extra pounds.

1. Remember to exercise: It’s especially important to workout during the holidays. You need to counteract any extra food you take in if your resolve slips. While shopping for gifts and preparing for and enjoying the festivities is important, you must continue to allocate some time to exercise. Build it into your schedule, so that it doesn’t get forgotten.
2. Watch your portions: Please don’t try a little of everything on the Thanksgiving table. That’s way too much food. I’ve tried it. I know. That will not help you be healthy.  I’m not saying to not enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but watch your portions and eat slowly. If you eat too fast, you’ll overeat because you won’t feel full until after you’ve eaten too much. We all want dessert, so leave some space for it, rather than trying to cram it in on a full stomach.
3. Advocate healthier treats: Try to convince your coworkers to bring healthier versions of favorite treats rather than the less healthy ones. One example might be a pumpkin pie with a graham cracker crust instead of a Crisco laden one.
4. Have alternative snacks: Bring a healthy snack to work so that you won’t be tempted by the goodies. Having something tasty as an alternative to the sweets, makes it easier to turn them down.
5. Just say no: Say no to food pushers. No matter how hard they try, say no thank you and politely walk away. Don’t say why you’re refusing. If you say you’re trying to be healthy or watch your weight, they’ll take it as a request for an excuse to allow you to cheat. Don’t believe me? Try it and you’ll see.
6. Exercise before or after a big meal: If you are going to eat a big meal, exercise beforehand or go for a walk afterward to burn off some of the extra calories. It doesn’t have to be a chore, you could take the family for a walk around the block and look at all the house decorations and lights. It can be a fun thing to do! Of course, if it’s -10F (-23.3 C)  where you live, you’ll have to come up with an alternative plan. I live in California, what can I say? It doesn’t get as cold where I’m at.

So, exercise and eat reasonably and you will emerge victorious! Don’t set back your weight loss or upset the healthy weight you’ve already achieved. Enjoy the holidays by beating back the weight gain and emerging a healthy you, ready to start the new year right. Not only will you be healthier, but it’ll also give you a healthier outlook on the new year ahead. If you can lose weight during the holidays, you know that you can achieve any goal you set for yourself, so go out and prove that you can.