Diet & Weight Loss Articles

Healthy Eating Secrets for Holiday Occasions - PART 2

Guideline No. 6: Go to the buffet line with a small plate.
A full salad plate looks like a lot of food and psychologically "feels" the same way. You can always go back for seconds, or even thirds; but all of this slows down the eating process, giving you more time to feel full. And more often than not, the larger portions of food you would have eaten if they had been on your plate will wind up staying on the buffet table.

Guideline No. 7: Bring snacks while shopping.
Prowling the mall for hours leaves everyone starving and vulnerable to the usually bad fast-food choices. If you come prepared to roam around with some crunchy, healthy snacks such as celery, carrots, or even nuts -- just don't scarf down fistfuls of peanuts -- you'll be less likely to succumb to the call of the food court.

Guideline No. 8: Replace sweet with spicy.
Cravings for sweets sometimes evaporate when you put something pickled or spicy in your mouth. It's okay to indulge the occasional sweet craving, but eat something spicy or pickled first and you may find you no longer want to.

Guideline No. 9: Be sure it's not thirst.
Many times when we crave food, it's not really hunger that's driving the urge, it's mild dehydration. So drink tons of water. A slice of orange, lemon or lime will flavor the water and cut your cravings; flavored non-caloric seltzers accomplish the same thing.

Guideline No. 10: Finish your big holiday meals within an hour of starting.
The body produces a second insulin hit if it senses a lot of food coming in continuously. You can avoid that second hit (and the subsequent fat storage that it triggers) by finishing within an hour of starting. If you see something you like that you forgot to eat within the hour, that's fine; just save it for tomorrow. It'll still be there, and you won't be wearing it on your hips.