Don't Let Holiday Eating Pack On The Pounds

The very idea of eating healthy around holiday time sounds not only impossible, but also pointless. For many of us, food is one of the great pleasures this time of year — unless you are going to be subsisting on a diet of candied yams, stuffing, and honey-banked hams in the balmy summer months.

We like our holiday treats, we like the big meals, the buttered rolls, the desserts … and then the other desserts. Yes, we know it perhaps isn’t the best stuff for us, but c’mon already, ’tis the season. We’d no sooner do without Thanksgiving leftovers than we would autumn foliage, and Christmas dinner is just as eagerly anticipated as opening gifts.

OK, fair enough. Nonetheless, we also definitely don’t like the feeling of being sluggish and dazed from too much grub, and none of us like the post-holiday hangover that comes crashing in right around Jan. 2: some extra pounds, and pants that if they fit at all, do so rather snugly.  So begins the next season: one of harsh New Year’s resolutions — involving pricey gym memberships, personal trainers, and meals portioned out to the gram. (“Another sliver of kale, anyone?” “No, no, I couldn’t possibly!”)

So feasting at this time of year leads unfortunately to famine tomorrow. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We could all enjoy the holidays, and the foodstuffs that come with them, if we just practiced a modicum of restraint and balance.

Rotate out some of the more caloric-busting dishes with healthier alternatives. Instead of cream-based soups or heavy stews, do a soup that is broth-based, done with vegetable stock. Avoid undue snacking from the chip or nuts dish, and pass on the cheese ball. There will be plenty to eat — no need to gorge on the starters.

At the same time, don’t use the holidays as an excuse to come off your normal eating routine. If you are one to wake up and eat a grapefruit or bowl of bran cereal, continue to do that. You’ll find your appetite is subtly sated when the main event comes around and you are less likely to stuff yourself to the breaking point if you aren’t ravenous when the turkey touches the table.

Also go easy on the alcohol; booze is loaded with empty calories and nothing is so sure to bring on the bloat as a couple too many beers or cocktails.

And finally, don’t just sit there. Get up, take a walk after a meal (or before), introduce some holiday dancing to the festivities. Make those calories work for you, and in the process work them off a little.

Just a few small adjustments can make a world of difference in staving off post-holiday blues for your body. Tailor your holiday festivities accordingly, and it might save you from having to tailor your favorite trousers afterwards.

One more thing: Happy Holidays from all of us at Scrubin Uniforms! We greatly appreciate your business, and look forward to serving you in 2016!