April Holidays Health Guide
June 24, 2012 // Nutrition, Wellness
Faith. Family. Food. Health?
Passover. Easter. This weekend, millions of families join to celebrate their special holiday traditions. Often in times like these, habits of health are put aside as many enjoy the pleasures of wine, desserts, and other indulgences. These nutritional choices can directly accumulate excess body fat and create a struggle to regain a healthy physique. With the right mindset and a few eating strategies, a person can avoid the usual weight gain while still enjoying their food and drinks.
1. EAT beforehand.
Don’t neglect breakfast. Regardless of the assumed size of dinner, make sure breakfast is consumed. Breaking a feeding routine creates confusion within the body and SLOWS DOWN its metabolism. A slower metabolism means that the large amount of food consumed during the upcoming dinner is mostly stored instead of being burned for the body’s maintenance requirements. Try having a small meal that contains fiber. Fiber will keep your metabolism active and keep you satisfied until the big meal.
2. Don’t Munch.
It’s tempting to pass the time during holidays by taking a handful of some small treats that precede the big meal. The M&M’s on the coffee table and the jellybeans on the counter may seem harmless, but rest assured these bite-size candies are almost all sugar based and will create an insulin resistance response. Keeping the insulin levels low in the body will keep the brain aware of the amount of food needed in the body, not craved. If hunger is an issue, find the jar of nuts. This will keep the body satisfied before the main meal.
3. Eat Some Amino-Acids.
A person can never get enough protein. Besides being the Mecca of food choices, this amino-acid provider helps keep the immune system strong, the muscles repaired, the insulin levels controlled, and the body’s metabolism elevated. Consider this the necessary food(s) to consume before all the indulgences.
4. Eat Some Vegetables.
Along with the proteins, ensure the dinner plate has some vegetables to help assist the proteins absorption. The various vitamins and minerals within the veggies will aid in digestion of this typically-large meal. These greens will also keep the body satisfied due to the presence of fiber. It’s easy — just choose your first bites of the main meal as protein and vegetables and rest assured that there won’t be any weight gain afterwards.
5. The 90-Second Secret.
Exercise for 90 seconds before and after the meal to control the “damage” from the dinner. Head into an empty room or the restroom and perform a bodyweight exercise for 90 seconds in duration. It’s that simple. Need a visual of this? Video of a 90 Second Wall Press
6. Hydrate.
All the butter, salt, and spices used to prepare the foods will make digestion challenging. Regardless of your drink choices, drink at least a full glass of water during the meal to flush out the byproducts and prevent the unhealthy foods from storing.