Nutritionally Navigating the Holidays By, Amber Fentress, MS, RD, LD
Food Demos Fruit Pie Ingredients Graham Cracker Crust (for sake of time, I used a store bought version but you can definitely make your own) 1-1½ cups plain Greek yogurt 4-8oz reduced fat Cream Cheese ½ cup light Whip Cream ¼ cup Berries Almond Milk Egg Nog Ingredients 2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk 3 Egg Whites 1/3 cup Raw Honey ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg plus more for topping ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon plus more for topping 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Topics of discussion Reducing stress around holiday events. Eating a micro-nutrient dense breakfast & lunch. Not restricting yourself Listen to your hunger cues. Getting active after a big meal. Holiday food after the holiday
Reducing Stress Around Holiday Events Holidays are meant to be enjoyed with friends and family not cause stress because of the food served at these events. What will contribute more negatively than eating a little more on this one day is the stress you put your body through. Stress does lead to weight gain. This is a time where you get to see your aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews that you may not get to see but once or twice a year Although the food is a big part of it, it s not the main part so remember that!
Eating a Micronutrient Dense Breakfast & Lunch. DO NOT skip meals leading up to a holiday event This will put you at a greater risk of overeating while you re there and not truly enjoying the food Do eat you a healthy breakfast and lunch. If your holiday dinner is anything like mine, it s lacking on the fruits and vegetables The apple pie loaded with sugar and butter doesn t count Make sure you re giving your body the micro and macronutrients it needs One option could be some oatmeal topped with berries at breakfast This meal will also give you some fiber that helps with satiety and ensures your digestive track is working properly
Not Restricting Yourself As discussed in the previous slide, do NOT skip meals prior to event Don t eat before because you think you wont eat once you get there One of two things will happen if you do this: 1. You ll feel restricted and have a negative connotation with the holidays 2. You ll end up overeating once you get there because you couldn t control yourself Also, don t try to avoid all the bad foods while you re there A lot of these foods you don t get to enjoy except once a year This does not mean go crazy though!
Step by Step 1. Examine the food spread once you arrive 2. Decide which foods you really want to have, not foods you could have at any time. Be choosy! 3. Grab a plate, choose a smaller plate if possible 4. Get yourself the foods you really want to have and SIT DOWN Don t stand and just munch on foods, this does not allow you to be aware of how much you ve truly ate. Sit down and enjoy your food. 5. Stop when you re full. If you finish your plate and want seconds, wait 10 minutes for your food to settle and then re-evaluate your hunger. Still hungry? Go get a little more. 6. Put the food away once you re done. Don t continue to have food sitting out, this will cause you to mindlessly eat. Same goes for desserts, if you want a cookie or slice of pie have one but don t eat the whole jar just because it s sitting out.
Listen to your Hunger Cues Get more in tune with your body Truly evaluate if you re hungry, just because Becky makes a huge helping, doesn t mean you have to too Remove distractions at the dinner table and truly enjoy every bite Talk with you family, put the phone down Slow down, don t scarf it down. It s not going anywhere, finish your first bite before shoveling in another! Clean plate club no more! Just because you put it all on your plate does not mean you have to eat it! If you re full, STOP. Satisfied NOT stuffed. You should not have to unbutton your pants once you finish eating because you re so full. If this is you every year, stop eating halfway through and just sit there for a couple minutes. Listen to your body.
Limit your Alcoholic Beverages Limit alcoholic beverages to one for women and two for men per day Alcohol limits your inhibitions and can lead to overeating If you re going to drink choose drinks that are lower in calories Be aware. The main thing I tell my clients is be aware of what you re doing. If you re going to drink multiple drinks that are 200+ calories a pop, don t be surprised if you end up gaining weight.
Getting Active Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week OR 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. Aerobic activities include walking, running, biking, swimming, kayaking, dancing, etc. Start a family tradition of going on a walk after your big meal This will help get your digestive track moving Reduce lethargic feeling Plus, it s a great way to bond with family and get in some steps
Holiday Food after the Holiday A holiday is ONE day, not the whole time from Thanksgiving to New Years Enjoy the holiday and all the wonderful food for that one day with your family. Having one day of splurging will not ruin your healthy lifestyle. Just go back to your normal habits the next day, our bodies are smart, it will go back to normal You may have some weight gain the next day, this does not mean it s all fat. Additional sodium and carbohydrate consumption can cause water retention. If you re someone who stresses over your weight, don t weigh yourself until 2-3 days after once you ve gotten back to your normal routine. What about the leftovers? The sweets and desserts, offer them to another family member vs taking them home. Leftover turkey can easily be made into sandwiches where you can add tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and eat it on whole grain bread!
Healthy Eating As mentioned in the above slide, I said go back to your healthy eating habits. What should that look like? And why is that important?
Healthy Eating Your diet and exercise has a large impact on your health The number one leading cause of death in America is largely preventable with diet and exercise The habits you re making now are either positively or negatively affecting your future health Change is hard, but it s much easier to do so now then when something worse happens to you. I m here to help! Come see me at Student Health!
MyPlate Method ½ of your plate should be made up of fruits and vegetables There should be color on your plate!! ¼ of your plate should be made up of grains ¼ of your plate should be made up of protein Additional daily is optional
Water Water is so important and too many people are lacking on their water intake Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women Water: How much should you drink every day? (2017, September 06). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/indepth/water/art-20044256
Exercise Student Wellness Center Exercise classes 6 days. Grab a friend and try one out! Weight room and machines- Adults should incorporate resistance training 2x week Not sure what you re doing? Ask for help! Track- go walk on the track for 30minutes. Listen to your online lecture, listen to a podcast, or just music. Doesn t matter, just get moving! Exercise helps with your health but it also releases endorphins which help your mood! I don t know a single time I ve walked out of a workout mad.
Questions?!