Festive Season Nutrition Tips

So, it’s Festive Season and everyone is being social, going to parties, coming together with family.

With that eating and drinking increases because we have to celebrate this fabulous time like it’s the first and last holiday ever.

I had a few clients ask me for guidelines to follow so that they don’t veer off their Nutrition Plan too much.

So here goes:

The best and first thing you can do is to avoid these two things… ALCOHOL AND SWEET STUFF.

I guess everyone is now thinking…

Well, that’s just great!! There goes my diet. How the F… am I going to avoid having shooters with “Uncle Bob” and say no to “Aunt Bets” when she brings out her famous Koeksisters.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO:

1. BE DISCIPLINED

You know this is going to happen, and the secret is to ONLY have 1 or 2 of these things.

Moderation is the key here and a few drinks and sweet treats ON OCCASION will be okay.

Most of the time there are more than enough good choices to make but we tell ourselves that because we are not sticking to our regular Nutrition Plan we might as well go balls to the wall and eat everything we see and as much of is as we can…. Not so!

Yes, we all do that.

The classic, “I’ve already had one crisp so I might as well eat the whole bag & 2 desserts as well”

Don’t do that. Keep your portions small, don’t go for seconds just because it is “lekker” and you will be totally fine.

2. SHUFFLE

You can “shuffle” your carbs and fats in your meals around.

Decrease your carbs and fats in those meals you can keep as planned to allow you extra calories

in those meals you know you are going to eat “off” your plan.

A client asked me if doing Intermittent Fasting would work? For instance not eating at all throughout the morning and only eating late Afternoon and Dinner to allow for the “overeating” at those times.

My answer was NO, that is not ideal.

This will probably cause you to totally overeat hectically and leave you feeling unwell.

Try to stay ahead of your hunger and rather only decrease your meals or have small snacks prior to your “Big” meal

to leave room for the extra calories.

3. CLEVER CHOICES

Sometimes there is nothing you can do but to eat what is “dished” but when you are eating in a Restaurant or have the option to choose your own Protein and Side Dishes yourself you can be clever.

Chose less fatty cuts of Protein.

Chicken without skin, Lean cuts of Beef and avoid Lamb, Pork Belly or any other higher fat meat.

Go for Vegetable dishes without added sauces or creams and Salads without Mayo or Oil Dressing. Same with carbs. Choose a baked potato or rice rather than fries….and once again, keep portions small.

And OH, just because it is SWEET POTATO fries is does not mean it is a better option than regular fries.

It has been FRIED never the less and having Rice or Baked Potato is way better than anything fried.

4. WHAT TO DRINK?

Drinks are always a problem and this is often the main cause of gaining body fat over the holiday time.

So here are a few tip… Water everything down or dilute it with another zero calorie drink.

Instead of having wine just like that make sure you have something like Sprite Zero.

Have only 100 ml of dry wine, fill up a tall glass with crushed Ice and top with Sprite Zero.

You could have 3 – 4 glasses of that and it would only amount to the calorie intake of 1 glass of wine.

Same goes for beer. Have Shandy instead of Beer straight up.

Well, that is about the best advice, other than STICK TO YOUR PLAN, I can give.

Stick to these tips and you will have a Super Holiday Season without having to bring unwanted body fat back home with you.