Healthy Eating Tips for the Holidays

Holiday season does NOT have to mean weight gain season!

Being Thanksgiving this week, the holidays are officially upon us! For some of us this conjures up thoughts of family and festivities. For others, stress and rushing around come to mind. For too many people, the worry of unwanted weight gain sets in - the parties, the food, the baking, the cookies, the pies, the alcohol - all of it!

Well, worry no more!

There are several tips you can follow to get you through the holidays without tipping the scale in the wrong direction. There are actually many things I can recommend, but I’ll try to stick to real-life tips that still allow you to eat, drink and be merry!

• first and foremost, avoid skipping meals in order to “save up calories for the party at night” - not a good plan! Chances are, you will be so hungry that you will overeat and not make the best choices at the party. Be sure to eat breakfast, lunch and a small snack during the day as you usually do, so that you can be better equipped to stay in control at night.

• try not to linger around the buffet or food table; when we are mingling and standing around talking, if there is food within reach, many of us tend to snack on the food without even realizing it; this mindless eating can really add up to a lot by the end of the night

• get in the habit of bringing a ‘safe dish’ with you; most of us don’t like to go to parties empty-handed; if you’re already bringing something, why not bring a healthy (but still yummy) something; this way, if there aren’t many - or any! - heathy choices, you can at least enjoy what you brought

• instead of adding a little of everything as you proceed through a buffet line, try to take a look at all the food offerings before adding anything to your plate; determine which foods you’d love to have, which you might like to sample, and which you can do without; no need to waste calories on foods you don’t necessarily enjoy; put on your plate the foods that you’d love to have, watch the portions, then savor and enjoy!

• be careful not to drink too many calories; many cocktails are made with sweet juices which contain lots of sugar and calories; beer is very filling and tends to show up around the waistline; better choices include spiked seltzer, wine spritzer, Vodka soda or, for a festive flair, try prosecco with a splash of cranberry juice!

• pay attention to the distribution of foods on your plate - aim for 1/2 the plate to be filled with vegetables, 1/4 filled with protein and 1/4 carb. Try to fill up on the vegetables and protein first, saving the carb for last; by the time you get to the carb, gage your hunger or fullness level and you may find that you’ve had enough and you don’t need to finish what is left on your plate; being mindful and listening to your body will help you feel better throughout the season

• be sure to continue with your exercise routine; the holidays tend to get very busy and oftentimes exercise is what gets dropped; exercising will help you burn off some of the extra holiday calories you’re taking in and will help to relieve some of the stress that seems to come along with the holiday season

• lastly, try to remember what the holidays are all about; we’re gathering with family and friends to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company; yes, there will be food and drink there, but that shouldn’t be the main focus; sit next to someone you enjoy and focus on connecting with them and others around you

Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday season!

Maintaining a healthy weight in our 40s

As we women enter into our 40s, numerous changes start occurring in our bodies. Some we notice, and some we don’t, but they are indeed happening. What I hear most from clients in this age group is:

“I never had a problem with my weight until I turned 40”

“I was always able to take weight off when I needed to but nothing is working now”

“I never had this belly before and I don’t like it”

Any of these sound familiar? If so, you are not alone! This is because changes in our hormone levels during these perimenopausal years are responsible for the changes we see and feel in our bodies. Perimenopause usually begins in our 40s, but can begin as early as the mid-30s for some women. This change in hormone levels increases the rate at which we store fat (especially around the midsection), and decreases our ability to burn fat. So this results in unwanted weight gain - commonly in the belly area.

There are also other changes happening during these years that we may not necessarily notice, but they do affect our health. As we age, we begin to lose lean body mass, our bone health starts to get depleted, our sleep becomes interrupted - ether from hot flashes or insomnia - and our digestion changes, often leading to belly bloating and constipation. Sigh… sounds fun, huh?!

But wait, there is hope! Instead of dreading these years and feeling doomed, we need to accept that our bodies are changing and empower ourselves with the knowledge of what we can do to combat these changes. The good news is, the types of foods, how much of them and when we eat them, can make all the difference. Here are some tips to get you thru the 40s while regaining control of your body and becoming as healthy and fit as you can.

• include protein foods at each meal; this will keep you feeling full longer and will help promote lean muscle mass

• take in fewer calories, because your body isn’t burning them off as well

• limit carb-heavy meals including bagels, pasta, subs, etc

• be cautious of drinking excessive calories - coffee drinks and smoothies can be loaded with calories

• limit alcohol intake - nobody likes to hear this one but it really does make a big difference in weight

• include dairy in your daily diet to maintain bone health and lean muscle mass - low-fat Greek yogurt is a great option

• start taking a probiotic - discuss with your dietitian or doctor before doing so

• exercise daily and be sure to include both cardio and weight resistance in your workouts

Knowledge is power and being aware of how to best handle this transition can make these years a little easier!

New Food Trends for the New Year

A new year always seems to usher in new resolutions. It also means the release of a list of hottest food trends for the year ahead.

Here are some of the foods that made that list for 2018:

Pulses: this group includes chick peas, lentils, kidney beans, peas and other beans. Their nutritional benefit was brought into the spotlight the past 2 years, but this year they are being added to pastas and snack foods as a way of decreasing the carb and fat content and increasing the protein of these foods. Some examples include Explore Red Lentil Penne, Birds Eye Steamfresh veggie-made Zucchini Lentil Pasta, Beanfields bean and rice chips, Saffron Road Baked Lentil chips and Biena chickpea snacks.

Riced vegetables: riced cauliflower was all the rage this past year, and continues to be. What’s new this year is lots of other vegetables are joining the trend. Examples include riced broccoli, squash, carrots and beets. This is a wonderful way to get in the required vegetable servings daily, even for those who don’t really love their veggies. To make it even more appealing, there’s no work required - these riced vegetables are sold in frozen bags ready to be steamed/microwaved, then enjoyed. They often have no other ingredients, but some do include seasoning and added flavors.

Tip: to avoid added sodium or other additives, buy the plain version and season on your own as needed. Look in the freezer section of your local market for these convenient and nutritious veggies.

Dairy alternatives: this can be very useful for those with milk allergies as well as vegetarians and vegans. However, not all of them are healthy options, so buyer beware. Coconut milk has been a popular one but this isn’t always healthier than cow’s milk since its loaded with saturated fat. Some healthier products include those made with pea protein, which is similar to cow’s milk and provides up to 8 grams of protein per serving. Other new products on the market include cashew milk, almond milk, and even oat milk. While almond milk is not new this year, it has been very popular because of its very low calorie level. What’s important to keep in mind is that it is a poor source of protein. The best dairy alternatives should provide about 7 to 8 grams of plant-based protein and should be labeled “unsweetened”. They should contain as few ingredients as possible and should be fortified with the same vitamins and minerals as cow’s milk, which includes vitamins A and D. Some healthy options include: Ripple Unsweetened Pea Milk and Bolthouse Farms Non-Dairy Unsweetened Plant Protein Milk.

Enjoy the new food trends now that you have the inside scoop.

Happy, healthy New Year!

The Dreaded Holiday Weight Gain

The holiday season is officially upon us. This is not the time of year to be depriving yourself of holiday treats and cocktails, for they seem to be everywhere. The key is to avoid over-indulging. The average person gains around 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Don’t be the average person…

Yes, there are lots of parties, lots of food and lots of drink. Knowing how to navigate your eating around all these events is the trick.

First off, no dieting. Being on and off a diet is terrible for your metabolism and makes it even harder for you to lose weight in the future. Healthy eating is the goal. By eating healthy most days, it balances out the occasional hi-fat, hi-sugar, no-nutritive-value treat - emphasis on the work occasional. It’s what we do on a daily basis that makes the most difference. For example, lots of coworkers like to bring cookies, festive cakes and other sweets to the office for all to share. If you’re nibbling on a couple of cookies one day, some cake the next day, some chocolate the next day, etc, it will all add up to make a difference on the scale. It may seem harmless at the time - “its just a couple of cookies, how bad can they be?” - but a little bit each day adds up to a substantial amount at the end of the week.

Alternatively, if you’ve stayed away from sweets for the most part all week, its ok to have a dessert that you like at that party on the weekend. Its all about balance. Think about what you’ve eaten the past few days, then consider what is coming up in the next few days. Then decide whether or not to eat what you’re tempted by. That’s making a mindful choice.

As far as cocktails go, alcohol can make a big difference in weight. Just slow down the rate at which you’re drinking so that you will drink less overall during the course of the event. Try drinking a glass of water in between each drink as well. This will give your body the hydration it needs, as well as help decrease the total amount of alcohol you consume.

As always, continue to exercise throughout the season. This will help control your weight and will also help your mental health during this very busy time.

So eat, drink and be merry - in a controlled fashion!

Happy & Healthy Holidays to you all!

Everything Pumpkin

It’s that time of year. Being mid-September, it is most certainly pumpkin spice season. It seems as though almost every food and drink is now available in pumpkin flavor - from coffee to muffins to cereal to protein powders and more. So are pumpkin flavored products good for us, bad , indifferent? Let’s take a look at the facts.

Using canned pumpkin in a recipe is pretty much like boiling a pumpkin on your own, just much easier! One serving has approximately 50 calories and 5 grams of sugar, and provides lots of Vitamin A. Usually 1-2 servings are used in a whole recipe so the amount of calories and sugar we get is minimal. So making pumpkin pancakes, muffins and oatmeal would give us added vitamin A and not a whole lot more. That’s a win!

There’s a big difference between canned pumpkin and canned pumpkin pie filling, however, so beware. Pumpkin pie filling is much higher in calories and sugar - providing 135 calories for one serving and 25 grams of sugar.

The flavoring used in pumpkin spice coffee is a whole different story. Most stores use a pumpkin spice syrup when making their coffee and lattes. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts for example, each use a different syrup for their coffees. The syrup that Starbucks uses has approximately 33 calories and 5 grams of sugar per pump, while Dunkin Donuts’ syrup has approximately 53 calories and 11 grams of sugar per pump. That may not sound too bad, right? Well… it wouldn't be too bad if they were each only using 1 pump. But they’re not! Far from it! Starbucks uses 3 pumps for their tall coffee (99 calories and 15 grams of sugar), 4 pumps for their grande (132 calories and 20 grams of sugar) and 5 pumps for their venti (165 calories and 25 grams of sugar ). These calories and sugar levels are for black coffee so added milk, cream and sugar would, of course, add more calories.

Dunkin Donuts uses 2 pumps for their small (106 calories and 22 grams of sugar), 3 pumps for their medium (159 calories and 33 grams of sugar), and 4 pumps for their large (212 calories and 44 grams of sugar) - that’s a whole lot of sugar!

So, as usual, the closer to nature the product is, the healthier it is. Canned pumpkin is pretty much just pumpkin while the flavoring for coffee drinks is mostly sugar.

If you’re a pumpkin spice fan and ‘tis the season, a happy medium may be to ask for fewer pumps in your coffee.

Happy Fall!