Tips for Eating Healthy After the Holidays
January 13, 2010
I don’t know about you but when it’s snowy and cold or even rainy and cold I tend to eat whatever I feel like and I’m not so keen to exercise outside either! I was happy when Dr. Mubina Jiwa, a naturopathic doctor who regularly contributes here at Handmade Evolution, emailed me some tips for healthy eating after the holidays. I know that the better I eat the better I feel so I’ll be putting as much of this into practice as I can. Probably starting next week though…
Tips from Toronto Naturopathic Dr. Mubina Jiwa
Alcohol, parties, chocolate, cookies and cakes: all of these treats make it very common for people to gain between 5-10 pounds over the holidays. Fortunately, with a little discipline, you can lose those pounds quickly.
The first thing to do is to drink water. We’ve heard this over and over and yet, many people do not get enough. Factor in some extra alcohol and caffeine over the holidays, and you are sure to be a little dehydrated after the festivities end. But how much is enough? Ideally, people should aim to drink half of their body weight in ounces. This means that a 140lb woman should be drinking 70 ounces, or about 9 glasses of water, daily.
Another important thing to remember is to make sure that you don’t stop eating in order to lose weight. This can backfire leaving you hungry and craving foods that will further sabotage your efforts. Instead, focus on eating every 3 hours. Choose whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, some dairy and raw nuts. Also, try to include a source of protein with every meal. These foods and protein in particular, have lower glycemic indices, meaning that you they help to keep your blood sugar steady. By eating these foods every 3 hours, you will feeling satisfied all day and avoid the blood sugar dips that leave you craving sweets.
You also want to get moving. Exercise can help you feel better and increase your metabolism. This will help you burn more calories and lose weight. Most people focus on doing cardiovascular exercise when trying to lose weight but it is important to make sure you that you incorporate some weight training into your regimen as well. Although both cardiovascular exercise and weight training will burn calories, weight training helps you build muscle as well. This is important since, pound for pound, muscle burns more calories than fat, making your body better able to lose weight and keep it off.
For more on Dr. Jiwa’s practice, visit her website here
