As a nutrition coach I preach the holidays are about individual meals and not two and a half months of eating, drinking and relying on food to make you merry. However, as the fun loving gal who loves this time of year, I can appreciate all the temptations throughout the entire season. There are exclusive latte flavors that seduce your taste buds, bakery sections that envelop you in memories of childhood and traditions of cooking and baking that just can’t be broken. So here are some smart ways to lessen the blows.
1.) Chewable fiber eight before a meal. Chewing 2 sugar-free fiber tabs just minutes before a meal can help you slow the blood sugar rush that meal may cause. The fiber slows down digestion and lowers the needs for insulin to rush in and shuttle that sugar from the blood and into the fat cells for storage (aka wider hips!)
2) 90 seconds of exercise pre/post meal -just 90 seconds of movement like body weight squats, jogging in place, push-ups, anything really helps do a couple things 1) primes your body for food – as hunter gatherers our ancestors had to go catch their food – so their body knew activity lead to eating and thus was primed to take in the nutrients 2) boosts endorphins so we don’t only rely on the food to make us feel happy and satisfied (we may make healthier choices 3) can decrease appetite so we consume fewer calories.
3) Take SlenderGR– an enzyme formula that acts much like fiber, but binds to a portion of the fats and carbs to slow down the rise in blood sugar, ultimately storing less of that meal as body fat. It also metabolizes fats and carbs to aid digestion further assisting in maintaining a normal weight or even weight loss.
4) Start and end your day with hot lemon water. Lemon has many wonderful properties; it acts like fiber to slow blood sugar rushes when consumed alongside food, it’s antioxidants and vitamins are immune boosting, it is alkaline to the body, gets bowel movements going and is hydrating just to name a few. Starting your day with warm lemon water gives all these benefits and may help you not crave sugary foods first thing in the morning. I notice I feel a ton better when I consume lemon water as opposed to coffee all morning long. My hunger and cravings stay in check and I save the calories I would have added with sugar and cream.
Ending your day with warm lemon water may keep you from snacking and gives your body nutrients and water to help repair overnight while the liver is detoxing.
5) Keep mouthwash with you. Use travel size mouthwash right before going into a party, starting to bake and at the end of every meal. The clean breath and minty flavor can deter you from grazing on extra foods and reaching for the sweet treats.
Remember that a “diet” is really Decisions I Eat Today…so take each meal as it comes and do your best in that moment. The sum of your consistent actions is what shows on your body and especially in your stomach area. For more nutrition help, recipe ideas and simple ways to combat the battle of the bulge download The F*Bomb Diet today