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November 22, 2010

If holidays means one thing to all people, it's food. It starts with the Thanksgiving feast, and continues through New Years with holiday parties and cocktail hours. Not to mention with holiday shopping and planning, it's tough to find time for exercise.

But there are a lot of little things you can do to help curb the food frenzy throughout the holidays. From scheduling exercise to knowing how to eat during a party, The Survivors Club's guide to Surviving the Food Frenzy will help you curb your calorie intake and still enjoy the party.

And for the holiday host, we even have a low-cal recipe that can help you have a healthier Thanksgiving dinner. Read on to start planning your food survival strategy now:

Holiday Parties

1. Instead of kipping a meal before an event -- which may cause binging and over eating -- eat a snack or a light meal [how many hours?] before going to a food-laden event. Try to eat foods high in protein, like small handful of almonds, chicken, or a cup of cottage cheese. These foods will make you feel full and help you eat less at the party.
2. Portion control is a key to avoiding weight gain during the holiday season. Fill your dish with larger proportions of healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, or smoked salmon and only take small portions of fattier foods like ham and stuffing. Also, don’t feel obligated to fill your plate.
3. At holiday events, try to skip passed appetizers. These bites are more likely to be fried or calorie-laden. Instead, opt for the find fruits, cheeses, meat, and fish which are more likely at the buffet table.

Holiday Cooking

1. Substitute fatty ingredients with lower fat, lower calorie foods. You can still enjoy your favorite stuffing or mashed potato recipes, but use fruits and vegetables in your stuffing and low fat milk for the potatoes. Check out this article for a list of lower calorie options.
2. Choose alternate, healthier forms of traditional holiday side dishes. Instead of serving regular mashed potatoes which are usually full of fat and calories, try this healthier smashed sweet potatoes recipe by Randy Rabney, Conscious Food Expert, Teacher and Chef from TheConciousPlate.com:

Serves 4 people:

Ingredients:

• Three medium to large sweet potatoes, often called yams or 4 small ones
• 1-2 pats of organic butter (the size of the small squares in a restaurant)
• 2 Tablespoons whole organic milk
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or ground ginger (optional)
• A pinch of sea salt (1/8 teaspoon or less)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Scrub sweet potatoes under water, pat them dry and poke a few holes in the top with a fork.
• Place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven.
• Bake until they are soft (stick a fork in it and it will feel mushy, the skin will start to loosen and you may also see the sweetness oozing out from the holes in the top) When they are cool enough to touch, remove the skin and place the orange part in a bowl.
• Add the butter.
• If you have a potato masher, use it, if not use a fork to start breaking up the sweet potatoes. If you like it chunkier, don’t mash too long but if you like it creamier, keep mashing. Once the butter has melted, add the milk to help with the mashing.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine everything.

* A faster method for cooking the sweet potatoes or if it’s a hot day is to peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks, put them in a pot of water, bring it to the boil and then simmer until soft. This should take about 20-30 minutes. I like the baking method better because it concentrates the sweetness in the potato rather than losing some of the flavor in the water.

Fitting in Exercise

1. The holidays can be a busy time for all and exercising can fall short on your to-do list. Try to plan a work out schedule ahead of time, such as signing up for a yoga or spin class on Friday morning after Thanksgiving.
2. Get a head start by working out the week before. It only takes 30 minute work out 3-4 times a week to avoid those extra holiday pounds. Especially try to get your full two hours of exercise in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
3. After a holiday meal, go for a walk with family and friends around the neighborhood and look at the holiday displays. Planning a holiday get together doing an activity such as ice skating or sledding can is also a good way to exercise while still gathering for the holidays.

Holiday Drinking

1. Seasonal drinks are a staple of the holiday season but treats like hot chocolate, eggnog, and cider are high in calories from either alcohol or cream (one cup of eggnog is 400 calories). Opt for having just one, and sip it slowly.
2. Drink plenty of water in the days around big eating events like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas to keep you hydrated and feeling full. Drinking water will also help you flush out your system and shed extra salt your body may be absorbing from the extra food intake.
3. Alcohol is almost always flowing at holiday events. Seek alternatives to higher calorie drinks like beer or eggnog, and opt for hot tea, light beer, or wine spritzers. Limit your alcohol intake to just 1-2 glasses--the more you drink, the more inclined you are to keep eating past the point of fullness.

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