The holidays are a true test of discipline and focus on our wellness goals. with all the food choices set before us, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, gorge ourselves and eat foods that we would otherwise avoid, resulting in losing ground on our hard-earned health and fitness.
Here is a great reminder from KC and Monica Craichy about how to get through the holiday eating land mines!
Audio Transcription:
KC: Hi, I’m KC Craichy, this is my wife Monica. We’re coming to you today to try to help you get through the holiday land mines. The eating, the out of control eating, that we all have been known to get involved in during the holidays.
Monica: You know, these holidays that are coming up with Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Years. Especially Thanksgiving, I mean, it is all about food. I am already planning what is our diet going to be? What is our meal going to be for that holiday? It’s so important to be prepared mentally so that you don’t just gorge yourself during the holidays.
KC: It’s interesting because mentally, yes, but physically, too. Now is the time to prepare your body for all of the food that’s going to be coming at you and all of the times when you might not be exercising. So, if you can today start with your exercise program, daily walking, if you’re more fit, then the running and swimming, and all of the things that you like to do to get in shape when you’re out of shape. Now, while you are still in shape, get going on these things. One of the things that has been really popular over the years is doing a Fuel fast leading into the holiday. By that, I mean replacing two of your three meals, or even three of your three meals with a superfood smoothie. This allows your body to work on the calorie restriction with optimal nutrition, and you actually lean-out going into the holidays. That way, you allow yourself to splurge during the holiday feasts. Now, there are some ideas regarding the feasts and how to handle that as well. But really, if you can get ahead of it, you can really make a difference because you won’t be upset with yourself after the buffet on Thanksgiving.
Monica: What do you think is the top tip that you would give people though? OK, you’re at the Thanksgiving feast; what do you do?
KC: Well, interestingly, it is really a good idea to eat something healthy before you go into the feast. So have a fuel, have a protein shake with fiber, or something like that.
Monica: I know a lot of people that will say, “Well, I’m not going to eat breakfast and lunch because I know I’m going to have a big Thanksgiving meal.”
KC: Oh my goodness, yes, and this causes, for most people who are not used to doing that, such cravings that they will actually eat way more than they would have if they had eaten breakfast and lunch beforehand.
Monica: Because they’re starving.
KC: Exactly.
Monica: So, planning out those two meals and making sure they’re sensible. Maybe, keep them lower in carbs so that you can enjoy what is put before you at the feast.
KC: Right. Well, I hate to dispel a myth, but a lot of people think it’s the tryptophan in the turkey that’s making them sleepy after the holiday meal. But the truth is it has a lot more to do with the stuffing and the potatoes, and the bread and the…
Monica: The high carbs, right.
KC: … pumpkin pie, the pecan pie, and whatever else you’re eating. I want to say a note of warning though. The holiday splurge is really a time where a great deal of heart attacks occur. The reason for this is that high sugar triples the inflammatory response in a single meal. A high sugar meal can triple the inflammatory response so for people in poor health and on the verge of having a condition like that, it is exacerbated. I really strongly suggest keeping high levels of fish oil, taking polyphenols, eating curry, and those sort of things because that keeps the blood running thin so that you don’t get yourself into those situations. Another tip would be to pay attention to your drinks; sugary drinks, even alcoholic beverages, those things.
Monica: Or even juices, for that matter.
KC: Juices, absolutely. Sports drinks.
Monica: I kind of like to spend my sugar intake on my desserts.
KC: Yes.
Monica: So, I will forgo having a glass of cranberry juice or something like that, knowing that I would rather have that piece of pumpkin pie.
KC: I do the same thing. I say, “Oh, I don’t want potatoes, please. I’m going to have a piece of pie.”
Monica: Right.
KC: It is really the same thing at the end of the day. Your body recognizes it pretty similarly in the body.
Monica: But the best thing people can do is drink water. I find, too, that if you fill yourself up on water throughout the day, that helps you to not feel so hungry, also.
KC: Another thing is that when you go to the buffet line, serve yourself a big salad, some greens, and the good stuff, even some turkey, and have a meal of that as your first sit down.
Monica: I like to load up on salads, vegetables and the proteins, whatever the meat might be. I get myself nice and full on that and then say, “All right, what are you favorite one or two desserts?” And then, maybe, cut them in half because it’s all about taste. It’s not really about consumption when you get to the dessert part of it.
KC: It really is. So, if you will chew your food, also. I mean, Grandma was right, chew your food. It actually has a higher satiety effect. It makes you not hungry and not susceptible to these splurges. So, if you go in with a plan, at least, a plan in your mind that you’re going to do some of these things, you’ll find yourself enjoying everything just as much but actually getting through this splurge without a detrimental health effect.
Monica: What would you say to people about grazing?
KC: Well, grazing sometimes you just, you know, Grandma did it, Mom did it, and I’m going to do it because that’s just the way we did it. So, at a holiday you’re just going to eat all the time. Now, if you’re going to do that, you’ve got to really pay special attention before you get there and afterwards. But what she’s talking about is really important. It’s a lot better to separate your meals. Give yourself four to six hours between your meals. So, if you are going to have a splurge meal…
Monica: Why is that important there for people to do though?
KC: Well, the endocrine system, you see, if you walk around in a fully-fed state at all times, the endocrine system does not allow the body to even get into fat-burning mode. So, you’re always eating and never burning. That’s essentially the net of it. It’s really important to space your meals and not really eat within three hours of going to sleep. That’s really the net. If you can follow those, that will be very, very helpful. But if you’re just going to enjoy that day and do what you always do, that’s understandable but it would be really serious, the few days leading into holiday because if you do that and then you splurge, and then you do that for a few more days afterwards. It can take multiple days, depending on your metabolism, to get back on track from a day of grazing and splurging like that. So, it can take several days for that to happen. We really hope that these tips were helpful to you. We’re going to put some more specific tips on the website so read the newsletter and click to the links. We also invite you to join our Facebook and follow us on Twitter, and if you have any questions, check out our blog and our forums, and we can try to answer your questions specifically. We want to be there for you, and we wish you the best during the holidays. God bless you and have a terrific holiday season!
