How to avoid gaining weight during the holidays

Christmas festivities should be started with sauerkraut, but desserts and bread must be forgotten

The New Year and Christmas holidays are a great test for an organism. Not everyone can survive it without compromising the health and aesthetic appearance.

According to nutritionists, during only one New Year’s night the average Ukrainian eats about 3 thousand calories. This amount of energy would be enough for two days of ordinary life.

With the help of the chief doctor of the medical clinic "Capital", nutritionist Natalia Samoilenko, we developed the basic rules of safe celebrations. Following them, you can minimize the risk of overeating and thus the appearance of extra pounds.

Do not sit at the festive table hungry

One of the most important rules of any festivities – do not wait for food untill the evening.   Hunger is the main reason for overeating. And too much food can lead to serious consequences. And overeating affects not only the digestive organs, but also the cardiovascular system of the body.

Drink a glass of water

Any celebration should begin with a glass of water.  Optimal time is 20-30 minutes before eating. The water will take space in the stomach, so it will be filled sooner. This means that the amount of the eaten food will decrease.

Start with leavened food

Any festive meal is recommended to start with vegetables. Preferably leavened, because they have a lot of enzymes that accelerate the breakdown of food. These vegetables include, above all, cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Do not forget about healthy salad

After pickled vegetables it is recommended to have light salads.  Generally, nutritionists recommend avoiding salads with mayonnaise. It is better to replace them with any meal consisting of fresh vegetables with herbs, cheese, peas, corn, seasoned with vegetable oil. Alternatively: Caprese or Greek salad.

Meat should not be fat

After the salad, you can gradually move to meat dishes. It is better that these dishes were from soy, fish or poultry. Ideally, these dishes should not be fat: fried or smoked – it is recommended to have them steamed, boiled or baked.

If you’d like a tasty steak or smoked mackerel, the nutritionists recommend postponing the consumption of it until January 1.

Refrain from consuming bread

According to nutritionists, bread is not recommended to eat after 17.00 on any day, and during the night festivities it is extremely harmful, especially for those who fear the extra kilos. It is better to prepare such food that it was not needed. And if you absolutely can not afford to give up a piece, it is best to choose brown bread or whole grain bread – these products contain the smallest amount of carbohydrates.

Do not drink after the food

Everyone knows that eating lots of different food with alcohol is extremely harmful to the stomach. However, few adhere to this rule. In order not to complicate the work of the body, which is already in a state of stress, on the New Year’s Eve it is better to forget about sugary sodas and fruit drinks. It is recommended, if health allows, to not drink after the food at all.

In between meals instead of carbonated beverages it’s better to drink warm green tea or a glass of water with lemon juice.

Do not eat dessert

Festive night absolutely must not end with dessert. It can become a real "time bomb" for the body. After all the eaten food, sweets will definitely lead to extra inches around the waist and hips. It is better to eat desserts on the second day of celebration or even on the third one.

Post New Year night should be started with a fresh

If after a heavy food organism still wants to eat, you should not start a brunch with fried chicken legs. The first meal should be as easy as possible: vegetable salad, and ideally – vegetable or fruit fresh. Also spinach, pumpkin, and mushroom soups are very nutritious and healthy.

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