7 Strategies for Maintaining a Balanced Diet During the Festive Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, family gatherings, and delightful seasonal dishes. However, it can also bring concerns about the extra calories packed in those favorite holiday meals and the possibility of weight gain. Thankfully, you don’t have to compromise your health while enjoying the festivities. This article outlines seven strategies for maintaining a balanced diet during the holiday season.

1. Practice Portion Control

During the holiday season, with its variety of parties and delectable culinary choices, it’s easy to overload our plates and overindulge. Serving yourself smaller portions can be a powerful strategy to prevent overeating and potential weight gain. Dana Wright from West Virginia University Extension Service Family and Community Development advises using a smaller plate to make your mind feel satisfied with less. She also suggests filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables to keep hunger at bay and limit the urge to go back for seconds.

2. Make Healthy Recipe Adjustments

Homemade holiday goodies can often lead to weight gain due to their high-calorie content. However, making smart ingredient swaps can significantly reduce calories without sacrificing taste. Consider using low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth in your dishes, fresh herbs and spices instead of excess salt, and whole grains in baked goods. Replacing butter with healthier alternatives like applesauce, mashed banana, or pumpkin puree in desserts can also help maintain a healthy diet.

3. Avoid Skipping Meals Before the Feast

Skipping meals before a holiday event to “make room” may seem like a good idea, but research indicates it can lead to overeating. When we’re extremely hungry, our bodies produce more of the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin, which can lead to overeating. It’s advisable to start your day with a nutritious breakfast and eat healthily throughout the day to prevent overindulgence.

4. Emphasize Mindful Eating

The busy holiday season often promotes quick and mindless eating. However, paying close attention to your body’s signals and taking the time to enjoy each bite can prevent overeating. Taking a break between dinner and dessert also gives your brain the opportunity to recognize whether it needs more food.

5. Include Plenty of Protein in Your Meals

While holiday dishes are often high in carbohydrates, it’s important to include protein in your meals. Protein not only keeps you feeling full for longer but also positively impacts hunger-related hormones, leading to a feeling of fullness. Healthy sources of protein include lean meats, legumes, yogurt, and nuts.

6. Manage Holiday Stress

The holiday season can be a source of stress, which can lead to overeating and cravings for unhealthy foods. It’s essential to have stress management strategies in place, especially during this time of year. Consider activities such as exercise, mindfulness meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to keep stress levels in check.

7. Keep Active

Family traditions may often involve sedentary activities like watching TV, which can contribute to weight gain. Therefore, it’s beneficial to incorporate physical activity into your holiday routine. Walking after a meal can burn off extra calories and support healthy digestion. Participating in local fitness events or community races can also be a fun way to stay active during the holidays.

By following these strategies, you can enjoy the holiday season without compromising your diet. Remember, progress is a journey, not a destination, and making better choices one step at a time is what truly counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What treatments are not included in holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine treats the whole person, not the symptoms. Holistic medicine helps people recover from illness and promotes health.

Holistic medicine employs natural remedies like herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, and surgery instead of using drugs and surgeries.

Holistic medicine involves lifestyle changes such diet, exercise and yoga.

Integrative medicine, also known as Holistic Medicine, integrates all aspects a patient’s mental, physical, and emotional needs into one comprehensive treatment plan.

Holistic medicine emphasizes early detection and prevention of disease, and promotes healthy lifestyles.

Holistic doctors believe there is no one cause for every condition. Instead, holistic doctors consider the whole picture, including genetics, environment, lifestyle choices and personal habits.

Holistic practitioners place more emphasis on the mind, emotions and spirit than the body.

Holistic doctors work closely with patients to find the best solution for them.

What are the Five Alternative Medical Systems (Alternatives)?

These five alternative medicine systems are Ayurveda (acupuncture), Ayurveda (homeopathy), energy healing, aromatherapy, and homeopathy.

Acupuncture involves inserting fine needles into specific points of the body to stimulate the flow (qi) of energy throughout the entire body.

Ayurvedic Medicine, an ancient system of health-care, focuses on the balance of the three elements: fire, air, and water. It involves diet and exercise, herbal remedies as well massage and meditation.

Homeopathic Medicine is derived from the Greek words homoios meaning similar and pathos meaning disease. Homeopaths believe that all diseases have natural causes but not always symptoms. They treat people by prescribing minute doses of substances that cause similar symptoms to those experienced when the person is ill.

Energy Healing can also be known by the names Reiki, EFT Rolfing and Therapeutic Touch. This therapy is based on a belief that we are all connected to the universal life force known as Ki. When this Ki flows freely through us, we feel well. Energy healers use touch or intention to restore harmony between our spiritual, emotional, and physical selves.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from plants for therapeutic purposes. Aromatherapists believe that certain smells can affect mood and behavior. Lavender essential oil is the most commonly used in aromatherapy.

Alternative methods are used by people with cancer.

Cancer patients often face many challenges as they attempt to overcome their illness. They might have lost all hope for recovery or feel helpless because there is nothing else they can do. Patients might experience nausea, pain or fatigue, as well as loss of strength and appetite.

Additionally, most traditional treatments do not work against cancer cells. Many cancer patients turn to complementary medicine for treatment. Studies show that almost half of them use alternative medicines at least once during treatment.

Patients with cancer may choose to receive complementary medicine rather than chemotherapy. They believe that it is easier to manage side effects. They may also prefer it as it costs less.

The following are other reasons:

Some patients believe that natural remedies can be used to prevent a repeat.

Many people believe that natural remedies could improve the quality and quantity of their lives.

Others believe natural remedies can help reduce your risk of getting again cancer.

Natural remedies are first-line therapy for those who are concerned about side effects from chemotherapy.

What does holistic refer to?

Holistic simply means holistic. Holistic is a way to look at the whole picture instead of just one aspect. It is difficult to do this because we tend to see things as individual parts.

Most people think only in terms of white and black. But actually, there is an infinite variety of shades of grey.

When working on a project, you should try to view it from multiple angles. Look at it from all sides.

Take the time to look at it as a whole. How does each of its components interact with one another?

If you find a problem in your situation, take the time to ask why. Also, consider the impact of any changes that you make.

What are the 5 domains of integrative medicine?

Mind-body, nutrition and social determinants are the five domains of integrative medical. Lifestyle, prevention, and lifestyle are all included. These five areas cover all aspects of health care including spiritual, physical, and environmental well being.

Integrative medicine provides a comprehensive approach to the treatment of disease, health, and well-being. It covers both traditional medical treatments and alternative therapies like acupuncture, yoga and meditation, as well nutritional counseling and biofeedback.

Statistics

According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
The use of alternative medicine in the US has increased, with a 50 percent increase in expenditures and a 25 percent increase in the use of alternative therapies between 1990 and 1997 in America. (en.wikipedia.org)
category.[111]Edzard Ernst characterized the evidence for many alternative techniques as weak, nonexistent, or negative and in 2011, published his estimate that about 7.4% were based on “sound evidence.” However, he believes that may be an overestimate. (en.wikipedia.org)
The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)

External Links

How To

What are the Shortcomings and Advances in Holistic Medicine?

Holistic medicine, a type of medical practice, emphasizes the importance and interdependence of mind, spirit, environment, social factors, and the healing process. The concept was developed by Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), in the late 19th century. His first book, The Doctor’s Book of Mind Cure (in 1924), is his first. He used simple techniques, such as visualization, meditation, and even hypnosis. People with stress, anxiety, depression or pain experienced this treatment. In addition, this kind of therapy helps patients cope with their problems and improve their quality of life.

Although holistic therapies are still practiced today, they have lost popularity because of the lack of evidence supporting their effectiveness. Some studies do show that these therapies can be used to reduce chronic conditions like arthritis, cancer and heart disease.

There are many positives and negatives to holistic medicine.

Insufficient scientific evidence. A few carefully designed, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), have evaluated the effectiveness of holistic therapies. Most researches are observational studies that show positive results.
Alternative medicine is less expensive than conventional medicine. Alternative medicines are often cheaper than conventional ones, especially if the patient follows an organic diet.
Patients are not under any pressure to adhere to the prescribed protocol.
Many doctors recommend complementary treatments without prescribing them.
Holistic treatments often combine with conventional medicine. For example, acupuncture is usually done along with medication or surgery.
Alternative therapies are believed to be more effective than conventional medicine.
Alternative medicines are considered to be more natural than conventional drugs.
Many patients also use complementary treatments to support their lifestyle changes. They not only want to live a healthy life but also want to be happy.
Patients who use holistic treatments are generally healthier.
Senior adults are increasingly interested in holistic treatments.
It is important to conduct more research on complementary therapies.
Studies show that most people prefer to try alternative treatments before going to a doctor.
Doctors should understand that not every patient will benefit from alternative treatment.
Holistic treatments should be a part of our culture, education system and society.
Holistic treatments might not be for everyone.
We must learn how to teach patients about different therapies so that they can make informed decisions.
Holistic treatments aren’t only for hippies.
Holistic treatments cannot cure certain diseases.
Holistic treatments can sometimes be dangerous.
Holistic therapies can be beneficial for certain conditions.
Holistic treatments are effective.
Holistic therapies are based upon ancient wisdom.
Holistic treatments can be easy to learn.
It can be difficult to learn holistic therapies.
It is difficult to learn holistic treatments.
Holistic treatments can be expensive.
Holistic therapies can be expensive.
Holistic treatment is less costly than conventional medicine.
Holistic treatment is more expensive than conventional medicine.

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A Brief History of Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is a system of healing that focuses on treating the whole person instead of just their symptoms. It includes physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, occupational, environmental, cultural, and lifestyle influences. Prevention is more important than treatment and it focuses on preventing disease through diet, exercise and relaxation.

Bastyr University, Seattle was the first school to offer holistic medicine. It was founded in 1972. After the 1996 publication of “Spontaneous Healing,” Dr. Andrew Weil’s book, holistic medicine began to take root. Dr. David Williams, and Dr. Michael Murray founded the American Holistic Medical Association in 1997. There are hundreds of holistic medicine programs worldwide today, including Bastyr University (Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons), Maharishi Ayurveda Institute and Pacific School of Oriental Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is also available.

The World Health Organization named holistic medicine as one of five key trends in healthcare in 2013. This trend involves integrating conventional medicine with complementary therapies such acupuncture (homeopathy), herbalism, massage treatment, reiki and yoga. This integration will provide safe, effective and patient-centered care with minimal side effects.

Holistic medicine works because of the interconnectedness of our body, mind, and spirit. When any of these three parts are out of balance, illness occurs. Let’s take, for instance:

You become tense and out of balance when your mind is stressed or anxious. Your body responds by producing cortisol, a hormone that increases inflammation throughout your body. The result is fatigue, weakness, and sickness.

You feel negative emotions such as anger, fear, grief and sadness when your emotions are high. These feelings cause stress in your brain. If left untreated, this stress causes your body to produce adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline stimulates your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Cortisol is a hormone that affects your immune, digestive, and nervous systems. Both hormones can cause fatigue, muscle tension and headaches, as well as anxiety, depression, anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, sleeplessness, headaches, dizziness and other health problems.

You can lose your faith and hope in life if you feel depressed. A lack of self-esteem and confidence can also lead to low self-esteem. This can lead you to poor eating habits and unhealthy relationships. It can also cause low energy. You feel happy, joyful, peaceful, and optimistic when your spirit is healthy.

The difference between alternative medicine and allopathic medicine

Allopathic medicine relies on scientific methods. Doctors use xrays to diagnose patients. If needed, they may prescribe medication or perform surgery. Allopathic doctors believe their knowledge of human anatomy and the best ways to treat diseases. Alternative medicine includes herbs, vitamins, minerals and exercise. It also includes spiritual healing, emotional support, and diet. Alternative medicine can be defined in many ways. It is sometimes called natural medicine, integrative medical, or complementary medicine. It is also known as traditional medicine or naturopathic medicine.

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By: Dick Benson
Title: 7 Strategies for Maintaining a Balanced Diet During the Festive Season
Sourced From: alternativemedicine.com/lifestyle-2/tips-to-help-dash-away-those-extra-holiday-calories/
Published Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:50:14 +0000