Guidelines for Mindful Eating During Festive Seasons: Enjoy Without Excess

The festive season is synonymous with indulgence, often leading to overeating. The average American is known to consume nearly triple their daily calorie allowance on holidays such as Thanksgiving. This poses a risk for unwanted weight gain and a host of related health issues.

According to Ashley Delk, a registered dietitian from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, it’s perfectly fine to partake in the festive feasts, but the watchword is moderation. She notes that most individuals tend to gain a pound or so during the holiday season, which can accumulate over time. Here are Delk’s recommendations for mindful eating during these festive occasions.

Be Mindful of Sugars, Fats, and Sodium in Your Dishes

The holiday table is laden with a variety of dishes, some healthier than others. Delk suggests limiting dishes such as casseroles that are often high in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. She advises that by doing so, you significantly reduce your intake of these unhealthy components.

As an alternative, she proposes using other seasonings like cinnamon instead of salt or sugar in dishes such as sweet potato casseroles or pies. This not only helps to reduce your sodium or calorie intake but also brings out the natural flavors of the dish.

Additionally, avoiding heavily processed foods that are often high in hidden sugars, fats, and sodium can also help in reducing your calorie intake and prevent health issues such as weight gain and inflammation.

Maintain a Regular Eating Routine

Skipping meals in anticipation of a large holiday feast can lead to overeating. According to Delk, this is because skipping meals can increase levels of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” and decrease levels of leptin, the “satiety hormone.” This hormonal imbalance can make it difficult to realize when you’re actually full, leading to potential overeating.

Maintaining a regular meal schedule can help avoid this. If there’s a sizable gap between lunch and dinner, keeping nutritious snacks handy can prevent you from getting overly hungry before the main meal.

Portion Control and Prioritizing Veggies

During the holidays, portion control can be a real challenge. Delk advises dividing your plate into fourths, filling half the plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with lean proteins, and the remaining quarter with a carbohydrate option.

This approach not only ensures a balanced diet but also helps avoid overeating. Serving yourself smaller portions of different foods allows you to enjoy a variety of dishes without overindulging.

Monitor Your Drink Intake

Delk also warns against the calorie content of festive beverages. Drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate, and sugary coffees are often high in sugar and calories. She suggests thinking of these drinks as desserts and limiting your intake.

If you plan on having an alcoholic beverage, opt for lower calorie options such as wine, beer, or liquor mixed with club soda. This allows you to partake in the festive cheer without overloading on calories.

Stay Physically Active

Keeping up with regular exercise during the holiday season is beneficial. Not only does physical activity help burn calories, but cardiovascular exercises can also help control your appetite. Delk recommends maintaining your exercise routine and even taking a walk after holiday meals to aid digestion and burn extra calories.

With these tips in mind, you can enjoy the holiday festivities without the guilt of overeating and pave a healthier path into the new year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an alternative name for medicine?

Alternative medicine is an umbrella term used to describe any approach to healing that differs significantly from conventional medical practice. There are many types of alternative medicine. However, they all share the same premise: health care should be grounded in natural substances and practices, not chemical medicines.

Alternative medicine may include acupuncture, homeopathy or herbalism, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathic manipulation, traditional Chinese medicine and reflexology.

Alternative practitioners claim their treatments have improved health outcomes. They also claim they are more cost-effective and provide better patient satisfaction. These claims are not supported by scientific evidence because most mainstream medical authorities ignore the evidence-based benefits that alternative medicine offers.

What’s the Difference Between Naturopathic Medicine & Holistic Medicine.

The two main types of medicine are conventional medicine and complementary/alternative medicine. Conventional medicine is based on drugs and surgery. Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) uses natural therapies such as herbs, vitamins, acupuncture, and massage to treat illness and promote health. This is not a substitute for standard treatment. Rather, it is an option that allows patients to make their own decisions about their healthcare.

Naturopathy on the other side is meant to be used in conjunction with conventional medical procedures. It addresses the whole body and mind as well as the soul. There are many forms and types of naturopathy.

It is important to note that some CAM modalities overlap with conventional medicine. Naturopaths and doctors can prescribe herbal remedies. However, naturopaths prefer lifestyle changes to prescription medications.

Naturopathy is often called “complementary” or “complementary”, because it works with traditional medicine rather than replacing it. Naturopaths could prescribe medication, if needed.

There are many differences between naturopathic medicine, CAM, and other modalities.

Naturopaths do not usually prescribe medication or diagnose illnesses.
Naturopaths work with the patient’s family physician and may refer outpatients to specialists if necessary.
Naturopathic physicians are regulated by provincial licensing boards, whereas CAM practitioners are self-regulated.
Naturopathy emphasizes prevention, wellness, and education about diet & exercise.
Naturopaths strongly emphasize lifestyle factors, which include nutrition, sleep, stress management, exercise, and mental well-being.
Naturopharmacists specialize on the treatment of certain conditions with botanicals or minerals.
Naturopodists receive individualized care according to the unique needs of each patient.
Regulation bodies such as the College of Naturopathic Physicians of Ontario issue licenses to Naturopaths.
Naturopatrists are licensed by provincial regulatory bodies.
Naturopaticians can be registered with the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.
The College of Naturopaths of British Columbia issues licenses to Naturotherapists.
The United States National Board of Medical Examiners licenses Naturobiotic therapists.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency grants licenses to homeopaths.
The term “holistic” refers the belief that all aspects, including physical, spiritual, social, and mental, should be taken into consideration when making decisions about one’s health. Holistic doctors will take into account all aspects of life, rather than focusing on one.

What makes holistic medicine superior?

Holistic health care is about treating the whole person, not individual symptoms. This involves looking at the person’s feelings, food, lifestyle, stress levels, etc.

Holistic medicine is holistic and considers all aspects a patient’s lives. It treats them all as one complete package. This may sound simple but it is not easy to practice. Most doctors are focused on the physical side.

What treatments are not included in holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine is a way to heal that examines the whole person instead of just the symptoms. Holistic medicine is a way to help people heal from illness. It also promotes good health and helps prevent disease.

Holistic medicine uses natural remedies, such as herbs, homeopathy and acupuncture, instead of surgery and drugs.

Holistic medicine encompasses lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise, meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.

Holistic medicine is often called integrative medicine because it integrates all aspects of a patient’s physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs into one comprehensive care plan.

Holistic medicine emphasizes prevention, early detection and healthy living.

Holistic doctors believe there is no single cause of any 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.

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)
In 83% of the cases, the readers agreed. (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)
A 15-year systematic review published in 2022 on the global acceptance and use of CAM among medical specialists found the overall acceptance of CAM at 52% and the overall use at 45%. (en.wikipedia.org)
An assessment of conventional treatments found that 41.3% concluded positive or possibly positive effects, 20% concluded no effect, 8.1% concluded net harmful effects, and 21.3% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

How To

What does a holistic doctor do that a traditional doctor doesn’t?

A holistic doctor is able to provide more services than traditional doctors, such as nutritionists, massage therapists and naturopaths.

Holistic doctors treat patients holistically. This means they take a holistic approach to treating their health concerns. This helps them to identify the root cause of any health issues and help with long-term wellness. Holistic doctors combine conventional medicine with natural remedies like essential oils and herbs to treat illness. They also provide nutritional supplements and advice for healthy living.

Additionally, holistic doctors offer treatments such as reflexology, massage, shiatsu and acupuncture.

–

——————————————————————————————————————————————

This blog is a source of general information and discussion on health and related topics. Information and materials on this blog, on the website, or in any of the connected materials are not intended to replace or used as a substitute for the advice of a medical professional, diagnosis, or treatment. This blog does not represent the application of any nursing, medical or other health professional advice or diagnosis. We are unable to diagnose health conditions, offer second opinions or provide specific treatment recommendations via this blog or on our website.

If you or another person is suffering from a medical issue and you are concerned, consult your doctor or seek out other medical professional treatment as soon as possible. Do not disregard medical advice from a professional or delay seeking it due to information you seen on the blog or website or in any of the linked materials. If you’re experiencing an emergency medical situation, dial 911 or seek emergency medical assistance on the closest phone immediately.