Last year You thought that party preparation applied only to your hair, clothes and makeup.
This year Plan for naughty eating, too.
Eat healthy meals with adequate protein before an event to prepare for the enticing holiday treats you can’t live without. That way, you can limit yourself to enjoying some of your favourite foods without indulging in a lot of excess calories, explains Louise Lambert-Lagacé, a registered dietitian in Montreal and co-author of Good Fat, Bad Fat (Stoddart). Or, try one of these stay-strong approaches:
• | Try a “special” diet. If you just have to taste Mom’s pecan pie, skip the extra helping of mashed potatoes, get off the gravy train and don’t overdo it on the stuffing. |
• | Don’t starve and binge. Snacking on a handful of unsalted almonds or plain yogurt before parties will help you avoid overeating. Besides, a recent study from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Maine, links eating frequent meals to a lower risk of obesity, compared with delaying or skipping meals. |
• | Keep food out of sight, out of mouth. Walk away from the cocktail weenies and hand out doggy bags after your own event to get rid of tempting leftovers. |
Last year PMS sent your holiday healthy-eating plans packing.
This year Don’t let your hormones tell you what to eat.
• | Boost low serotonin levels with comfort foods (no, not chocolate and chips). Whole wheat toast will raise your levels of serotonin, the “happy” brain chemical, says Dr. Sue Douglas, a researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax. |
• | Keep your blood sugar steady. Mid-cycle hormonal changes make blood sugar levels fall and sweet cravings soar, says Dr. Susan Lark, author of PMS: Premenstrual Syndrome Self Help Book (Celestial). So, eat small frequent meals instead of three square ones. |
• | Beat the bloat. If the cocktail dress fits, it’s probably because you steered clear of hidden salt in crackers, olives and dips. Salt contributes to water retention, the principal cause of PMS pounds. |