Written by: Janet Early
The holidays are a time for family, gratitude, generosity and (let’s face it) overeating.
But they don’t have to be! Because to truly enjoy this special time, it’s important to feel at your best, instead of bloated and regretful.
Here are 5 simple tricks to help you with your portion sizes this December:
1. Keep it hot
Studies have supported the theory that feeling warm causes you to eat less. If your environment is warm, your body does not feel the need to use energy to warm you up (i.e. thermoregulation), thus reducing caloric demand. Similarly, studies have shown that people tend to eat more when in colder environments.
To prevent your own overeating, bundle up in a warm, cozy outfit, turn the heat up in your home or lounge by the fireplace. Drinking a warm beverage such as tea or hot cocoa could also help!
2. Add something spicy
Studies have found that a diet inclusive of spicy foods causes one to eat less. Consuming spicy foods physically slows the eating process, which tends to result in lower caloric intake overall. Furthermore, meals with spicy ingredients deter cravings for sweet or fatty foods. So, if you spice up your main holiday meal a bit, you will be less likely to go ape on dessert.
3. Wait at least 30 minutes between the end of the main meal and dessert
Often, dessert is served immediately followed dinner. We can get so caught up in the anticipation of delicious savory treats that we overeat. To prevent this, leave room before dessert, at least 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow your body time to digest the meal you just ate and for your brain to re-evaluate your hunger level. As a result, you will approach the dessert table in a more reasonable frame of mind.
4. Drinks lots of water during the day
Drinking a sufficient amount of water throughout the day has been proven to prevent weight gain. A study that analyzed the relationship between weight loss and water consumption found that:
5. Make sure you get 8 hours a night of sleep
The link between sleep deprivation and high body mass index is well-documented. When you don’t get enough sleep at night (i.e. fewer than 7-9 hours), it throws off the balance of the hormones leptin and ghrelin in the body.
Ghrelin is also known as your “hunger hormone”; it signals to the brain when you need food. Contrastingly, leptin lets your brain know when you are full and your energy levels are stable. Undersleeping tends to raise ghrelin levels and hinder leptin function, causing you to overeat. Therefore, make sure you are hitting the hay for 8 hours each night, especially around the holidays!
How do you keep fit during the tempting holiday season? Please share below!
Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.
-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health
Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.
-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health
