Lynn Horton

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas and New Years holidays are just around the corner and Thanksgiving is already in the rearview mirror. Although statistics cite a “mere” 1-2 pound weight gain (on average)  over the holidays, if not lost during the rest of the year, the additional holiday weight  gain adds up to 10-20 pounds of extra baggage in 10 years! More concerning is the hidden danger to our health, including the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease,  prediabetes, diabetes and fatty liver.  

Fortunately, there are simple, doable tricks that will boost your metabolism, protect your waistline, and prevent the dreaded holiday weight gain. Feel free to adopt some or all of  the below 12 tips; whatever appeals and works for you: 

• Practice mindful eating — practice gratitude for the food provided, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savor each bite. Mindful eating improves digestion which reduces emotional eating and promote healthier weight management.

• Practice portion control during the main meal.  

• Keep well-hydrated, especially before meals. To calculate your daily hydration requirements, start with the general rule of drinking half your body weight in pounds, measured in ounces. For example, a 150-pound person should aim for drinking 75 ounces of water daily. Adjust this amount based on activity level, with an additional 12-16 ounces for every 30 minutes of exercise.  

• Think twice before you dip into the holiday eggnog, alcohol, sodas and other beverages that add empty calories without adding any nutrition value. Remember the definition of moderate drinking, which is seven servings of alcohol per week for women and 14 servings of alcohol per week for men. Take advantage of the many tasty mocktails that are starting to sprout up in bar menus. If you must drink alcohol, “stack” a glass of water every time you order an alcohol drink.  

• Make nutritious food choices — Focus on using healthy fats (olive, coconut or avocado oil) for cooking. Avoid fast foods and fried foods.  

• Incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet, including legumes (beans and lentils), fruits (berries and apples), vegetables (artichokes, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and broccoli), seeds (chia, flax or hemp seeds), and nuts (almonds, chestnuts and hazelnuts).

• Think about balance, not deprivation, when it comes to eating desserts. In other  words, make sure you have made healthy choices at dinner before you bite into that pie!  

• Be intentional with your food choices — this includes putting away the leftovers after you finish the holiday dinner, in order to avoid mindless snacking after finishing the main meal. 

• If you must snack, focus on eating healthy snacks, such as a salad, fruit and vegetable tray, cottage cheese or yogurt. 

• Practice time-restricted eating, defined as eating during a specified time window (usually between eight-to-12 hours during the day). Time-restricted eating offers many health benefits including weight loss, improved gut and metabolic health. 

• Ensure high quality sleep. Sleep quality is linked to what we eat. One vital step in safeguarding sleep quality is to avoid eating sweet foods or drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime; doing so disrupts sleep and adds to insulin resistance, which increases diabetes risk. 

• Keep a consistent exercise routine (eg, a brisk walk before or after the holiday dinner). You should aim to exercise at least 150 minutes per week. 

In his groundbreaking book Atomic Habits, author James Clear describes how making a small, daily improvement in a habit, practiced over the long run, produces remarkable results. He states, “If you get 1% better daily for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.” By practicing and sustaining the above health tricks, not only during the holidays but throughout the year, you will greatly benefit your health (and your waistline) in the years to come! 

(Lynn S Horton, M.D., is owner of Wisdom Health, LLC: Metabolic Health & Lifestyle  Medicine. Her practice focuses on educating and empowering her clients to adopt and sustain healthy lifestyle choices to feel their best self, transform their health, and live their best lives.)