Food, Stress & Calories: It Must Be The Holidays

As a National Fitness Hall of Fame Inductee, who better to help us stay focused and avoid temptations than Forbes Riley.

Remember: DESSERTS spelled backwards is STRESSED. 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day goes hand-in-hand with calorie control and busting stress.

Take the focus off of food with active holiday parties. Think charades, dancing and board games or head outdoors for horseshoes or here in Florida, a swim in the pool. 

Don’t skip meals. People tend to eat everything in sight once they get to a party or family gathering. Eating sensibly throughout the day will take the edge off the appetite and empower a bit of restraint.

Be helpful, but not in the kitchen. It’s easy to nibble when you’re surrounded by food preparation. Volunteer to clean up, set the table, or run errands.

Trim the trimmings. Go ahead and deck the halls but when it comes to holiday food, accessorize with care. Go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter and whipped cream which can add plenty to your waistline.

Be a “food snob.” If you don’t love it, don’t eat it. Scan the buffet for foods you truly treasure and skip the everyday dishes that are available all year long.

Don snug clothes and keep one hand busy. You’ll be too busy holding in your stomach to overeat and while you’re looking posh in your holiday threads, hold a drink so it won’t be so easy to grab food.

Add water with lemon to your plan. Mild dehydration mimics the sensation of hunger and drinking water prior to a meal starts to fill you up before you take that first bite.

And finally, go easy on the alcohol. Many holiday drinks have as many calories as a rich dessert! If you drink, best to stick with one glass of wine, champagne or a bottle of light beer. Cut the calories in half by alternating water or seltzer in between alcoholic beverages. 

The only red glowing nose on Christmas should be Rudolph’s. If you do drink, let someone else fly, er, drive you home!

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These tips are courtesy of Pete Magazine’s Holiday Issue. To see the entire free issue, pick up a copy at any of the following establishments below.