Fitness Forward

Tips for not feeling stuffed like the bird on Turkey Day:
*  Make sure you don’t go into this meal hungry. Do try to “save” your calories.  Eat a good breakfast and lunch. A recent study proved that people who ate a 600-calorie breakfast lost five times more than people who took their calories spread throughout the day. If you don’t eat all day, then hit a big dinner and have a drink… you’re doomed to overeat.  Being starving, plus having a little buzz will lead to extra poundage.
*   Go light on the appetizers. Ask yourself, “Why do I need to eat before I eat?” If you’re hosting, serve a cold or grilled veggie platter with salsa, hummus or balsamic vinaigrette instead of some creamy dip. Now, let’s say you’re at someone else’s house. If an appetizer is wrapped in dough (like a mushroom or crab puff) or deep fried, then just skip it. Make these nuts and bring them as a gift: Soak mixed nuts overnight in sea salt and spring water. Drain and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then coat with a bit of vanilla extract. Bake until crunchy at 300 degrees.
*   Start the meal with a salad. An easy one to make this time of year is made out of butter lettuce, roasted walnuts, red onion, cranberries and apples. Toss in some pomegranate seeds. Use olive oil and vinegar as your dressing.
*   Thanksgiving is about the bird, which can be a very healthy protein. Just makes sure to remove the skin, before eating your turkey. White meat is a leaner choice, but dark meat is richer in iron. Skip the white flour gravy which has zero nutritional value.
*   Try a bread-free stuffing made from wild rice with chestnuts, apples, onions, mushrooms and red peppers in it. Use this as an opportunity to shift into a new tradition.
*   Replace the sweet potatoes covered with marshmallows with a stuffed squash. Cut a medium butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the halves with the cut side facing up on a cookie sheet. Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and scoop out the squashy flesh. Mix it with equal parts cooked brown rice. Add half a cup of chopped onions browned in extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of parsley and a half-cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.

To read the entire article and get my recipe for healthy pumpkin cheesecake, click here.

Still worried about gaining weight over the holidays?  Check out my U3 Transformation Method and you will have nothing to worry about!  DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE FIRST OF THE YEAR – it will be much harder then!

The bottom line is that sugar works the addiction and reward pathways in the brain in much the same way as many illegal drugs. And, like other drugs, it can destroy your health and lead to all sorts of ailments including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight gain, and premature aging. Sugar is basically a socially acceptable, legal, recreational drug, with deadly consequences–and like with any drug addiction, you have to have a flexible but structured plan to beat it.  

Here are some tips to help you cope with sugar cravings: 

Eat regularly. Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks. 

Choose whole foods. The closer a food is to its original form, the less processed sugar it will contain. Food in its natural form, including fruits and vegetables, usually presents no metabolic problems for a normal body, especially when consumed in variety. 

Have a breakfast of protein, fat and phytonutrients to start your day off right. Breakfast smoothies are ideal for this. The typical breakfast full of carbs and sugary or starchy foods is the worst option since you’ll have cravings all day. Eating a good breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings. 

Try to incorporate protein and/or fat with each meal. This helps control blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each.

Add spices. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.

Take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, Vitamin D3 and omega 3 fatty acids. Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse and the fewer nutrient deficiencies, the fewer cravings. Certain nutrients seem to improve blood sugar control including chromium, Vitamin B3 and magnesium.

Move your body. Exercise, dance or do some yoga. Whatever movement you enjoy will help reduce tension, boost your energy and decrease your need for a sugar lift.

Get enough sleep. When we are tired we often use sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion.

Do a detox. My experience has been that when people do a detox, not only does it reset their appetites but it often decreases their sugar cravings. After the initial sugar cravings, which can be overwhelming, our bodies adjust and we won’t even want the sugar anymore and the desire will disappear.

Be open to explore the emotional issues around your sugar addiction. Many times our craving for sugar is more for an emotional need that isn’t being met.

Keep sugary snacks out of your house and office. It’s difficult to snack on things that aren’t there!

Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar.

Learn to read labels. Although I would encourage you to eat as few foods as possible that have labels, educate yourself about what you’re putting into your body. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list. So check the grams of sugar, and choose products with the least sugar per serving.

Become familiar with sugar terminology. Recognize that all of these are sweeteners: corn syrup, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado sugar and brown sugar. Sugar in disguise. Remember that most of the “complex” carbohydrates we consume like bread, bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all. They are usually highly refined and act just like sugars in the body and are to be avoided.