Dr Tariq Jagnarine
Christmas is just one day, right? One day of eating all the delicious foods, even overeating them, is not going to harm the heart.
However, most of us have spent the whole year overeating. And Christmas isn’t just one day – think about the three to four weeks of Christmas parties, social gatherings, and excess food that happens at this time of the year. Research shows that the average person puts on about 2kg over this time, and never loses it. Rather than putting off healthy eating changes as next year’s problem, start making easy changes now. Christmas is going to come around every year for the rest of your life – get a jump on it and learn to manage it!
Here are 12 simple tips to maximize health and enjoyment during the festivities.
One is for:
One standard alcoholic drink, and what that means. Any more than four standard drinks in one sitting is classified as a binge. This may not feel like a binge to many, but it sure does for the liver.
Alternate one standard drink with one glass of water, and you’ll not only help your liver (and your heart), but you’ll feel much better the next day as well!
As a rough guide, one standard drink = 1 shot of a spirit = 1 standard glass of wine = 285ml glass of beer.
Two is for:
The number of servings of fresh fruit to include in our diet each day. Antioxidants, fiber, and carbohydrates are all great reasons to eat fruit. For snacks, salads, and desserts, fresh is always best!
Three is for:
The serving of protein-rich foods to be included in our diet each day. That’s one serving for each of the main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Protein helps persons to feel fuller for longer, helps maintain muscle mass, and can increase metabolism.
* Choose whole foods whenever possible.
* Swap out ham and bacon for whole pork or turkey.
* Swap out sausages for steak or mince.
Four is for:
The number of days you can safely keep pre-cooked or pre-prepared food in a fridge. Prepping food in advance is a great way to stay organized, especially when busy. Boil and peel eggs, poach chicken breast, pre-cook brown rice or whole meal pasta, make up mixed garden salads, or make pudding for breakfast or fruit.
Five is for:
The number of grams of fiber (or more) that persons should aim to get in their bread of choice. Five grams or more of fiber per two slices of bread is a great benchmark and a key to helping people choose a healthier bread option. Fiber is vital for a healthy gut and a healthy heart.
Six is for:
It takes 60 minutes or less to write up a weekly meal plan to help stay organized and prepared for a busy week ahead. Writing a meal plan is about setting ourselves up for success. Having healthy meals and snacks planned and ready to suit one’s day-to-day lifestyle will mean no matter what the week throws at you, your food will still be on track.
Seven is for:
The number of days in the week to prioritize healthy behaviours. Whether it’s a daily walk, vegetables at dinner, whole-food snacks, or early nights, aim to make a healthy living. When it’s a normal part of our life, it’s less likely to fall off the wagon, and more likely to be done long-term. To make this possible, these healthy behaviours need to be realistic and suit your lifestyle.
Eight is for:
The number of glasses of water to aim for during the day. On hot days, or when exercising for over an hour, more is needed.
Nine is for:
The number of times to try a new food or a new habit without giving up. You shouldn’t give up at all! Taking action, getting out of our comfort zone, and doing something different are the keys to creating new and lasting behaviours.
Ten is for:
Setting a goal to hit 10,000 steps per day. Keep moving over the festive season in order to help burn energy and keep many body systems, especially our heart, in tip-top condition.
Eleven is for:
The number of kind, uplifting and encouraging things you need to tell yourself in one day! Looking after our health starts with a positive mindset and kind self-talk.
Twelve is for:
Here are 12 vegetables we should aim to include regularly in our diet. The research on the health benefits of vegetables, especially for the heart, is clear. It is recommended that we have five cups of vegetables per day – get them in via salads, stir-fries, steaming, blanching, cutting them into sticks for snacks, roasting, BBQing, and sautéing.
* Broccoli or broccolini
* Asian greens: bok choy, pak choy, choy sum
* Baby spinach
* Cucumber
* Squash
* Tomato
* Mushrooms
* Carrots
* Pumpkin
* Green beans
* Snow peas, or sugar snap peas
* Lettuce:
Resolve to stay healthy for the Season!
