MELBOURNE, Fla., Nov. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Getting ready
for the holidays but dread blowing your diet? Whether you want to
keep your weight down or avoid aggravating inflammation, here's
good news: you certainly can enjoy the bounty of the season in a
healthy way.
"First of all, good nutrition is always about two things: what
we eat and how much," says Ronald
Stern, M.D., author of Meals, Movement and Meditation: Using
Science, Not Myth, for Healthfulness. He offers four key tips for
striking the right balance.
1. Limit portions
There's overwhelming evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet is
the healthiest, which means eating mostly vegetables and fruits and
whole grains; but "there's nothing wrong with eating some turkey,
or mashed potatoes, or even pecan pie," says Dr. Stern, who is an
interventional pain management specialist at Physician Partners of
America.
2. Choose wisely
The key is to not make traditional holiday foods the base of the
eating pyramid. In other words, the majority of your food choices
and calories should come from green salads and low-fat vegetable
dishes, with small servings of meat, refined carbohydrates, and
sweet desserts. "Think of meats and starches as the side dishes or
garnish to a plant-based meal," says Dr. Stern.
3. Make smart substitutions
If you're hosting dinner, get creative without sacrificing
traditional favorites. It's easy to switch out whole-grain breads
for the white dinner rolls,healthy vegetable dishes instead of the
high fat, creamy bean casseroles, and make a healthy sweet potato
casserole instead of the heavily sugared, high-calorie version. Do
a search for some healthier versions of your family's favorites;
they're easy to find.
4. Get some exercise
Almost as traditional as turkey and pumpkin pie is fighting for
couch space after dinner. It's a myth that turkey makes you sleepy.
While the meat is rich in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan,
research shows it's the combination of carbs, overeating and
alcohol that makes us feel tired. Instead, gather the family and
take a walk after the meal.
"Food will always be the centerpiece of the winter holidays,"
says Dr. Stern, "but it only takes a few small changes to start a
new tradition and create healthy holiday meals." And those meals
can be just as memorable and satisfying.
SOURCE Ronald Stern, M.D.