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Mind, Body, Soul
Navigating the
Parties
By Mona Lease
Greetings, Gals!! Well - we made it to another "holiday season." I read
somewhere that we need to "do all things in moderation." So - I started
doing that to see what would happen. It works!
You don't have to look at all of those yummy desserts at the holiday
parties and think about how good they would taste or how much weight
you will gain if you eat them.
What you do need to do - if you want to try this - is to start long
before the parties. Start by not eating the chips, pies, cookies,
cakes, candy, etc. Save this stuff for the parties.
When you get to the party - don't start loading your plate. Take a
tablespoon of everything you like - mashed potatos, gravy, and such.
When it comes to hams - take a half of a slice...no bread/rolls/buns,
etc. As for chicken - take a wing or a leg. Dressings and
stuffings...only a tablespoon. Same with veggies...only a tablespoon.
If the veggies are raw...go sparingly on the dips...which are loaded
with fat.
Don't stand around the food - you'll only want to "nibble." Chew your
food slowly. Take small bites - enjoy the flavor. Don't be obvious but,
watch the others. If it looks like you're going to finish way too early
- chew more slowly.
When you are choosing a drink - choose water or tea. This will cut down
on that "bloated" feeling. Carbonated beverages actually put "gas
bubbles" into your digestive system - which causes more belching (we
all swallow some air when we eat).
If you need an incentive - remember that after the Christmas parties
come the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations. Then come the
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day festivities...replete with alcohol,
food, football games and the like.
After the New Year's celebrations is Super Bowl Sunday...which is
slated for February 4th, 2018 at US Bank Arena (Yay...my bank!!) in
Minneapolis, MN. This is the second Super Bowl in Minneapolis...by the
way.
Then comes...ta-da...Valentine's Day!! And more candy...more fine
dining...more homemade goodies, etc.
I added up all of these days. Are you gals ready for this? From
Halloween...say October 25th until Valentine's Day, February
14th...it's 113 days. That's 113 days of ingesting junk food - of not
much activity. 113 days of more fat...more carbs...more sugar...more
than we ingest during the summer. For those of you who are
insulin-dependent...watch it!!
Think of this - we're ingesting the bad stuff in large quantities
during the worst possible time of the year! We have less light now. We
breathe less fresh air - now we're mostly indoors. I heard your
comments about fresh air. Maybe I should have said "fresher?"
Also - in those 113 days...and maybe longer...our bodies do an unreal
job. We ingest a lot of carbohydrates. A certain amount of these is
good and needed to keep our cells and tissue - including muscles
- energized.
A problem here is "refined carbs" or "refined sugar".. like bread and
pasta. They are digested really fast and cause a large spike in your
blood sugar levels.
Your body's response to this is to release hormones to lower your blood
sugar levels. The body often "compensates" too much...which gives you a
"crash" that leaves you feeling tired and hungry. Over time (no one can
tell how much time for your body), eating a diet high in carbs can make
it hard for your body to control blood-sugar levels.
The thinking here is that people who eat a diet containing carb-rich
foods that cause the blood-sugar spikes - these same people face a
higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
The best thing to do is to choose legumes, whole grains, fruits and
vegetables. Don't just switch to these "all-at-once." You will get a
digestive upset. Add them slowly.
And exercise is the best thing to keep in shape and aid absorption of
the nutrients in the food. Just general walking is the number-one
recommendation.
I know a woman who lived in a 70' mobile home...which gave her 50' of
walking distance...one direction. She worked her way up to walking 3
miles a day. She didn't have to get dressed...change into "presentable"
clothes...wear make-up...do her hair, etc.
"Sometimes all you need is for someone to just be there, even if they
can't solve your problems. Just knowing there is someone who cares can
make all the difference." - sun.gazing.com
The best is yet to be!! MONA
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