Healthy eating after the holidays

The holiday table gives food its important social value, but traditional dishes are often rich in refined carbohydrates, fats, sodium and sugars, nutrients that, in excessive quantities, can overload our body.
How to get back in shape and recover from holiday eating without feeling guilty?

Don'ts

• No to drastic diets: if we skip meals or eliminate essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats) the body gets alarmed and conserves its fat reserves by burning less. There is also the risk of increasing nervous hunger and triggering incorrect eating habits.
• Eating only salad is not the solution. Vegetables, which provide minerals, vitamins and fiber, are essential. But the meal must also contain low glycemic index carbohydrates (rice, spelled, barley, quinoa, pasta, wholemeal or rye bread...) and lean proteins of vegetable origin (chickpeas, peas, beans, lentils ...) or animal origin (white meat, eggs, fish), to give energy and redefine body composition with balance.
• No to industrial foods that are too refined or dense in saturated fats. Better to avoid or minimize the consumption of alcohol and sweets.

Do's

• Drink! Proper hydration is essential: you should drink about 2 liters of water a day, perhaps with a few cups of green tea, rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that activate the brain.
• Eat regularly! Regular meal times without skipping breakfast, essential for reactivating the metabolism and giving the right energy for study or exams. Some ideas? White yogurt with chopped fresh fruit, kefir with oat flakes, a slice of wholemeal bread with hazelnut or almond cream or a thin layer of sugar-free jam.

• Balanced lunches and dinners! It is important to combine a good portion of fresh and seasonal vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cabbage...), rich in B vitamins, with whole grains and lean proteins.
• Smart snacks! Choose dried fruit, rich in vitamin E and omega3 fatty acids, to improve cognitive functions and control cholesterol, or a fresh fruit of the season such as kiwi, a concentrate of vitamin C.
• Stay active! Regular physical activity is essential: a good and brisk walk of half an hour helps to overcome a sedentary lifestyle and regain the right concentration.

References

• Strategies to manage weight during the holiday season among US adults: A descriptive study from the National Weight Control Registry. Obes Sci Pract. 2021 Apr; 7(2): 232–238;
• https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/
• Altered Appetite-Mediating Hormone Concentrations Precede Compensatory Overeating After Severe, Short-Term Energy Deprivation in Healthy Adults. J Nutr. 2016 Feb;146(2):209-17.