Top ten tips for the Party Season

Christmas is a time when we are generally attending lots of parties and eating out more often than usual. Here are some tips that you may find useful in keeping your dietary intake reasonably healthy:

1. Enjoy your meal and relax when eating out.

2. Try a fruit, vegetable or salad based starter – both light and filling.

3. Choose grilled or oven-baked lean meat, chicken or fish dishes as opposed to fried.

4. Ask if the sauce/dressing of your dish can be served on the side – you can control how much you use. Look for sauces without added cream or butter. Try tomato or fruit based sauces instead.

5. Try to avoid deep-fried side orders such as chips, potato wedges, onion rings or garlic mushrooms. Choose potatoes and vegetables served without butter or oil.

6. If getting a made-to-order sandwich, choose either low fat spread or mayonnaise, not both. Ask for plenty of salad vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and lettuce.

7. Try to include wholegrain and wholemeal varieties of bread more often and ask for low-fat spread.

8. Go for a fruit-based dessert or share richer desserts with a friend.

9. Drink plenty of water with your meal. It will help fill you up and reduce your alcohol intake.

10. If you have a lot of parties to go to, try not to drink alcohol at all of them. Being the designated driver has the added benefit of not having to queue for taxis.

If you would like to make an appointment to see a Dietitian ring:

021 4941930

Bon Secours Hospital

College Road

Cork

Newsletter 1- Winter

DIETETIC

department

Content

Enjoy the Festive Season

Five Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

Top 10 Tips when Eating Out

Is it possible to enjoy the festive season and get into the Christmas spirit without piling on excess pounds or the need to feel like Scrooge?

One of the key challenges is changing the excessive festive mindset - after all, Christmas lasts only a couple of days. It is generally accepted that it takes about 21 days to create a habit, about six months for it to become an integral part of daily life. Unfortunately it only takes a matter of days to break the routine.

The same principle applies to exercise and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Try to avoid ditching your physical activity patterns in the weeks leading into Christmas. It may lead you to struggle to re-establish these routines come the New Year. The days leading into Christmas provide a golden opportunity to expend a few more calories than usual. Shopping, cooking and cleaning the house all burn calories:

Ø  Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Ø  Park your car further away from town or at the far end of the car park.

Ø  Or perhaps take the family ice skating to get into the festive spirit.

During the holiday season, parents and relatives are confronted with choosing Christmas toys for kids. Perhaps you could get a present that increases their physical activity:

Bikes, trampolines and other sporting equipment are great ideas to get active.

Other more expensive products like the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Play Station can also be an excellent choice for the whole family as they all have activity games packages available for use with them.

Adopting a policy of food and drink in moderation, and maintaining some form of physical activity, involving the whole family, during the festive season, will add to the pleasure and enjoyment of this special time of year.

Five Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

1. EAT!! In moderation of course, but try not to skip meals because they are likely to lead to over indulging later on.

2. Excess Alcohol! This leads to irritability and inhibits concentration. You may lose focus on your goal and eat more than planned.

3. EXERCISE! Even if you’re having a busy day, 30 minutes of exercise a day can help to relieve stress and will keep off those extra pounds.

4. RELAX! Relaxing, (whatever way suits you- going for a walk, doing some breathing exercises, reading a book) leads to an alleviation of stress, which can also contribute to weight gain.

5. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!! We certainly don’t want to restrict ourselves from indulging in all of the food and desserts we love, but planning what you want to eat will help. After selecting the foods you have been craving, fill the rest of your plate with vegetables or any other grilled items.

Now, you will be on your way to preventing those extra pounds over the festive season!