Eating tips for the festive season

The Christmas holiday is almost here. The buffets and plenty of food at the table will be very tempting for everyone at every turn. More people are going to become lazier at exercise. To stay fit and healthy throughout this holiday season, you must have prepared.

Eat a balanced diet
Now, more than the other seasons in the year, Amanda Tumwebaze, a freelance nutritionist, advises people to choose meals that are balanced in all nutrients.
The rule, according to Tumwebaze is to eat, but stop at a time when you still want more. Only eat the amount of food that your body will need for proper functioning.
Eating too much may be dangerous as the food will be converted into fats thereby increasing your weight and its negative impacts. She adds that a balanced meal will keep you feel full for a long time and will protect you from over eating.
“A healthy, balanced meal should consist of a lean protein, a small portion of healthy fat, and fibre-rich carbohydrates. To learn more about how to create a well-balanced meal, take a look at our example of a healthy plate,” she says.

Do not skip meals
Dr Paul Kasenene, a nutritionist at Wellcare Centre, says skipping just one meal a day may ruin your eating plan by forcing you to eat an unhealthy snack. It is, therefore, important that you eat your meals regularly and on time. Eat a healthy breakfast within an hour or two of waking and plan to eat something about every four hours thereafter. He says, “Breakfast is the most important meal in a day. Skipping it can lead to weight gain and sets the stage for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes which can lead to heart disease. For a heart-healthy breakfast, skip the fatty bacon and sausage. Instead, load up on fresh fruit and whole grains.”
By noon, you can have lunch and supper about 7pm. You may have a healthy snack of fruits between lunch and super. This will minimise your risk of over-eating or of making poor choices when it is meal time.

Do not eat at night
Besides exercising mindful eating this festive season, it is only fine to eat a fruit or drink a glass of milk an hour or even 30 minutes before going to bed. However, if you eat a large meal within an hour or two before going to bed, the food will not be digested quickly.
Dr Kasenene says the food will stay in the stomach and the body will require a lot of energy to break it down in the night because the system needs to rest too and instead embark on the detoxifying duty. This is the reason you may not be getting good quality sleep and wake up in the morning feeling tired.
“The rule for a good night sleep has always been less or no eating at night. Eating heavy food at night will give you disturbed sleep and you will wake up in the morning very tired. It is important to avoid eating two hours before bed. This is because metabolism slows when you are asleep thereby risking digestive upset and weight gain,” he says.

Keep hydrated
The body uses water to regulate the temperature in the cells, organs and tissues. It also helps to maintain other bodily functions such as digestion. Since the body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it is important to keep hydrated all the time by drinking fluids and eating foods and fruits that contain a lot of water.
Amanda Tumwebaze, a freelance nutritionist, says, “Some people, especially when there is a lot of food will eat food even when they feel thirsty. Drink at least six glasses of water and eat fruits such as watermelon and pineapple.”