Food Rules to Live By! ~ 21 Great, Quick Tips,

Great nutrition ideas, for the New Year, and any holiday!

Here are 21 great nutrition tips from some of the top Nutritionists.  I give you some “real world” examples of how you can put them into practice, under each Nutrition tip given. 

Let’s start with 2 different sides of the story.  First the Good News:   a new study suggests that the average Holiday weight gain is 1.5 pounds.  The not so good news:  from past years of self-experience, I have found that not to be true, both with myself and with clients.  Unfortunately, the study says further, that it could take up to 5 months to lose it.  Isn’t that kind of like painting the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge:  as soon as the painting has finished on one end of it, they have to start at the beginning again!

When you really think about it, the year end Holidays start around Halloween, and continue until after the New Year.  Some people party until January 6^th. 

This time period can inspire anxiety, or happy expectation, depending on how you operate.  If your health conscious, these months can be filled with food landmines.  A plan to navigate the territory is of utmost importance for the Holiday times, and all through the year.  These tips were gleaned from top nutritionists and dietitians, to help make the season festive, while not overdoing it, and still have the joy of the season!

Here is a juicy, fresh crop of Food Rules to Live By!

1. Eat what you love, leave what you like. ~ Lindsey Joe, RD

Don’t waste the calories on foods that are “just ok” to you.  Pick only the foods that you really enjoy. Pass the other ones by.  Don’t let your “eyes” do the choosing

2. Keep your treats to one day a week. ~ Erica Giovinaz, RD

Don’t let your 1 day of partying, roll into the next few days.  Define your “party” days, and you’re “off” days.  You’ll appreciate the “party” days more.

3. Nix the guilt. ~ Lisa Moskovitz, RD

Guilt is wasted energy! That’s my thoughts.  I train my clients that when you make a conscious choice to have a treat, don’t let the guilt overshadow the enjoyment.  You made a conscious choice…enjoy it!  Conscious is the operative word there.

4. Don’t eat something just because it’s holiday food. ~ Justin Robinson, RD

Do you really even like pumpkin pie or eggnog? Are you having it because it’s the season and everyone else is having it?  Don’t save your holiday treats for only one time of the year.  Make peppermint cookies for July 4th.  I have great recipes that appear on my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/2NourishNutrition.  If you like it, you’ll get great health articles and recipes.

5. Eat low to high (when it comes to calories). ~ Deborah Orlick-Levy, RD

Start eating the low calorie foods first, and leave the higher calorie foods to last.  You’ll end up eating less calories because you will be almost full before you get to them.

6. Alternate your bubbly with sparkling water. ~ Teresa LaMasters, MD

My father, who owned a bar many moons ago,  taught me to always have a drink of water, club soda, or sparkling water between drinks.  Not only will it lessen calories from alcohol, it will lessen the chance for a hangover.

7. Make holiday treats year-round. ~ Jessica Setnick, RD

Make a pumpkin pie in the summer, why wait till Thanksgiving!  It will decrease the “gotta have it now” mentality.  I have great recipes that appear on my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/2NourishNutrition.  If you like it, you’ll get great health articles and recipes.

8. Veg-out on veggies. ~ Adrienne Raimo, RD

Fill up on veggies for snacks and meals.  Don’t just have 1 veggie at a meal, think about ways to include more.  Sneak some carrots into the spaghetti sauce.  It increases the antioxidant lycopene.

9. Don’t be fooled by the “health halo.” ~ Valerie Orsoni, Nutritionist

Just because a food is “healthy”, does not mean it is low calorie.  Be sure what you are eating is worth the calories!

10. Go to social gatherings to gather (not to eat). ~ Ana Goldseker, CNE

Keep your focus on the reason for the get together,  to be with each other, not the food.

11. Just say no… To food pushers. ~ Alissa Rumsey, RD

Be kind and decline with a tasteful compliment!

12. Rock the bed-head. ~ Lindsay Martin, RD

Get the beauty sleep you deserve.  Don’t change your schedule just for the holidays.  In the USA, sleep is overlooked and considered near the bottom of the priority list.  We are a sleep deprived country.  Consistency in getting enough is the key!

13. Never leave home without a high protein snack. ~ Marietta Amatangelo, MS, RD

To keep your appetite in check, never leave home without it…a high protein snack that is.

14. Don’t “save up” calories. ~ Edwina Clark, RD

Not eating before an event to lower calorie intake, can turn the evening into a gorge-fest.  Eat your way thru the day, on light calorie snacks like raw veggies, some nuts or fruit.

15. Three bites (of dessert) and good night. ~ Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN

Did you ever notice how the first bite of something is always the best?  After the third bite, we are just going through the motions.  Savor especially the first and the last of the three bites.  Then put the fork down.

16. Eat mindfully. ~ Anne Ricci, RD

Choosing your food wisely and taking the time to focus on enjoying the smell, taste, and texture of each bite, will help you slow things down, and control what you eat.

17. Listen to your body. ~ Marietta Amatangelo, MS, RDN

Eating without thinking, and not giving time for food to register with your body, leads to avoiding your internal cue of hunger and satiety.

18. Watch out for sneaky sugar. ~ Michael Wood, CSCS

We all know where the obvious sugar is:  the chocolate candy, the pumpkin pie, or those peppermint cookies.  A big problem lays in consuming hidden sugar foods like sweetened yogurts, cereals, snack bars, juices and other drinks that contain lots of refined sugar and fructose.  Be a sugar detective.

19. Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. ~ Ashley Pettit, CHN

Are you hungry, or are you thirsty?  Sometimes we go for food when our bodies are asking for water.  It’s important to stay hydrated even in the winter months.  Many of my clients get only a quarter of the water intake they need.  A good rule of thumb is to aim for ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day.

20. Trim the trimmings. ~ Simone Gloger, R.D.,

I find that the food that makes up the bulk of the holiday meals, lean turkey, veggies, nuts, are not usually what increases calorie intake. It’s all the trimmings, and extras that go along with it that does it, gravy, creamy and buttery sauces, pie crusts, and sweetened mixed drinks.  Try to go low with these extras and you’ll nix lots of extra calories from your waistline.

21. Detox your taste buds. ~ Andrea Szebeni, RD

Believe it or not,  we can reset our taste buds.  I tell my clients all the time that taste buds can go “dormant” when you begin to avoid, fats, sweets or salty foods.  When you indulge in sweets or treats for a long period of time, your tastebuds develop a kind of “hyper-palatable”.  Your tastes buds get used to those “addictive” tastes again, and require more and more of those types of foods to know satisfaction.  So, “reset” your tastes buds and go on a detox for seven to ten days.  I have a great nutrition reset program that can be done in 10, 14 or 21 days.  See this link to find out more:  https://2nourish.comnutrition-reset-detox/

Some information was adapted from an article on 12/2/17 by Charlotte Anderson