Struggling with Christmas weight gain? Here's some easy tips to follow to avoid it!
As many of us enter the Christmas season sometimes eating can go off piste. This year why not take a few small steps to avoid the January crash?
If you’ve been following me for awhile you’ll know Chinese medicine encompasses dietary therapy. In the wider western world many folks are catching onto the idea food is medicine. Under the umbrella of acupuncture specific dietary advice is often provided to support a patients diagnosis.
All food and drink have an energetic reaction to a persons state of health (negative or positive). Think along the lines of pharmaceuticals, just not as powerful. But overtime eating & diet has a very big impact on health. Habits cause micro changes toward a specific outcome whether positive or negative. It's your choice.
Make breakfast your biggest meal. Eat like the King/ or Queen.
Why? According to the chinese organ clock called the midday midnight law, your digestive system is at it’s metabolic peak between 9 to 11 am.
Eat a lunch that is a substantial size. Eat like the Queen / or King
Why? By eating a big breakfast you can get through the mornings activities. By 1 pm you'll be ready to have big lunch. This is in place of eating a big dinner/ tea/ supper.
Have a rest after lunch. Yes, a 20 to 30 minute lie down.
Why? Let your mind have a break after a busy morning / midday. This improves digestion. If a cat nap isn’t your thing try 20 minutes with your feet up with no electronic diversions.
Eat dinner like the pauper
Why? The digestive system is weakest from 7 to 11 pm. Heavier meals after 7 pm will take much longer to digest. As many of us know after the age of 50 this becomes harder each year.
Eat lighter meals before 7 pm such as soups, grilled vegetables, omelettes and salad’s when you are in the seasons of spring & summer.
Your eating environment is as important as what you eat!
Stop listening or watching (radio or television) while you are eating. With the stress levels still so high the information you are taking in at conscious and sub conscious level impacts your digestive system. This allows cortisol levels and blood pressure to rise in an insidious way.
Be mindful especially if you are on any gastro medications (Gaviscon, Omeprazole, Lansprazole, Tums, Rolaids). Love to listen to music? Create a play list for dining. Try dipping into the news or other TV programs when your not eating.
Eating lunch in front of the laptop during the day? This impacts the digestive system negatively, I bet you won’t remember what you ate?
Move away from the screen when eating eating your lunch. Take a break, relax. You will be more productive in the afternoon with this practice. Check this article out about productivity in the workplace.
Eat slowly...
Eating slowly and chewing your food strengthens the digestive system. The process of chewing creates more saliva therefore food becomes more macerated before entering your gastro tract. In turn this strengthens the stomach and intestines, which then have less work to process your meal.
The benefits are amazing! Maintaining your natural weight, enjoy savouring food, encounter less digestive conditions and naturally feeling less stressed!
Portion sizes
Find a soup bowl which is a bit bigger than the size of your fist. For a piece of meat or fish the portion should fit in the palm of your hand. Repeat this daily and eventually it will become automatic when your shopping and serving yourself a meal. But when it comes to vegetables upping the proportions isn’t a bad thing.
The temperature of your food
Try to eat foods which are warm or room temperature in nature, too many cold raw foods slows down your digestion in the process of constantly having heat up the food to transform it. If you like smoothies set out veg & juice prior to mixing.
Clean Eating
If you can’t understand the ingredients on food packaging it is likely to have additives and provide little benefit. Always buy the best quality food you can afford, lots of of the grocery stores offer organic items now.
Have you drank enough water today?
How much water we consume differs for everyone and varies with environment (cold, hot, physically active etc.). To boost your digestive system, drink your main beverages at room temperature or warmer. This practices avoids chilling the GI tract and stomach.
Water can be boring
Add flavour: fresh lemon, lime, cucumber, mint or try cold infused teas such as Twinnings cold infusions. Quality herbal teas can be counted as your daily water consumption. Sadly coffee & tea don’t count due to caffeine.
I am very passionate about food choices. Why? The impact is massive on wellness or illness. It's something we can all do if we have the right tools.
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