Tips For Not Gaining Weight On Thanksgiving Or Christmas

On feast days, it's especially important not to skip a healthy breakfast. We tend to over eat and choose more fattening and sugary foods when we've gone too long without eating. A healthy breakfast might include two or more of a whole grain cereal or oatmeal, eggs, vegetables, yogurt or milk, and fruit. Try to eat healthy food every four hours throughout the holidays, but eat small meals. Make sure you drink a lot of water, particularly on feast days.

Often staying lean during the holidays is hardest on the cook. Here are a few tips for cooking a more healthy weight-friendly meal:

For a stuffing that is less fattening and even more delicious, start with whole wheat bread or whole grain rice. Use half or less of the amount of butter and oil. Double or even triple all the healthy ingredients such as celery, onion, mushrooms, nuts, and dried fruit. This will lower the fat and increase the fiber of your stuffing. It will also make it more flavorful. Your traditional recipe can be adjusted in this way.

Use a rack to roast meats. Domestic duck and goose should be pricked all over the skin prior to roasting, to allow the fats to escape. Cover your roasts until the last to keep them moist, instead of using butter. Then remove the cover for the last twenty to thirty minutes to allow the skin to brown.

Purchase an inexpensive gravy separator. These are small plastic pitchers with the spout located at the bottom of the cup, much like a garden watering can. Before making gravy, ladle the meat juices into the gravy separator and allow a minute for the fat to float to the top. Carefully pour the juices into the pan you will use to make gravy until the fat reaches the bottom and then stop. Then continue to make the gravy. Your gravy will be much more lean but just as flavorful.

In the first part of this article, we looked at how we can make stuffing that is not heavy and will not add weight. We also talked about how to make less fattening gravy. Let us discuss more.

Learn how to make especially delicious salads. To mixed greens you might add sliced pear, apple, beets, orange slices, nuts, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and dress the salad with a raspberry vinaigrette.

If you are going to serve rolls, try a whole grain roll.

Find side dishes that are both healthy and particularly delicious. Make larger batches of the healthy dishes and smaller batches of the less healthy ones. This will gently encourage you and your guests to want more of the healthy vegetable side dishes.

Eating a healthier holiday meal, even if you are not doing the cooking, is easier if you follow certain guidelines. Half your plate should be vegetables, no more than a quarter of the plate should be meat, and no more than a quarter of the plate should be starches and breads. Fill at least half your plate with salad, green vegetables, baked sweet potato, carrots, squash, brown or wild rice, cranberry sauce, and fruit. If you are eating meat, choose a lean portion about the size of a deck of cards. Select only a small portion of stuffing, mashed potatoes, casserole vegetables, vegetables in heavy sauce, cheese, or breads. Avoid butter, do not use extra salt, go easy on the gravy, and avoid cheese sauces. Wait on what might be second helpings for another small meal a few hours later.

There is no need to deny yourself dessert, just use common sense. Always eat healthy food before dessert, and then take a small portion if you see something you like. If you have filled up on healthy food first, you will be less tempted to overeat dessert.



Users of myspace, friendster, hi5, orkut, etc, click for myspace comments and myspace graphics. Add christmas myspace layouts to your profile.

Tags : kitchenaid 12 piece cookware set

Top 10 - Healthy Eating Alternatives to All Your Christmas Favourites

Christmas can be a difficult time of year when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, managing your waistline and maintaining a fitness regimen. With the holidays fast approaching and inevitable family feasts looming large, here is a list of ways you can continue to enjoy your favourite, traditional Christmas delicacies while getting the most nutritional value and minimal calories from each.

1. Stuffing: Make with whole-wheat bread and cook separate to the meat so it doesn't soak up any fats during cooking. Add onions and celery simmered in vegetable stock plus sage and spices for flavour.

2. Baked Potatoes: Sweet mashed potatoes or baked parsnips are a great alternative to a regular baked potato. If you find yourself limited to a baked potato, try topping it with yogurt or low fat cream cheese rather than butter.

3. Gravy: Instead of gravy mix or canned gravy, use natural gravy from pan drippings. Let the pan drippings stand so the fat rises to the top and can be discarded. Thicken with whole wheat flour and cook to your liking, finally add seasoning with pepper and sea salt for flavour.

4. Ham or Roast Beef: You want to avoid red meats and go for fresh seafood, grilled chicken or a traditional Turkey. Try to stick with the dark turkey meat as it contains more vitamins, less calories, has more of the "healthy fats", and is also higher in protein.

5. Cakes and Pastries: While high in calories and trans fat, try replacing these appetizers/snacks with fresh fruit trays, salads or vegetable platters.

6. Chips and Dip: Bake whole wheat pita bread and cut into pita chips to replace regular potato chips and instead of high caloric dips or melted cheeses, stick with a low sodium salsa.

7. Corn: Keep veggies as close to raw as possible and do not overcook them. Avoid corn as it contains no nutritional value and is often linked to butter. Stick with spinach, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans and peas.

8. Eggnog: Water is always a good choice. It fills you up, has no calories and helps to flush out your system. Avoid soft drinks and go for real sugar-free, fruit juices. Stay far away from calorie rich Eggnog and enjoy a cup of partially skimmed 1% chocolate milk. If you fall victim to alcohol temptation, stick to a single glass of red wine.

9. Cranberry Sauce: Apple sauce is a great alternative but if you must stick with tradition, go with a homemade, whole-berry cranberry sauce as opposed to the canned stuff.

10. Ice Cream: A healthier choice to ice cream would be low-fat yogurt or frozen yogurt. Top with fresh fruit like blueberries or strawberries for additional flavour and nutrients.

When it comes to the gift of giving, it's not about how much you spend but the thought that counts. Let this apply to your eating habits this Christmas as well. Spend less time indulging on the bad foods and put a little more thought into preparing healthy alternatives for you and your loved ones. A healthy body is the gift that keeps on giving.

Mark Robson
Certified Personal Trainer
ME FIRST FITNESS
"Delivering Optimal Results"
http://www.mefirstfitness.com

Thanks To : kitchenaid gourmet distinctions 10 piece set all clad copper core 14 piece cookware set