Maintaining a healthy diet over the Easter Season can be very challenging. The holidays offer so many amazing dishes and baking which can prove to be a detriment to your diet. Personally, my wife does a lot of baking and I often find myself making my way over to the kitchen to indulge or wander on over to the freezer. Although we want to enjoy all that holiday foods have to offer, what are some tips and strategies we can implement?
Sleep
A great way of maintaining our weight is by getting sleep. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep causes your hunger hormone levels to rise (20 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain During the Holidays, 2019). So in order to combat that, we need seven to eight hours of sleep a night (WebMD, 2007).
Drinking plenty of water
A helpful and simple trick is to make sure we are hydrated. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine state that men need upwards of four litres of water per day (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020). You may think to yourself, how does drinking water aid in weight loss? When we drink the necessary amount of water, “it will ease the path for digestion, eliminating waste, and toxins from fat. It also relieves any pent up weight from waste build up in the body” (Drinking water aids in weight loss: Here’s how, n.d., para. 9).
Use a small plate
Simply put, a smaller plate is a great strategy to control portion sizes.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
When you’re not chowing down on delicious easter goodies, be diligent in consuming more fruits and vegetables. High fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables take longer to digest, which results in feeling full longer (The simple math that helps you feel full on fewer calories, 2017). Whether it is fruit and veggie shakes, roasted cauliflower turmeric, kale chips, arugula beet salad, or broccoli and hummus, there are plenty of tasty options.
Don’t go out with an empty stomach
Although it’s important we do not spoil our appetite before a hard cooked meal, it’s also not a great idea to go on an empty stomach either. Something that has been hugely beneficial for myself is eating smaller meals every two to three hours. The Mayo Clinic says that “skipping meals or letting yourself get too hungry can lead to overeating and poor food choices-and may even cause your metabolism to slow” (HQ, 2019), para. 21). Simply put, when we eat more consistently throughout the day, we won’t feel the urge to overindulge (HQ, 2019).
Moderation
Personally, I look forward to enjoying a delicious Easter meal and the many desserts that come with it. However, the key is moderation, and eating only as much as your body needs. I am not suggesting that we should eliminate these foods (I certainly will not), but rather eating selectively. Be wise in how much you’re eating and choose self control when you feel you have had too much. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says “the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure”.
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