The Christmas holidays are one of the times of the year when people tend to eat more and gain weight. Here's what to avoid to be able to shed the pounds gained
During the Christmas holidays, letting go to the table is very frequent. Between lunches and dinners on average every year in January we find ourselves with at least a couple of extra pounds. What to do to eliminate them? "The first thing that can help is to focus on more balanced menus and dishes not only in terms of portions, but also the quality of the food", suggests the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, specialized in food science. Then, you have to pay attention to mistakes. "Often you continue to gain weight even after the holidays because a whole series of behaviors are implemented that if apparently seem to favor weight loss, in reality, for various reasons, over time, risk facilitating the accumulation of extra pounds in critical points such as stomach, legs and hips . Here then are a series of mistakes that risk making you fat if you decide to go on a diet after the holidays.
Doing crash diets
Bring mini portions to the table and start skipping meals after Christmas? Nothing more wrong. It promotes the accumulation of fat around the waist and weight gain over time. "When you eat little, your body tends to conserve fat reserves and burn less. The consequence? The metabolism becomes slower, the appetite increases and we end up eating more than necessary, "explains nutritionist Valentina Schirò. Another aspect that should not be underestimated is the gratification factor. "Sad menus and too small portions risk increasing the desire for food even more, in particular for foods rich in sugars and fats such as panettone, nougat and other sins of gluttony that are easily found in the pantry after Christmas".
Eat only soups and salads
Seasonal vegetables should never be missing from the table. It provides water, minerals and vitamins that detoxify the body and stimulate the work of the liver and intestines especially after a period of excess. It is also rich in fiber which slow down the absorption of sugars and fats and ensure good satiety. Eating it alone, however, is not a valid strategy to get rid of the extra pounds gained during the holidays. "Vegetables lack essential proteins, carbohydrates and fats, necessary for metabolism," explains nutritionist Valentina Schirò. The ideal is to always combine them for lunch and dinner with a portion of proteins (lean meat, eggs, fish or legumes) seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, rich in "good" fats and slow-absorbing carbohydrates such as spelled. and in general to whole grains in grains that promote the sense of fullness.
Bring plain dishes to the table
Too rich dips and dishes are not the best for your figure and health. But also focusing on dishes without any seasoning to remedy the excesses of lunches and dinners is not the best for the diet after the holidays. «The classic dish of plain pasta or plain rice that we often tend to choose after a period of excess is likely to have more disadvantages than advantages for getting back into shape. Compared to the same dish seasoned for example with vegetables and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, it causes a greater glycemic response and consequently stimulates an excessive production of insulin, a hormone that facilitates hunger and promotes the accumulation of weight in particular at abdominal level ".
Dine on fruit only
It's okay to stay light at dinner, but trying to make up for the Christmas extravagance by eating only pineapple, oranges or mandarins, for example, is not a good idea. “Fruit cannot be a valid substitute for a main meal. From a nutritional point of view, it provides many sugars that are easily assimilated by the body and is free of proteins, good fats and complex carbohydrates, essential nutrients that promote satiety and help the metabolism stay active ", says the expert. The ideal is to eat it as a snack to break the appetite. "Combined with dried fruit, for example, it is a snack that helps regain the regularity of meals and lends a hand to the hunger-satiety rhythm".
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