Happy Holiday Eating!

The holidays are full of fun, family, and festivities making it one of the most favorite times of the year.  The holiday season officially begins on Halloween (with ALL of that Trick or Treat candy) and typically ends on the Sunday after New Year's Day.  That is a solid two months of temptation, time constraints, and turmoil, and can have disastrous results on your health, weight, and general feeling of well being.  So how can this year be different?

1.  Plan Ahead
Eat a meal before you go to parties.  Choose low calorie choices, such a fresh vegetables and lean meats.  Watch out for cheeses, chips, crackers, dips, and pastries. These can add up quick.  Remember that alcohol also has calories which can contribute to the post holiday bulge, but more importantly lowers you inhibition to say no to tempting fare.  Spend more time visiting and socializing and less time stuffing yourself!

2.  Don't get tricked!
Halloween is the official start to the season.  If you have Halloween candy staring at you between November 1 and Thanksgiving, there is a good chance that you will be consuming it and thus wearing it in the new year!  Those little candies can contain between 50-150 calories per piece, not to mention the elevated sugar and fat content and general lack of nutrient density!  So how can we outsmart the ghosts and goblins? 

Donate the candy to a worthy cause.  If it is not around, it can't go in your mouth!  Several military support groups collect candy to send to the troops.  Churches also have "Fall Festivals" after traditional Halloween, and these are a great place to donate excess candy.
Buy candy that isn't tempting to you.  If you don't like tootsie roll pops, buy those.  So it doesn't matter how many pops are around, those will not be gobbled up by you!
Put the candy up and out of sight.  If the candy is on your counter or desk, you will constantly be thinking about it and most likely consuming it.

3. Pace yourself!
If you know that you will be attending an event or party that will not be "diet friendly", allocate your calories accordingly throughout the day and avoid splurging all day.  Often, when food choices are not going to be stellar for part of the day, we decide to just go ahead and throw in the towel and eat  high calorie foods throughout the entire day.  If this particular day falls during the latter part of the week, then chances are slim that healthy behaviors will resume until the following Monday!  If you get off track at a meal or event, immediately regain your food composure and reset your behavior.

4.  Keep track of how your clothes are fitting.
Our clothes fall into a category called "external cues".   External cues serve as outside reminders that our goals and behaviors are not consistent.  When pants become tight, that is a very accurate sign that there is more booty in those pants and it is time to make some changes and reel in the high calorie foods and change our behavior.  It is also important to wear clothes that provide some "feedback", meaning that they are fitted, and not loose or baggy such as scrubs or workout wear.

5.  Be aware of how you feel.
Take time to assess yourself.  Are you stressed, happy, or sad?  Are you putting food in your mouth to deal with your emotions?  Ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how hungry am I?  Remember, hunger is a physiologic response when the body need calories or energy.  If you are not hungry, but find yourself nibbling, ask yourself what is it that your body really needs.  It could be sleep, a time out, exercise, or stress relief. 

This is in contrast to appetite, which is the psychological need for food, meaning that is satisfies our desire for food to look good, taste good, and smell good.  Hunger can be best described as having a physiological need for food that would be so strong that the flavor or desirability of the food would make little difference.  For example, Jane does not like mayonnaise.  But because she is hungry, she will eat a sandwich that has mayonnaise on it.  If she was responding to appetite, she would not eat the sandwich, unless it met her desired choices.

6.  Bring healthy foods to the holiday table.
From Grandma's homemade pie to the latest Pinterest recipe, there is an abundance of high calorie, indulgent foods at most holiday gatherings.  Make a point to offset these foods by bringing some healthy alternatives such as a fruit salad or vegetable tray.  Fill your plate with unadulterated fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and choose your calorically dense foods carefully and with restraint.. 

7.  Learn from your mistakes.
We all know what it feels like to overeat and feel like a stuffed turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Most of us would agree that the aftershocks feel pretty miserable leaving us like lifeless slugs on the sofa, not to mention the post holiday pounds that have to be dealt with later.

Even when mistakes happen, there is a lesson to be learned, meaning that even a food mishap can be a positive experience if it sheds insight on a behavior that needs to be modified.  Ask yourself why the mistake occurred, how were you feeling at the time, what could have been done to avoid the mishap, and if given the same opportunity again, how could you change your behavior to prevent mistakes in the future. 

Holidays can be enjoyed in a healthy manner by using self awareness, self restraint, and listening to your body's needs. Choose wisely and make this season the best yet!

For more nutrition information or to make an appointment with Leslie Goudarzi, MS, RD, LD at the GSMC Institute for Healthy Living, call 903-239-1551. 

How to Change Our Wicked Ways!

Have you ever wanted to make a change in your diet or exercise program, but after a few short days, found yourself flustered with your efforts or quitting altogether?  You are not alone!  Many of us attempt to change behaviors such as our diet or exercise program, but struggle to make the changes real.

I worked as a Registered Dietitian in an inpatient hospital setting for many years.  As a young and eager dietitian, I was often frustrated and disheartened when my patients did not share my enthusiasm after their "diet instruction" and did not drastically change their behavior that had contributed to their medical condition.  After all, it was for their own good.  As my experience in clinical nutrition and wellness evolved, I was reminded of a behavior model that I learned in college and is certainly worth sharing.

The way we habitually behave is considered to be our lifestyle.  Some of our habits tend to be very positive, while others can definitely use some improvement.  Many times, we are able to easily identify a behavior that needs to be changed.  For example, "I need to exercise" or "I want to eat healthier to improve my cholesterol".  Everyone has probably had the thought cross their mind at one point or another that they would like to change a behavior to improve some aspect of their lifestyle.  So why is not just enough to want to make the change and just simply do it?   Because according to Prochaska's Transtheoretical Model of Change , we must go through certain steps to modify problem behaviors such as not exercising, overeating, smoking, or even problem drinking.  It is important to recognize that each step must be resolved before going to the next step or the change will be ineffective.  Some of the steps can take weeks, even months to accomplish.

The Stages of Change:

The following are the steps of change in the order they must be processed.  In addition, statements or examples of behaviors are included that demonstrate each step (for the changed behavior of beginning an exercise program is demonstrated in this example).

1.  Precontemplation:  This is the stage where the individual is not considering a change.  For example, "I don't exercise and have no intention of starting".

2.  Contemplation:  This the stage where the individual is considering a change.  This usually is sparked by reading something, hearing a speaker, being motivated by a negative outcome, or even a doctor's visit.  Pros and cons of the "changed behavior" must be weighed.  In every changed behavior, there will be something given up and something gained.  It must be decided by the individual that the gained behavior is more attractive than what is being sacrificed.  For example, "I know that I should exercise to lose weight and improve my cholesterol levels, but if I do begin an exercise program, I will have less time to watch television".

3.  Preparation:  In this stage, the individual is getting ready to make the changed behavior.  Let's say that we are getting prepared to start an exercise program, several decisions have to be made before starting the change.  For example, "Which exercise program?   Have I signed up for the program?  Do I have proper clothing and shoes?  Do I need to adjust my schedule to get up earlier or to participate after work?".  All of these questions must be answered to successfully move to the next stage.

4.  Action:  This is the stage where the "changed behavior" is actually occurring.  I think that it is notable that action doesn't occur until the fourth step!  Think about how many times that we have been frustrated with ourselves and others for not immediately going from "nothing" (precontemplation) to "everything" (action).  In this stage, the example would be, "I am at the gym (on time) in the boot camp class (dressed appropriately) doing the class".

5.  Maintenance:  This is the stage of behavior where the action becomes part of our normal or typical behavior. "I exercise everyday and I enjoy it.  I feel better, I have lost weight, and my cholesterol has improved".  We have to go through action in order to get to maintenance. 

6.  Relapse:  Although relapse was not an "original stage" in Procahska's model, I think that it is important to acknowledge that returning to our "wicked ways" or slipping back into a negative behavior sometimes does occur.  Sometimes relapse happens because of triggers such as an emotional responses, temporary time constraints, or travel, to name a few.  For example, "I did not exercise today because I had to be at work early and I could not go to my exercise class".  This does not mean that the exercise is over forever.  Relapse does not have to equate to failure.  In fact, it can be an opportunity to anticipate and resolve barriers to success.  In this example, the exercise time could be changed to the evening, and even alternatives to the exercise class could be found.  Again, this is a great opportunity to learn from a failure and determine feasible alternatives when obstacles occur.  When relapse occurs, it is important to move back to "action" as soon as possible.

Changes in our behavior leads to improvements in health, quality of life, and often even the quantity of life.  I encourage you to think of an area of your life that might benefit from change and work earnestly to accomplish them. 

For more information on Nutrition Counseling and how to incrementally change your eating habits,, please contact Leslie Goudarzi, MS, RD, LD at 903-239-1551.

How To Enjoy the Yamboree Without Blowing Your Pants Out!

Growing up in Gilmer, Texas was a unique experience because of the annual holiday and homecoming called the Yamboree.  The Yamboree is a difficult concept to explain to those not born and raised in Upshur County.  School is out, business are closed or at least have "Yamboree hours", and the whole town is involved in the celebration of the sweet potato from Wednesday through Saturday on the third weekend in October.  The small town of Gilmer transforms into a central hub overnight.  There are actually traffic jams during this week!  Every spot in town is occupied and there are multiple attractions everywhere.  The anticipation of the Yamboree hits a fever pitch as soon as the "Welcome Yamboree Visitors" signs are hung above area business doors and the amusement rides began to trickle into town. 

As the years have past, many of my hometown friends and family return to celebrate this one of a kind event.  As much as carnival rides, pageants, and parades are a part of the Yamboree, the food of the festival takes center stage.  It is very easy to load up on high calorie foods and break your calorie budget if you're not careful.

To put things in perspective, the "average" American needs about 2000 calories and 65 grams of fat per day.  Take a look at some of the most popular fair foods and their energy values below.

The Corn Dog                                   375 Calories           36 g Fat
Smoked Turkey Leg                       1135 Calories           54 g Fat
Deep Fried Oreo (5)                         890 Calories           108 g Fat
Nachos                                             750 Calories             55 g Fat
Yam Pie                                           300 Calories             15 g Fat
Corn on the Cob (no butter)             200 Calories               1 g Fat
1/3 Pound Burger                             669 Calories             41 g Fat
French Fries                                     560 Calories             79 g Fat
Bratwurst Sausage on a Bun            803 Calories             61 g Fat
Cotton Candy                                   220 Calories             56 g Fat
Baked Sweet Potato (no topping)    120 Calories             <1 g Fat

As you can see from the list above, some of the calorie contents of these foods can set  you up for a post Yamboree buldge if you indulge too much.  Some of these foods contain 50 % of your total daily calories and many of them exceed your allotment of fat for the entire day! 

Here are some tips to enjoy the carnival food in moderation.

1.  If you know that you are going to indulge on a meal at the Yamboree (or any other fair), make sure that you make healthy choices throughout the rest of the day to achieve balance.

2.  Consider splitting an item with a family member or friend.  You can enjoy the taste and experience in a smaller portion and lesser affect on the waistline!

3.  Don't have a buffet!  Choose a few items to enjoy, but don't eat one of everything!

4.  Ask yourself if you are really hungry.  If you are not, share the remainder with a friend or loved one or even throw it away.  I know that some of you will say that is wasteful, but I would argue that carrying around extra calories and fat in your mid section is not a great place to store wasted food!  And it will have a long lasting and costly affect on your health.

I hope that you will enjoy this year's Yamboree and make healthy and thoughtful choices!  Have a Yam good time all of my Gilmer friends!  Hope to see you there!