G
iven the stress and pressures during the holidays, it is easy to understand why people fall into such bad habits during this season. Everywhere you go there is someone waiting to feed you something, whether it is a plate of chitterlings or granny’s peach cobbler, some of us find it impossible or rude to refuse. Our excuse,
it is the holidays! Your trip to the supermarket becomes an ad- venture. You find yourself in a whirlwind of aisles displaying a range of colorful, tempting goodies that are excitingly packaged and are screaming to be bought. There is simply no place during this time that is “safe.”
According to a recent Weight Watchers report, the average American gains around 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The cause is really simple and is completely within our control. Not surprisingly, much of this weight is maintained from thereon despite our promises (as we help ourselves to another round of sweet potato pie) to go on a diet in January.
If your desire is to enjoy the upcoming holiday season and begin January on the path to better health, please read further as your solution is here.
As African-Americans, food and festivity will always be a major part of the holiday season - and there is certainly nothing wrong in that. However, the holiday season is also a stressful time for many of us, and we need plenty of energy and stamina to cope with it. It is therefore critical that we eat the right type of foods with the necessary nutrients, so that we have the energy and power to minimize stress levels. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to indulge a bit, but we need to un- derstand our true power that is found in the right choices while maintaining a varied diet.
My experience in overcoming infertility by learning from my holistic doctor, changing my mind and my diet has taught me that we all have the power to better our condition. Although I have adjusted my diet from my early years growing up, it is still important to me to enjoy holiday food and fellowship with loved ones.
Over the years I have spoken to so many people that don’t make necessary changes because of bad habits, stubbornness or they just don’t know how to get started. People that have acted on my suggestions have reaped the benefits of positive changes to their health just by making a few simple adjustments to their diets and life styles. When I wrote my first book (working on the second) The Beginners Guide to Healthy Living, my goal was to provide information in a simple way that anyone can use to better their health. The following tips can be applied by mostly anyone unless you have a serious condition. But the first thing you must do is change your mind and be open to trying something new.
Healthy Tips for people with reasonable health:
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If you are the primary cook, begin preparing for dinner days in advance. Organizing, chopping ingredients and preparing table settings will help cut down on stress and
exhaustion.
Don’t stop (or if you don’t exercise then start) your exercise routine during the holidays. If you can’t maintain the exact schedule make sure you walk, do planks, push-ups, leg lifts
and sit-ups until you get back to your routine. Movement helps digestion and boosts your immune system.
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Make sure you eat a colorful plate of food. Different naturally derived colors represent different nutrients.
Increase your water intake especially if you drink alcohol, coffee or sweet tea. These drinks can dehydrate your body, which can cause many issues.
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Make sure you eat a fresh colorful salad before you eat your main meal. This will help fill your stomach with fiber, enzymes and nutrients to offset some other foods that are not so healthy you may consume.
Substitute white sugar when baking or cooking with coco- nut sugar, pure maple syrup or raw Tubinado sugar. These ingredients maintain some mineral content. White sugar
is bleached and stripped of all nutrients. Please do not use sugar substitute either. Agave might work for diabetics.
If you typically only prepare one vegetable for dinner or lunch add at least one more. Just in case…potatoes, corn (try to find organic) do not count. Vegetables covered in
cheese are not the healthiest either. Please include collards, mustards, turnips, kale, cabbage, fresh green beans and broccoli in your menu. Greens should be prepared without PORK. See my book for delicious recipes.
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