HEALTH | Should You Health-ify Your Holiday?
As the holidays draw nearer, people are starting to plan for the noche buena and media noche feasts. December holds the two biggest and probably the most important holidays in the Philippines. This is the reason why many Filipinos gain weight on these two individual holidays more than any other time of the year.
Holiday feasts
What are holiday feasts? In the Philippines, this would usually mean family gatherings, reunions, seeing family members you have not seen since you were little. Awkward encounters with titos and titas who comment about how fat you have gotten. But why do people gain weight during these feasts?
The food that is usually served during these holidays is Filipino comfort food. The table usually has a spread of many types of food that take people back to their childhood. They sit down to a hearty meal and fill their plates (and bellies) with fruit salad, noodles, Lechon baboy, grilled meats and various types of sweets. All of these foods, when eating in moderation, are not harmful to health. But then during these holiday feasts, people eat so much, it borders on gluttony.
How to stay healthy during the holidays
There will be no need to tell your mom or grandmother not to cook the family recipes that have been passed down for generations. There is no need to remove dishes from the menu because you want to stay healthy. There are many other ways to stay healthy and still enjoy the delicious spread on the table.
Eat slowly.
As you savor the food on your plate, savor the conversations you are having as well. You will see family members you have not seen in years. Take time to enjoy talking to your relatives as much as you are enjoying the food. This will make you eat less while still being able to enjoy the holiday festivities.
Help in the preparations.
You will be able to have your daily amount of exercise by exerting effort to help prepare the food for the meal. Your family members will thank you for it, and you will be able to have a small workout as you join in the preparations.
Drink water.
Water is always a healthier beverage choice. While it might be inevitable for you to join the inuman later on in the evening, consider drinking water instead of soda or wine during the main meal. There are so many calories that are hidden in the drinks we have during special meals. Although you may think that eggnog or soda will pair well with the meal, realize that water is always healthier for your body.
Consider taking a walk.
Instead of just sitting down in just one place during the meal, you can walk around, talking to different members of the family as you do so. If you choose to stand up instead of just sitting down for the whole occasion, you can hit two birds with one stone.
You can catch up with the cousins you have not seen since you were in high school, and at the same time, you will not feel obligated to get that third piece of cake you would be eyeing if you just choose to sit at the dinner table for the entirety of the evening.
The holidays are meant for fun and meaningful conversation with your family. You can have these and stay healthy at the same time. There are many ways on how you and your family can be encouraged to stay healthy during the holiday season.
This is important so that you won’t need to make the New Year’s resolution to lose weight after because you chose to binge-eat during the holidays.