Nutrition News

Nutrition News: Holiday...Weight Loss?
By Dr. Jeff Bartlett and Tammy Bartlett

Is it possible to enjoy the holidays and still lose weight? Some of us splurge and vow to take off the extra pounds after the holidays, while others skip the holiday dinner and sulk while everyone else enjoys themselves. It doesn't have to be this way. There are many nutritional holiday alternatives that can help keep you and your family on track without spoiling the fun.

The most common holiday diet is the "see-food" diet, or "eating everything you see." People on the see-food diet rely on their New Year's resolution to save the day. Unfortunately, 90% of us will fail to follow through on our 2005 goals. Since many traditional holiday foods—mashed potatoes, candied yams, turkey stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, and pumpkin pie, to name a few— use lots of starch and sugar, here's a few ideas on how you can enjoy these favorites without gaining weight:

1. A simply way to complement your turkey/ham dinner is to include high fiber/ low glycemic side dishes rather than the familiar high starch/ high sugar dishes. Think Brussels sprouts with mustard cream, oven-roasted winter vegetables, and green beans in a butter sauce.
2. You can also replace starchy side dishes with healthy, great-tasting low-carb entrees. Check out this month's recipe for Tasty Mashed Cauliflower & Low-Sugar Pumpkin Pie. And try replacing the white bread crumbs in your stuffing with low-carb bread crumbs available at low carb stores and Trader Joes.
3. If you must indulge during the holidays, try Phase 1 of the Curves Program for a few days after the holiday dinner (20 grams of carbs/day). To find out more, ask your Curves staff or send an email to info@curveshealthclub.com.

No matter how you decide to celebrate, have fun, but don't let the holidays break your stride. While it's true that, "to celebrate is to eat and to eat is to celebrate," you can do both without gaining weight if you plan ahead.