Avoiding Holiday
Weight Gain
With the holidays upon us many of you may find the New Year
brings with it the dread of gaining weight.
Yet it can be confusing just what to eat to avoid the seemingly
inevitable holiday bulge. The headlines
are full of tips on “this diet” or “that diet”.
The medical literature banters back and forth about the benefits and
risks of “low carb” versus “low fat” versus “high protein” as we hyper-analyze
measurements such as good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, insulin, glucose, weight
and blood pressure.
It seems the more we study the more confusing it gets. If we are so smart then why is it we can’t
seem to get a handle on the weight issue?
How can we turn around our weight concerns and avoid the typical holiday
weight gain? Certainly our diet plays a
key role in weight control and overall health, and some simple guidelines
deserve a closer look.
I’ve read dozens of books on diets – South Beach, Atkins,
Zone, Paleo, Mediterranean, and more….
There are some similarities, and some common-sense threads they all
share. Here is my take on the lot of
them with a few pearls I’ve learned along the way.
First, consider both how much we eat. There is no question that taking in way more
calories than necessary leads to weight gain.
There is no question that weight loss will not happen unless we limit
our intake to a reasonable amount.
Super-size meals equal super-size waistlines. The next time you sit down to a meal consider
that it takes twenty minutes for the brain to “catch-up” to the stomach. Eat half a sandwich or half the entrée, wait
a bit, and see if you are still hungry.
Now let’s look at what we eat. Start with carbohydrates. Our ancestors got their carbohydrates from raw,
organic fruits and vegetables. We are
designed to get six, eight or even ten servings per day. Are you there yet? 90% of Americans don’t get five per day, and
this is where we are supposed to get many vitamins and nutrients that are vital
for proper metabolism and hormone function.
Sugar and starch are also carbohydrates. In the year 1900 the average American ate
about 3 pounds of refined sugar per year.
Flash forward to a 1994 study that showed we were up to between 50 and
150 pounds per year! Good grief, I don’t
think we need fancy research studies to figure this one out. We are not designed for so much sugar!
Starch is a very simple carbohydrate that is digested and
broken down so quickly that it may as well be sugar. Breads, potatoes, pasta and rice are classic
examples. I’m not saying don’t eat
these, just don’t eat so much, and when you do, try for whole-grain products
that take longer to break down and have more nutrients.
Why should fruits and veggies be raw? Enzymes for digestion and the nutrients for
good health are found in raw foods.
Canning kills enzymes and about 50% of the nutrients are lost. Why organic?
Aside from avoiding all the crazy chemicals (a whole other matter) our
foods get nutrients from soil, and soils that rely on synthetic fertilizers are
mineral depleted. Organic farming
practices encourage nutrient rich soil, which means nutrient rich food. Plus, to me, organic produce usually tastes
better.
Proteins and fats typically come together in food. We are designed for lean protein that is high
in omega-3 fats, such as wild game and fish.
This does not jive with the American sources including grain-fattened
red meat, dairy and processed foods such as chips and pastries. Again, I’m not suggesting to avoid red meat
or dairy, but to recognize there are other protein rich foods and we are
getting proportionately way too much saturated fat from our typical protein
sources. Lean toward grass-fed beef,
venison, free-range chickens and eggs, wild salmon and tuna, European or Greek style
yogurts, fermented soy products such as Tempeh, and protein rich grains such as
quinoa. Beans are over-rated protein
sources that are really quite starchy.
Fats are perhaps the most misunderstood dietary
element. Since the American Heart
Association (AHA) began its ideological low-fat campaign back in the 1980s we
have seen obesity rates skyrocket. Hmmm…
it seems trading fat for sugar and starch isn’t working out so well. The AHA missed the point in that we need
“good” fats, for fuel but also for the essential fatty acids, omega-3 and
omega-6, which have important roles in metabolism and inflammation. Along with the above-mentioned protein
sources, look for the right oils from fruit (olive), nuts (almonds, pecans,
walnuts, coconut oil), or seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin).
The best beverage is plain, pure water and plenty of
it. Keep a mug of water handy all day to
get enough! Green tea is perhaps the
most healthy, flavored beverage. Ditch
the soda, even the sugar-free versions. Enjoy
alcohol in moderation, less than 2 drinks per day, with red wine as the ideal
libation.
Have a few servings of fruit with breakfast, and have a
large salad with lunch or dinner, including lots of greens with brightly
colored red, yellow, orange or purple veggies.
Add a healthy protein source with meals. Enjoy sparkling water or tea with lunch and
wine with dinner.
Enjoy the holiday feasts and festivities but let a little
discretion and common sense reign. Eat,
drink, and be merry – that is, eat healthy, drink moderately, and be merry
about your wise food choices. Follow
these guidelines tightly throughout the holidays and you may find the New Year
doesn’t have to bring in new weight!
FREE
Seminar
“Keys
to Great Health”
Monday,
December 10th, 6pm at the IMC
RSVP at
245-6911
Bio
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American
Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative
Medicine. He specializes in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement, thyroid and
adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the
Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (www.imcwc.com)
and Bellezza Laser Aesthetics (www.bellezzalaser.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or
more information.
