BE YOU • BE WELL
y h t l a e H g n Stayi s y a d i l o H e During th
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By PrisCilla aGUirre
hristmas cookies, eggnog and more are all delicious examples of holiday treats you might encounter during this the tasty season. It’s easy to eat that extra slice of pumpkin pie or to fill your tummy with another plate of grandma’s famous tamales, but afterward, that guilty feeling starts to creep in. We’ve all been there. Even if you have superhuman willpower, the holiday season is challenging for everyone. Staying on track can seem so daunting, you feel like diving into the holiday goodies and sending your sensible routine into hibernation until the New Year. But, as we all know, excess pounds don’t disappear along with the decorations. So if you’re stressing about packing on a few pounds during the many work luncheons, family get-togethers and parties you plan on going to this year, don’t. We got you covered. Travis Korn, manager and trainer at Anytime Fitness Gym, 1425 N. Highway 123 Bypass, and Mikala Guillaume, RD, LD, a regional dietitian for H-E-B, offered some advice and tips to consider as the merry season approaches, that way the holidays won’t seem so stressful after all. First, know your nutrition plan: An average woman should eat around 1,800 calories per day and a man can have 2,200 calories but it varies per person. If you don’t have an idea of what your nutrition plan is, call your local H-E-B dietitian and schedule an appointment for a consultation. Mikala invites everyone to visit www.heb.com/static-page/Nutrition-Services to learn more about the services H-E-B offers. “Typically we eat more than we think,” Mikala said. “We eat about 300 more calories more than we realize. Going into the holiday season, it’s important to be healthy minded and to be mindful in what you eat. Food is definitely very flexible and you can enjoy holiday parties if you balance out your eating and be mindful of how many cookies (you eat) or alcohol you drink.” Go in with a game plan: Whether you’re dealing with Christmas or New Years, people tend to go to multiple family and friend functions
24 SEGUIN ~ AUTHENTIC TEXAS LIVING
that have a variety of tasty food. Travis believes that if you go in with a game plan and eat before the dinner party then you have a better chance of not packing on those extra calories or carbs. “You don’t want to go in hungry,” Travis said. “Go ahead and eat before because whenever you get there, more than likely it’s not going to have what your nutrition plan is set up for. You’re going to have finger foods and all types of desserts just laid out everywhere. If you eat before, you’re able to kind of set a limit before you get there.” For example: Say you’re at a party and they have cheese on a toothpick. Limit yourself to five. When you start eating them, hold onto those toothpicks so you know what you have had already. “The other thing if you go in having already eaten, you aren’t treating the holiday party as if it’s your only meal of the day. Then you won’t be as likely to binge eat on whatever is there,” Travis said. Being Mindful / Healthy Choices: Before that holiday get-together, be on your best behavior for breakfast and lunch. It’s important to have well-balanced meals prior to heading to a celebration where cake and brownies are readily available. Mikala recommends having 20 to 30 portions of protein for breakfast and having an adequate nutrition for lunch so you can enjoy those extra treats at the party. “The nutrition recommendation is different for everybody,” she says. “We have several screenings at H-E-B to help manage your health, time and budget. Once you find out more about yourself, it’s better to maintain your weight and live a healthy lifestyle.” Also, talk to your family or friends to convince them to lay out healthy options instead of the usual junk food you might have. Instead of the pigs-in-blanket or chips and dip, go for a veggie or fruit tray. Mikala pointed out that H-E-B sells several fiber-rich crackers and vegetable trays with greek yogurt and dry-ranch seasoning. The free app called My Fitness Pal allows people to log any type of food, fast food and alcohol they consume. This helps them know what they are eating along as well as will