It’s ‘Sugar Season’,
and you’re the target. Whether it’s family gatherings, work parties, break rooms, or the aunt who expresses her love with baking, sugar is everywhere. And Halloween is right around the corner, closely followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s – all holidays that feature sugary treats and desserts.
It’s also common for individuals to be stressed and/or depressed around the holidays, adding to the hazardous nature of this time of year in regard to our health. Despite their best efforts, people still gain an average of 1.5 lbs during the holiday season (ref).
It’s important that we approach the holiday season with useful strategies to minimize or prevent weight gain from holiday meals, parties, cookies, and desserts. Here are some strategies to minimize your holiday sugar intake:
Know thine enemy
It’s vital that you recognize sugar in all its forms. There are over 300 different names for sugar, and Big Food is intentionally using the plethora of synonyms for sugar to deceive the customer.
Sugar is ubiquitous, accounting for approximately 20% of energy intake in the modern diet, and your brain is wired to love it even though it is inflammatory and is a (if not ‘the’) major contributor to chronic disease.
Have a set of rules in place
When it comes to consuming sugar, it doesn’t have to be an absolute “no” at all times. It’s okay to break from a strict diet at times to partake in something that you enjoy.
In that case, make a set of rules that govern how you consume sweets, in terms of quantity, timing, etc. For example:
- Consume protein first
- I’m allowed 1 piece of candy per day for 10 days following Halloween
- I must get X done before I can have a sweet
Alternative sweets
Instead of sugar-ridden candies, consider sweet alternatives. Fruit is nature’s dessert and can satisfy your sweet cravings. Look for artificial sweeteners or better sugars such as allulose, monkfruit extract, honey, Stevia, etc.
Savory alternatives
Consider savory food items instead of sweets, such as nuts, cheese, etc.
Avoid artificial dyes and food coloring
Look for brands that don’t use artificial dyes, e.g. YumEarth.
If you’re going to indulge in sweets, consider chocolate rather than other sugar-laden candies. Even better, go with dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
Take it slow
Avoid the urge to consume multiple sweets in one sitting. Take your time and savor each bite, each morsel, etc.
Get physical
Physical activity puts the sugar to use, metabolizing it to facilitate muscle activity. Performing any sort of physical activity before or after consuming sweets helps to regulate the level of sugar in the blood.
Summary
You will definitely encounter sugar during the holidays. If you’re going to indulge, use these strategies to reduce the impact of sugary treats this holiday season.
