Amidst the joyous holiday season, a perturbing concern often looms over the merry feasts – the dread of excessive calorie intake and weight gain. The Italian Society of Human Nutrition (Sinu), with inputs from Umberto Scognamiglio of the Food and Nutrition Research Centre (Crea), points out that the festive overindulgence often extends from December 24th to January 7th. Contrary to popular belief, the extra pounds complained about post-holidays are not a result of calories consumed on the four main holidays (the two vigils and their respective Christmas and New Year’s Days) alone, but rather a prolonged period of dietary excesses.
Maintaining Shape During Festivities
The article offers dietary advice to maintain shape during the festivities, suggesting paying heed to meal composition and macronutrient portions, replacing calorific ingredients with healthier alternatives in favourite festive recipes, and adopting behaviours to maintain shape and prevent weight gain during the holidays. A product called ‘DietaLab Protein Bags’ is mentioned as a healthy option during the festivities.
Importance of Balanced Diet
The World Health Organization states that a third of cardiovascular diseases and cancers could be avoided with a healthy and balanced diet. Such a diet should be varied and based on foods like cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, legumes, eggs, milk and its derivatives, and water. DIY diets are discouraged, and it is advisable to consult a nutritionist for a suitable meal regime.
Valuing the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet recommends the consumption of nuts, almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts, which are highly recommended for athletes. Dried fruit-based foods provide energy, essential fatty acids, and numerous health benefits, including the prevention of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. However, it is crucial to consume them moderately and preferably raw. It’s also advisable to consult a nutritionist to determine necessary quantities based on individual circumstances.
Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season
To avoid food waste during the holidays, it is recommended to carefully plan the menu, buy only the essentials, eat unhurriedly, reduce serving portions, reuse leftovers to create new dishes, store fruits and vegetables correctly, follow seasonality calendars when purchasing products, and correctly preserve fish and molluscs. Moreover, it is suggested to avoid illusory promotional offers and follow correct conservation practices to reduce waste.
Surviving the Holiday Season Without Stress
The Italian Society of Human Nutrition offers useful tips for surviving the Christmas holidays without stress and guilt about food overdose. Experts recommend alternating ‘free’ lunches and dinners on strictly festive days with a lighter dietary regime following the principles of the Mediterranean diet for the rest of the period, to reduce the days dedicated to excesses. During the holiday period, over 500,000 tons of food will be thrown away, causing a surge in pollution levels. It is estimated that about 5% of food purchased during the Christmas holidays will not be consumed and will be discarded. Experts emphasize the importance of making more reasoned purchases, avoiding being tempted by 3×2 offers and shopping after eating. Furthermore, they advise practicing physical activity to burn off the calories from typical Christmas dishes.
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