From Feasting to Fitness: Navigating the Holiday Foodscape Without Dread

(KNSI) — Thanksgiving may be in the rearview mirror, but Consumer Science Expert Sharolyn Jackson says as many look forward to the holiday goodies, plenty of us also try to avoid the scale.

“All of our celebrations contain a lot of focus on various types of food,” she says.

Between cultural traditions of kolacky, rosettes, krumkake, lefse, tea cakes, wedding cakes, florentines, sprinkle cookies, gingerbread, peanut blossoms, and spritz cookies on top of parties for hosting and marshmallows for toasting, it can be easy to graze and overeat. Jackson says you can eat a slice of pie or a few Christmas cookies, but “mindful eating” can help avoid the misery of overeating.

Jackson adds, “I think that a lot of it is paying attention to how you feel and not eating so fast.”

Chewing each bite several times and putting the fork down when chewing are other pointers, as it takes roughly 20 minutes for the brain to tell the stomach it’s full.

Slowing down when chowing down is a hard habit to break if you’re a fast eater anyway, but not being distracted when you eat gets you to focus on what you’re eating and how much you’re eating. It can also help you enjoy the food more, not eat in front of the TV, and put the phone down at meal times.

Watching stress levels and mood can prevent mindless snacking. Drinking plenty of water before and after meals helps with metabolism and digestion and will also help you feel full.

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