By Jennifer Nicole Lee,
Fitness Expert
& Author
Miss Bikini America 2005, Miss Muscle and
Fitness
This is the sticky time where your good
habits will be put to the test, and your taste buds will be
teased! I call it the ?Tough Times? for passionate fitness
lovers such as myself. Between Thanksgiving and Super Bowl
Sunday, we as Americans will indulge in food and drink like no
other time of year. And the results? Well maybe we won?t feel
it just after that one sip of eggnog, but we will end up
paying for it over the long haul.
While those endless appetizers, huge
portions of desserts, and endless glasses of cocktails may
taste heavenly, for the average person, that equals gaining
fat and weighing more on the scale. And the amount of
extra ?tinsel? around the waistline may vary for some.
And don?t be fooled even by one pound as it may seem little,
but this extra weight accumulates and may later contribute to
obesity. And obesity sadly enough affects about 1/3 of
Americans.
JNL?s EThree Tricks to
Staying Slim and trim in the Holidays
Achieving the utter impossible, staying
slim and trim during the holidays, is not about denying
yourself the rights to a small portion of what you love.
And it?s not about having to live with flavorless, boring
food. My advice is simple, such as cooking with healthy, fresh
ingredients, watching your portion control and choosing
quality over quantity. Don?t worry, just follow my 3 tricks to
staying slim and trim during the holidays, and YOU WILL eat
like a queen or king and stay lean!
1. PAY
ATTENTION!
Pay attention! This is the calling card
that I tell my sons every day! Pay attention to details! And
the same philosophy pertains to us adults too! I don?t want
you to feel that you can?t enjoy your holiday meals, but you
have to pay attention. Just because it?s the holidays, and
it?s time to get joyful and gather together, it doesn?t mean
that it?s a free for all showdown of food and
gluttony.
Paying attention means being smart and
becoming a ?Concoction Queen!? I want you to focus on choosing
healthier and fresher ingredients over packaged foods. I
choose fresh local farmers market vegetables to prepare my
warm casseroles with, instead of canned. And go for the color!
The more colorful your plates, the more vitamin and
antioxidant packed they are. So eat the rainbow this season,
and you will keep your immunity on an all time
high!
Instead of a lot of creams, half and half,
and butter, use fresh veggies topped with a touch of low fat
cheese and low sodium bread crumbs. You will find that you re
able to enjoy the fresh sweet taste of nature without all the
sugar, carbs, and empty calories. I substitute sugar
free orange preserves instead of sugar in most of my fruit
glazes, thus slicing the calories in half. And I also
suggest olive oil in saut?ing and roasting instead of butter.
Not only are you adding flavor, but also antioxidants and good
for you fats.
And you don?t have to have a ton of fat
and salt in a recipe for it to be a crowd pleaser. When
preparing a health-conscious holiday meal, try incorporating
like-minded concepts and choose nutritious recipes. In my http://www.fitnessmodelprogram.com/
you have a ton of recipes that you can even use for a large
holiday gathering, but just up the ingredients by 2 if you
have a party larger than 4 people.
Another general rule of thumb is to make a
list of missing ingredients from the pantry--including quality
olive oil, sea salt, peppercorns, low-sodium chicken stock,
balsamic vinegar, dried fruits and nuts--which add nourishing
flavor to any meal. With these and more of the basics on hand,
you'll avoid resorting to boxed mashed potatoes or canned
cranberry jelly.
2.
Control Thyself! Also Known As Portion
Control
Others say you can indulge as long as you
practice moderation.
And yes, ladies, SIZE does matter! As in
serving sizes! Don?t sabotage yourself by eating that extra
serving. Instead have a few bites and savor it! And if you can
also aim at leaving some food on your plate, you will be
saving both time in the gym and also saving a few extra
calories from winding up on the scale.
Use my ?JNL Holiday Plate? Equation to say
slim and also to not hurt the chef?s feelings: With respect to
the almost endless string of seasonal parties and gatherings
you will attend, follow this trick: At dinner parties and
brunch buffets, fill half your plate with vegetables and the
remaining quarters with protein and a whole grain
carbohydrate. By taking lunch and nutritious snacks to work,
you avoid gorging on catered meals and boxed sweets frequently
passed around most offices. It's also important to eat a
small, healthy snack before heading out to a party; attending
one on an empty stomach will often lead to overeating. Don?t
allow that ?super hunger? trigger to cause you to go overboard
at the buffets. And leave food on your plate! It?s almost rude
to eat it all, because in some cultures an empty plate signals
that the host did not prepare enough food, and that you want
more. So by leaving a few bites left, this signals that you
are full, and the chef did prepare adequate food. (I learned
this in China!)
3.
Always Pick Quality Over Quantity
Eating during the holidays is not a ?Who
can Unbuckle Their Pants First? Competiton! With so many
choices at the dinner table or office potluck, it's hard to
resist spooning a bit of everything onto your plate. Then, we
often swallow bites of food that we don't savor, plus didn?t
even want in the first place!
Instead eat things that look really good
to you, but if they don't taste as good as you thought, don't
finish it. This is not the time to be part of the clean plate
club.
Last Notes On CockTails and Drinks
During the Holidays!
Tis to the Season, and Cheers!
The same rule applies to alcohol, which is rarely turned down
when offered freely. Depending on the serving size and mixer
used, a glass of wine, champagne, beer or liquor can have as
little as 79 calories and as many as several hundred. I
suggest that party-goers to decline drinks they don't enjoy
and instead open a preferred bottle at home.
And lastly, don't waste your calories on
junk wine. If you are going to drink a glass, then make
sure it?s the best! As I always say ?Choose quality over
quantity!?
Happy Holidays, and use my tips here and
also my http://www.fitnessmodelprogram.com/
so you won?t end up looking like Santa Clause by Christmas, or
need a Resolution by the New Year!
Cheers to your health and
happiness
JNL