Healthy Food

By James Wayne

First, there is Thanksgiving. Then, there is Christmas from last year. Before you know it, you would have gained at least 5 pounds. What's worse is that there's still Mardi Gras celebration to worry about if you failed your New Year's Resolution weight loss plan. If Mardi Gras cakes and food have been weighing you down every year, it would be best to change your holiday eating habits.

After a slew of holiday feasts, the most important strategy in Mardi Gras is to just maintain weight. It is more likely that you have gained a few pounds by the time Fat Tuesday kicks in. therefore, the primary idea is to stop the weight gain and maintain your weight. This relieves you of all the pressure of losing weight, and enables you to focus on keeping track of your calorie count. Controlling how much and how often you eat are also critical points when faced with the tasty temptations of Mardi Gras cakes. It is recommended that you eat six small meals a day, with a total calorie intake equivalent to three full meals. Eating often leads to an improvement in metabolism. Better metabolism enables your body to burn fat and calories continuously, thus preventing any drastic weight gain. Before the celebrations, you can take a small meal so you avoid eating too much during the gathering. During the banquet itself, make it easier on yourself by staying as far away from the buffet table as possible. It is best to survey the table once, choose the healthy items and enjoy the cuisine at a distance. Being far away from the buffet table prevents you from giving in to the temptation of sweet treats, high-fat foods and alcoholic drinks. These three have been labeled as major causes of weight gain, especially on holidays. To make sure that you have a healthy option come Mardi Gras, you can host the party yourself. By cooking for your family and friends, you can maintain your healthy eating habits and encourage others to develop them as well. If organizing a party is not your strong suit, you can just bring a healthy dish to your friends' parties. This serves the same purpose and makes sure that you have at least one healthy food option come dinner time.

Your healthy eating should continue even after the celebrations and parties are over. Once the Holiday fever has subsided, you should remove all remnants of the holiday season from your fridge and replace them with healthy food choices. These include a stockpile on fruits and vegetables, lean meat and bottled water. To curb weight gain during Mardi Gras and all its precedent holidays, you can set your mind to a diet and workout program. There are programs out there with infusions of supplementary medicine, diet program and workout routines that target specific fitness goals, such as losing fat or gaining muscle. A great research on your part is required to find them.

Mardi Gras may be called Fat Tuesday, but it does not give you the license to lose control over your body. Healthy eating should always be a part of your lifestyle all year round, especially during holidays like Mardi Gras where the temptation to binge and overeat reaches its peak.