1 Practice mindful eating. Be aware of what you are eating, at what time and how many calories. It’s boring but then your waistline will thank you later.
2 Eat early. If you have to binge, time it. Eat carbs and sugar in the morning. Get your fill of the calories early during the day. Start tapering off as the day goes.
3 Eat before you go. Don’t leave your home empty stomach. Before you head for a party eat something with lean protein. This will prevent you from bingeing as soon as you arrive at the party. Go for an omelette or a grilled chicken with vegetables. Or an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter or a chickpea salad.
4 Avoid carbs at night. Snack right at a party. Remember two slices of bread equals to two spoons of sugar. Pick your fix. And also pick right. This might sound counter intuitive but stay away from soups and salads at a wedding or a function. These dishes are loaded with soy, calorific dressings and more sodium. Opt for tikkas, sauteed vegetables or grilled items instead.
5 Go nuts . This festive season means that you will receive a lot of mithai as gifts. Try and keep that temptation away. Nuts, on the other hand, have cardio-protective properties, especially walnuts. You can nosh on those.
6 Change your palate. Start bingeing on vegetables and soups now and by the festive season your palate itself would not crave for the tempting oily treats so much. Don’t wrestle with food though, it’ll only lead to frustration. Binge if you want, and follow #8 later.
7 Balance and compensate. If you do end up bingeing one day, go easy on your stomach the next day to restore the balance. Do have herbal tea (non-caffeinated if post dinner) before dessert. It usually helps negate urge to over-indulge in desserts.
8 Sip on water/soda. If you are indulging in alcohol, follow every drink with one glass of water or soda to make amends. Wherever possible, skip the sugar bombs that are shots, avoid cocktails and bubbly and port wine. A wine spritzer will halve the calories of a wine glass. Stay away from mixers like tomato juice, cranberry juice and tonic water.
9 Cut down sugar. Your sugar consumption can go crazy during this period which is why it’s important to cut down wherever you can. Stop drinking fruit juices that are often loaded with added sugars. Avoid mithais, pick dark chocolate instead so you reap the antioxidant benefits from the cocoa too.
