Plan in Advance and Resist Temptation

Do you tend to overeat because of stress?

Worried about what you'll be eating in the next few weeks and the impact it'll have on your waistline?

Christmas and other holiday parties can present eating temptations that seem irresistible. Maybe you've got difficult relatives descending on you. Stress eating is a coping choice many people make unconsciously, and bitterly regret later.

With a little fore-thought and decision-making, you can avoid making poor eating choices this holiday season and continue to stay in control of what you choose to soothe those hunger pangs. A little pre-planning before the tension hits will help you feel stronger and make healthy choices.

When you starve yourself for hours, cravings call. And you will answer. Choose one or more of the proven strategies below for sticking with healthy eating, even when stressed.

1. Eat regularly—approximately every 3 hours. This allows you to eat smaller meals without becoming hungry. Your blood sugar can fall too low after just 4 hours of not eating. Fast-rising blood sugar triggers your pancreas to release a flood of insulin, a hormone that not only lowers blood sugar but also signals your body to store fat. And in about half of us, insulin tends to "overshoot," which sends blood sugar crashing. This reinforces the binge, because it makes you crave sugar and starch again.
2. Consider taking chromium supplements (especially the GTF varieties, and especially in combination with L-Glutamine). These supplements have a subtle effect that can make a big difference in keeping blood sugar from spiking and reducing cravings. Consult your doctor before taking ANY nutritional supplements!
3. Have protein and fat at every meal. (Meat, cheese, nuts, or eggs contain both.) This slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes.
4. Go whole grain. Make sure the bread, pasta, or rice that you eat is 100 percent whole grain. The fiber it contains reduces the effect on your blood sugar.
5. Go for healthy pick-me-ups. Enjoy nutritious and health-enriching snacks such as a heritage variety of apple (some taste like champagne), a handful of collagen-rich cherries, fresh or dried figs loaded with minerals including calcium, or an antioxidant red guava.

Look for more healthy eating strategies for the holidays in my next post.