How not to become a Christmas pudding

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 266, 6 December 1988, Page 14

How not to become a Christmas pudding

Over-indulging is a sure way to get fat during the festive season, but you don't have to be a martyr either say diet experts.

Most people acquire an extra bulge during the festive season. It will take some effort to stay slim over Christmas, but it can be done without missing out on all the fun and festivitics. By taking care and planning what you're going to eat and drink, you can usher in the New Year feeling much less jaded than friends and acquaintances who are still suffering from hangovers, indigestion and the "stuffed" feeling so common at this time of year. Happiness and celebrations don't have to mean over-indulgence. The keyword is balance and the ideal way to achieve it is not to overeat on any occasion. However, you can still achieve balance in your eating by having small, healthy meals on your no-party days. Balanced nutrition means that you make up for these tasty indulgences will exemplary choices the next day. Many thin people do this naturally. You may have noticed a slender friend eating a lot at a party, dinner or lunch. If you could watch this person the next day, you would probably find they eat very little because finely tuned balance mechanism tells her she isn't hungry. Few of us are lucky enough to retain such in-built control. Here are some suggestions to help you achieve some balance in your festive eating. Weight watchers hints on handling party foods • Wait before eating. You may have noticed how some overweight people make a bee-line for the table of goodies. Those who eat first and fast usually eat more - and it soon shows. Do the reverse and hang back a little before attacking a table groaning with food. • Don't be tempted to skip a meal before a party. Almost inevitably, you'll feel virtuous about your earlier abstinence and feel free to overeat. It's better to have a small lunch before a n evening party or dinner so that you will be less tempted to over-in-dulge. • Before you eat or drink anything a s k yourself if the food is worth the kilojoules. Learn to say "no" to foods which you don't really want, or which

you can have any day. Save your appetite for the more exotic offerings you really enjoy. • Some people eat party foods as if they were going to disappear forevermore. Remember, - this is not the last time you are going to have the opportunity to eat chocolate mints, nuts, creamy concoctions or rich meat dishes. • Ask for a small serve. Serving sizes are generally excessive in New Zealand especially on social occasions. • Never announce i

tactics encourage your friends to try to wear you down. • When serving yourself, stack up a larger portion of nonfattening foods such as oysters, prawns o r plain lobster, vegetables and salads (except those with a heavy coating of mayonnaise or other fatty dressing). Take smaller serves of more concentrated foods such as ham or other meats, duck, cheeses and sauces. • Eat slowly. Take time to really enjoy every mouthful. The real enjoyment lies in the flavour of food, not in stuffing yourself with vast quantities. • If fresh fruit or fruit salad are not served for dessert, skip the rich offerings or take a tiny portion only . • If you do indulge in some highly fattening food, enjoy it! It's miserable hearing someone saying "I really shouldn't be having this", just as you are sinking your teeth into the cream. Weight Watchers1 hints on handling drinks • Have a large glass of water just before going to a party or dinner. Water is the ideal thirst quencher. It also has the advantage of filling you up temporarily and has no kilojoules. • Make your drinks last. You're not obliged to have another drink

while the previous one is still half full. • Top your drinks with no-kilojoule mixers such as water, ice, soda, mineral water or low-kilojoule soft drinks. • The kilojoule count of some drinks is deceptive. Check the following list and watch out for double counts, for example, in gin and tonic. Alcoholic drinks: Beer - 655kj/can, low alcohol beer 525kj/can, Wine, red or white - 370kj/120ml glass, Sherry, dry - 280kj/60ml glass, sweet - 370kj/60ml glass, Vermouth, dry - 440kj/100ml glass, sweet - 630kj/100ml

glass, Champagne - 400kj/120ml glass, Spirits (whiskey, gin, rum) - 300kj/nip, Pimms, Ouzo, Campari - 300kj/30ml, Liquers - 270kj/200ml Non alcoholic drinks: Orange juice 500kj/250ml glass, Cola drink - 670kj/can, Lemonade - 690kj/can, Tomato Juice 240kj/250ml glass, Tonic water 440kj/285ml bottle, Flavoured mineral water - 595kj/250ml glass, Cider, non-alcoholic - 440kj/250ml, Soda water - 0, Mineral water - 0. There's no proven way to avoid the hangover which so often accompanies excessive drinking - except moderation. Alcohol on an empty stomaeh is especially likely to cause problems, so have something to eat before you take a drink. And, last but not least, don't spoil your own or someone else's Christmas by drinking and driving. Weight Watchers hints for between-party eating Most people attend many parties around Christmas, but there are still plenty of opportunities for regular meals. Amid the general rush and bustle of December it becomes tempting to skip regular meals and make do with quick take-always. The trouble with most of these foods is their high-kilojoule content. So at this time of the year, most

take-always are less, suitable. Here are some ideas for healthy lowkilojoule alternatives: • Salads generally go with health; they are high in vitamins and minerals and contribute fibre but they're low in kilojoules. As a bonus, salads are quick to prepare and ideal in hot weather. Try quick mixed salads where everything is tossed together in a large salad bowl. The varieties are endless - choose from bean sprouts (mung beans, alfalfa, fenugreek or a mixture), tomatoes, celery, carrot, shallots, bright red capsicum, raw button mushrooms, baby sweet corn, asnorannc Qrttr>br\Vp

cucumber. You can briefly steam some French Beans, broccoli — tips, tiny pieces of cauliflower or zucchini to add to a salad. Fruits such as pineapple, apple, orange, mango, avocado, grapefruit, melons, peaches, pears or tamarillo can also be added to salads. Coleslaw salads can be made from red or green cabbage with other vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, or cruchy nuts added for variety. Served with some wholemeal or crunch multi-grain rolls, such salads make

an ideal healthy lunch Keep your main meal light by using grilled fish, chicken, or a vegetarian dish in place of red meat. Make a quick omlette for dinner. Fill it with tomato, mushroom and fresh herb mixture and serve with a tossed salad. For lunch in a hurry, try a carton of natural yoghurt with added fresh fruit. Nuts and sunflower seeds will add extra nutrition. Another quick, nutritious and non-fattening lunch is a bread roll or sandwich with a hearty filling of salad. Add a glass of milk and some fruit. Eat breakfast. Many people try to save kilojoules by skipping this important meal, only to find they more than make up for it at morning tea. Breakfast gives you energy to get up and go. Keep it high in nutritional value and low in kilojoules by having a small bowl of unsweetened cereal with skim milk and a slice of lightly buttered wholegrain or high-fibre toast. If you are in a real hurry or you can't face a full breakfast, whip up a fruity milkshake using skim milk powder, iced water and a banana or rockmelon. • It may be difficult to avoid alcohol at Christmas parties, so don't drink alcoholic beverages on those days when there are no festivities. • If you have a midday party, wait until you're hungry before eating again. Perhaps you can substitute some fresh fruit for your evening meal and make the most of its low-kilojoule content.