Magazine_Autumn2021_RND2_10.14.21.indd

Q A Hi Nute Guru! With the holidays quickly approaching, what is the best way to avoid that dreaded seasonal weight-gain? I feel like everyone should be entitled to indulge (at least a little!), but the stress of it all is starting to creep up on me. This is a common concern! Just when you were becoming so focused on remodeling your body, the holidays sneak up on us again. But the holidays should not be looked upon with trepidation. In fact, the holidays should be an opportunity to enjoy more foods and delicacies than you've ever dreamed. How's that a departure from the norm? Well...not so fast! You can enjoy everything in moderation. Variety is Key The fact is, when you add variety to your diet, you bring in nutrients that may be essential for a healthier you; this is a very good thing. The healthiest people in the world eat a wide variety of foods. The ancient Chinese philosophy of eating 32 different foods every day (and each day being different from the day before) has been proven to yield healthier, longer lives. But holidays, for many of us change the way we eat, and when we don't follow some simple rules, our nutritional goals can be submarined. The Facts Statistics indicate that on average, people gain one pound over the holidays. The problem is most people don't lose it and year after year those pounds begin to add up. Sugar alone has no fattening properties. We have been so conditioned to believe that sugar is the root to all evil and foods that have zero sugar will deliver us to that ideal number on the scale. NOT! The simple truth is this: sugar is not the enemy. It's quite simply the overconsumption of it or the timing of it that adds inches to our waistlines. If you adhere to eating a balanced diet day after day and suddenly you have one bad day, your body will be predisposed to store most of those extra calories as glycogen and not fat. It's when you make bad food choices a habit that your body makes a physiological adaptation to recognize all extra calories as fat. It takes 3,500 calories to add a pound to your body. If you stick to your normal diet and increase your activity levels (calorie burn) to match your daily indulgence, logic dictates no increase in weight. The Why Your body has constructed a whole system within itself to support those extra pounds. Connective tissue, enzyme counts, capillaries and more have been created slowly as you have been adding fat cells so your body could support those new fat cells. It's no wonder why fat is so hard to lose. Once it is created, your body has created a balance to support it and will always maintain that balance. It's called homeostasis. Tips • Stress can often make losing weight more difficult. Relax and love who you are. It's not easy to continue to lose weight through the holidays, so aim to break even. Continued on next page. Nute Guru “The healthiest people in the world eat a wide variety of foods.” 3 Nutrition Quarterly · 2021 – Volume 4