Christmas meals: staying in shape without giving things up

During the Christmas holidays we can generally eat meals that provide between 4,000 and 6,000 kcal, which can make us gain 3-4 kg. In these days we eat foods that are normally never on our table, including Christmas sweets, zampone, cotechino, liqueurs, wines and sparkling wines.

While it's true that none of us wants to spend the holidays on a diet, when it's time to sit down at a very rich table, a few extra precautions can really make a difference!

Here are some tips to put into practice to enjoy your Christmas meals while also taking care of your physical shape:

• The first mistake to avoid is stretching out the consumption of "off-limits" foods. Limit them strictly to the holiday days (24, 25, 26, 31, 1), so don't eat the leftovers!
• It's very important to go for good long walks to burn off a small share of the calories right away.
• Skipping breakfast to "prepare" for Christmas lunch or dinner is a big mistake, because it keeps your metabolism from kicking in properly. You could have a lighter breakfast, pairing lemon juice squeezed into warm water with fresh fruit.
• It's important to have a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon (with a small portion of fruit) so you don't reach mealtime ravenous and risk eating even more.
• It's better to choose quality over quantity: go for just one good starter, one good first course and one excellent main course.
• For dessert, it's better to have panettone and artisanal or homemade sweets rather than refined, industrial products.
• In the evening you can drink a detox herbal tea.

 

And how should you behave in the days after the holiday lunches and dinners?

In these days too, it's essential not to make the mistake of skipping meals: have the 3 main meals (breakfast-lunch-dinner) and 2 snacks (mid-morning – mid-afternoon).

In addition, meals should not be large and should include so-called lipotropic foods, which have a detoxifying and cleansing action on the liver. What are these foods?

• artichokes
• raw carrots
• cauliflower
• Swiss chard

Finally, one tip for not sitting down to eat too hungry is to eat some raw vegetables before the meal. Raw carrots or a serving of salad are perfect because they not only dull hunger but also help produce more digestive enzymes. And it's always good practice to chew and eat slowly so you feel full sooner.

SAMPLE MENU FOR DECEMBER 27

Remember that it's not calorie reduction that makes you lose weight but metabolic action!

Breakfast: lemon or orange juice (if you don't suffer from acid reflux) + 40-50 grams of toasted bread dressed with a drizzle of oil.

Lunch: raw carrots + fish pan-cooked with a drizzle of oil + artichokes marinated in oil and lemon. Alternatively you can use beans, which have a slimming and filling effect (thanks to phaseolin).

Dinner: a nice plate of pasta with cauliflower sautéed in a pan with oil, garlic and chili pepper.

Snacks: fresh seasonal fruit.