ESCANABA — During the notoriously overindulgent holiday season, it’s easy to overeat, fall back on your dietary goals and fill up on unhealthy foods. An OSF HealthCare dietitian recently provided some health science-based tips on how to manage holiday dinners wisely.

Most people understand, in theory, that moderation is key; here’s how to practice it – and other healthy habits.

Rate of ingestion

Chewing each mouthful 20 to 30 times may seem like a lot, but according to clinical dietitian Jason Crum, who specializes in gastrointestinal nutrition, it’s better for the gut and helps slow down eating.

“We often chew four, five, six times, then we swallow – we are able to eat a meal in five, ten minutes. And truth be told, it’s not the best for your digestive tract. » said Crum. “When you chew a lot more food, you get more saliva, which helps with digestion, but it also allows the hormones that work with food and digestion to tell you (how full you are).”

He also suggested sipping water between bites and taking time to check in and consider stopping when the feeling of 80% fullness sets in.

DON’T SKIP MEALS

Depriving yourself of breakfast and lunch in order to have more of an appetite for a big feast at dinner time can be counter-intuitively detrimental. Ravenous hunger can lead to overeating.

Crum said an apple can serve as a good pre-meal snack — the fiber in the fruit and its skin can give the stomach something to work on and help a person feel somewhat full.

SERVE FROM THE COUNTER

Making getting seconds slightly awkward can help; To this end, try leaving serving dishes on the counter rather than on the table within easy reach.

“Sometimes at this time of year we feel like we could eat a little more, but many of us don’t want to get up from the table” » said Crum. “You know, we have fun talking as a family, maybe we feel a little lazy. Use this laziness to your advantage and keep the easiest dishes to overeat across the room or in another room.

CONSIDER PORTIONS

It’s easy to go bigger than your stomach, so to speak, when guests have all the space that ten-inch plates represent. This also leads to more food waste.

Providing five- or seven-inch plates forces people to choose their portions more consciously, rather than piling on unnecessarily large portions.

A well-portioned meal can be thought of as a pie chart, with half taken up by vegetables, a quarter by protein, and the second largest section by whole grains and fruit.

EAT VEGETABLES FIRST

To use the expression, the eyes are often bigger than the stomach. This means we think we can eat more than we actually can. If you start by eating vegetables, proteins, and other healthy options, you may find that you’ll be satisfied before moving on to less healthy options—which is a better solution than filling up on junk and junk. carbohydrates and not having room for vitamins. – rich and less caloric items.

FULL AND REAL RESEARCH

Anything that comes from a can or box or is otherwise ultra-processed will be less healthy than foods with fresh ingredients. For example, a sauce made from fresh cooked cranberries is a much better option than a tube-shaped jelly filled with corn syrup.

“The more we process food, the more we take out and have to add back, if we add it at all. So you’re removing a lot of the phytonutrients, or phytochemicals. They are also called antioxidants. Crum said. “Eat a little more whole or real food. …Prepare a meal even with simple ingredients, versus a processed food. This would be a much better choice, as not all calories are the same.

It’s worth noting that frozen vegetables are a great option for those on a budget. Natural products – not seasoned or in sauce – are not processed, but frozen after being picked at full maturity and contain as many nutrients as fresh products while being much more affordable.

USE ALTERNATIVES

Low-carb or whole-grain versions of breads are not hard to find, can reduce blood sugar spikes, and contain more fiber than white bread, which tends to be made from refined, germ-free flour and sound.

Instead of relying on the flavor of salt — which is linked to many long-term health problems — try using herbs and spices to tantalize your taste buds. The American Heart Association recommends that most adults consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, but many Americans ingest double that. Just one teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium, and processed foods typically contain sodium as a preservative — another reason to avoid.

Crum mentioned that some recipes mimic the flavor of salt by using lemon, garlic, onion and/or other seasonings.

DON’T SIT TILL

“After eating a meal, regardless of the size or quantity you ate, try to walk a little or move around after that meal. » Crum said. “It helps with blood sugar, but it also helps with digestion. Because if you sit and wear tight clothes and feel like you’re eating too much, it only compresses your stomach, which can increase the risk of reflux.

Walking within 30 minutes of eating has been shown to help with weight loss and regulate appetite, in addition to other benefits associated with exercise in general, such as improved mood, better sleep, and better heart health.