Popular Christmas Food and Calorie Intakes

In order for children to grow and develop properly, they will need a healthy diet that consists of balanced meals full of nutrients. This also reduces their risk of chronic diseases such as obesity. Adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

During the holidays, it is common to gather as a family and enjoy a home-cooked meal together with carbs and proteins as the main portions on our plates. Did you know that a cup of macaroni and cheese has 310 calories, three slices of turkey have over 300 calories, and roasted potatoes have about 200 calories for each potato? This list does not cover a lot of other different foods at the table but the more festive food you add to your plate, the higher your calorie count becomes. It can be hard to reject food served to you, so here are some ways to prepare yourself for the holidays.

Choose to eat as close to your usual time as possible to keep your blood sugar levels steady. You can offer to bring a healthy dish to the gathering to add variety to the table and let everyone else know that eating healthy is important for longevity. If you have a sweet treat, try to cut back on other carbs. You may think, “If I don’t eat my calories for lunch I can use them later at the family dinner.”, but that is wrong! Don’t skip meals to save up for a feast because your body needs nutrients throughout the day to function. It is okay to eat more than you planned to, just get back to healthy eating the next meal.

When there is a self-serve table, it is hard to control your portion sizes and easy to overstack your plate with goods. A good way to avoid this is to use a small plate and then walk away from the table after your fill. You can choose foods that you do not normally eat year-round and fill your plate with small servings of that. Being active and moving around is your secret holiday weapon. It can help make up for eating more than usual and reduce stress. Getting enough rest, about 7 to 8 hours of sleep, beforehand can help manage blood sugar and avoid high fat and high sugar foods.

Calorie Control is a diet in which you are mindful of how much you eat. You get your calorie intake from food and drink. Not having the proper calorie intake can decrease your metabolism and cause you to lose muscle mass.

Chronic diseases – such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, and heart disease – are leading causes of death and disability. The Liu Foundation offers philanthropic The app and video series promoting evidence-based lifestyle habits to prevent chronic diseases.Harvard, Stanford, and CDC’s Public Health findings into an easy-to-use behavior conditioning app and series of lifestyle motivation videos to prevent chronic diseases.

Living It Up Anywhere

The idea of living your best life can be done anywhere, at any time, and all it really takes is a mindset shift. Take it one core lifestyle habit at a time, whether that is eating healthy and less, daily exercise, quitting bad habits, getting a routine checkup, or being positive. Take a chance today to Live It Up!