It is seasonal eating time again. Here is a guide to help you manage your eating this time of year. There are some best practices and some tips to find the ulterior ways to get the most from your health.
Do not snack before going to a gathering in order to control your appetite. The purpose of going out is to eat all the food you can. It your seasonal chance to eat other peoples food (OPF) and it is totally free.
Avoid celery, carrots and other vegetable trays. As a matter of fact, if someone serves these, leave and knock on the very next door that you see a gathering going on. When you enter offer apologies for being so late. They will forget to ask who you are. Ask where the rum balls are.
Live life on the edge and go commando, dunk the rum balls in the eggnog. If you are more traditional, just drink a glass or five of the eggnog. It is less than 500 calories and only 1/5th of those are from fats. If you have been following this site, you know fat intake has little to nothing to do with your cholesterol levels. More importantly, one cup of eggnog has 249.17 mg of potassium, some dietary fiber (0.0311 grams), protein, and ETOH (alcohol), one of the few safe chemicals that are essential for mental health with all the family pressures this time of year brings upon us all.
It also has vitamin A, Calcium, vitamin D, Thiamin, Niacin, vitamin B-6, Phosphorus, zinc, vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Folate, vitamin B-12, magnesium, and copper. It is the ultimate health shake. No wonder it is only available once a year. If everyone drank it all year long, we would not need doctors any more.
Remember you will not be able to have it again for another year. It is that rare. So there is no need to be concerned about turning into a Eggnog-aholic. Get your seasonal health drink and fill up on the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Gravy Etiquette
It is the season to remember being a kid. This is the one time of year that it is socially acceptable to make your mash potatoes into a volcano, eat the molten lava like gravy running out and then repeat the process. Nobody will even notice, especially after the fifth eggnog.
An alternative to gravy is having miniature butter people standing on the edge of the volcano and then watch as they are tossed into the volcano as live butter sacrifices. After their bodies have sufficiently melted down, you can eat them along with the volcano and repeat the process.
If real butter is not served, do not eat it. Aside from the obvious ulterior health reasons for avoiding margarine, would you buy a sports car with an automatic transmission. Whats the point.
When you are near a table full of goodies, indulge yourself. Remember how you were told about not wasting food. The goodies are going to go to waist one way or another. Consider what you are doing in eating them is giving your life to save another life. What greater gift could you give to a dear family or friend that to help protect them from gaining weight.
Avoid exercise. Studies have shown that allowing a rest period between extensive exercise allows the body to heal from any micro damage and leave it better prepared for the next exercise period. You will just have to put the exercise off for about a few weeks.
Additionally, carrying the gallon of eggnog and the 10 lbs of food on your buffet plate can be quite strenuous. You will need your rest. Why not go and take a nap right now.
Apply the Rule of Three when it comes to pie. We were brought up with three blind mice, three men in a tub, and the trinity. Why are humans attracted to threes? Who knows but go with it. Eat three pieces of pie. This allows you to have an apple, pumpkin and mincemeat pie slice. If you do not like any one of the three, double up on the others. This way you will have a scientific reason for sampling all three pies.
If you really want to go commando or want to be the ultimate nonconformist, substitute a piece of fruit cake. If all you eat is fruit cake, make sure and ask for seconds and and a mandatory third slice. Do not forget the rule of threes. Besides, you will endear yourself to the hostess if nobody else eats it.
Remember, life is too short. Studies show that by eating healthy and exercising you can extend your life by as much as 5 years. If you do the math, the time spent exercising and the extra work to prepare the healthy food, when added up, totals about five years.
Why waste 5 years of your life starving and depriving yourself to have 5 more years of life in order to starve and deprive yourself..
So, enjoy what you eat, stop wasting time exercising and have just as much life with out the pain in order to get the gain of five years.
Eat well, live well, and then diet and good health to you, well, er, eh, good health to you next year.