Did you exaggerate at supper? Here’s How to Make Up for Overeating at the Holidays

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Exaggerating the consumption of drink and food is common during the holidays. To compensate for the increase in calorie intake motivated by moments of socializing, nutritionists recommend maintaining healthy habits.

According to nutritionist Angéli Golfetto, the higher consumption of alcohol, sodium and sugar during the festivities can result not only in fat accumulation, but also in greater fluid retention in the body.

“Women, for example, usually consume between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day. In a Christmas dinner, we easily consume 4 to 6 thousand calories quickly, because there are many sausages”, says Golfetto.

Some of the ingested foods also provoke an inflammatory action in the body, which results in greater liquid retention. An example is salamis, rich in sodium.

“For every 100 g of food, we have a sodium intake of around 400 mg. In just 100 g of salami, there are more than 1,400 mg of sodium. It is a very big difference”, says the nutritionist.

According to Golfetto, some of the symptoms of overeating are swollen feet and a bulging belly. Those who have already overdone it at Christmas dinner and want to alleviate the problem can, she says, bet on adopting small healthy habits to help deflate the metabolic system.

Some tips for good habits are walking and doing lymphatic drainage. The expert also recommends the intake of calcium, found in milk derivatives, potassium, abundant in bananas, and magnesium, available in vegetables such as spinach and oilseeds, such as walnuts and almonds.

“We can also make a suchá, which is to put fruit with tea, mix everything together and drink it with the fibers, without straining, to take advantage of its benefits in the intestine”, says Golfetto.

Nutritionist Camilla Baffa, post-graduated in nutrition in chronic diseases at the Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, emphasizes that those who exaggerate at the end of year festivities need to look to healthy eating as a way to counterbalance the exaggerations.

Baffa does not recommend adopting miracle diets the day after the holidays, such as sticking to juice or water. According to her, the body already has enough resources to promote detoxification and deinflammation.

“My suggestion is to return to the routine of healthy eating, hydration, sleep and regular physical activity, because these are the key to health and well-being. Going back to eating fruits, vegetables, and maintaining adequate hydration is fundamental “, says the professional.

To know how much water to drink, the nutritionist recommends a simple calculation: just multiply your weight by 35. The result will be the amount of water, in milliliters, to be ingested per day.

For those who exaggerated at Christmas, but want to take advantage of the New Year’s Eve party menu, Baffa advises to intersperse heavier meals with lighter ones. As the 31st is marked by plenty at dinner, the nutritionist recommends prioritizing lighter meals during the day.

“On the first day, when we eat lunch in a fraternization atmosphere, I recommend doing the opposite and eating lighter foods in the other meals, eating fruits, vegetables and greens”, he says.

As for alcohol consumption, the tip is to alternate a glass of water with each drink to stay hydrated and avoid excessive consumption.

Nutritionist Golfetto complements the tips by suggesting the ingestion of good carbohydrates during supper, such as brown rice, potatoes and cassava, to reduce the hangover the next day.

“We provoke inflammatory processes, but we also have an incredible power to generate anti-inflammation. This can happen at the same time, concomitantly: I’m getting inflamed, but I’m also thinking about how to de-inflame myself”, says the nutritionist.

Healthy habits to counterbalance supper excesses

  • Try to wake up at the same time, without major changes in routine

  • Stay hydrated, especially in the early hours of the day

  • Invest in foods rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium

  • Do simple physical activities such as walking and lifting your feet

  • body massage

  • Intersperse the doses of alcohol with glasses of water

  • Eating good carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes and cassava

  • Opt for lighter foods at other meals;

  • Sleep well

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