We're now in the merry month of Christmas! Now that many nations have eased their lockdown and quarantine protocols, many of us are surely excited to go out and be with our loved ones to celebrate the season.
Surely too, as we prepare to meet our family, friends and relatives, we want to make sure we look our very best. However, many of us have definitely gained weight for staying too much time at home doing nothing but cook and eat.
If you think you're too late to plan for your weight loss regimen, forget about feeling 'hopeless.' If you are really determined to see results this month, you still have time.
Just be sure you are making all the 'right healthy-eating' decisions, allotting time for exercise, and incorporating these easy tips into your everyday activities and routine.
1. Go Out and Feel the Chills
By simply going out and getting your body exposed to brisk temperatures, you can let loose the forces of your inner fat-burning machinery of your body.
According to new research, Molecular Metabolism journal published last month, "cold ambient temperatures" encourages our body to naturally produce more Vitamin A, which contributes to our body as it converts white fat, or the bad fat into brown fat, the good and healthy one.
When this happens, the study specified, our body is burning more energy than storing as fat. And above all, we don't need to take vitamin A supplements to boost our metabolism.
So, starting today, go out when you're already feeling those chills, know that you are preparing your body to lose weight.
2. Opt for the Holiday Wine Spritzers, Instead of Alcohol
This is an easy way to cut down on alcohol consumption in this celebratory month. Pamper yourself with "holiday wine spritzers versus wine" during Christmas gatherings this year, recommended Cristie Besu, RN, CSN.
Besu also said, we use 50 percent wine and 50 percent soda, and the wine we drink during the holiday now has just 50 percent of the calories. The expert's tip is that almost all white wines are great for spritzers.
3. Never Skip Meals
According to Richard Lipman, MD, when we skip any meal, our blood sugar drops throughout the day. He added that we "arrive at the next meal," not just feeling hungry but also with a low blood glucose level.
As a result, we have a low level of energy too, which means less physical activity and exercise. Making the wrong decisions like opting for a fast-food restaurant or eating large meals are results of hunger and having a low energy level.
Lipman also said, if we experience low blood sugar levels at lunch or late in the afternoon when we skip lunch, it frequently results in "overeating or loss of control."
4. Have Soup, Instead of Salad Every Before Meal
According to Penn State University researchers, starting with a bowl of soup before eating a large meal singlehandedly helps cut our consumption of calories upwards by 20 percent.
However, soup does not mean all kinds as hearty and unhealthy soups fill up the stomach. The study authors explained, consuming a first course of soup low in calories, "in a variety of forms," can help in weight management.
Therefore, starting your next meal, fill your stomach with great soup first, and you are sure to eat less of the unhealthy foods in the succeeding courses.
5. Make Peanut Butter a Constant Attendee During Breakfast
Most dietitians know this, and they have long been recommending peanut butter to add to their patients' diet as it is a phenomenal hunger killer.
Purdue researchers from Purdue University and the Federal University of Vicosa in Brazil said their research findings published in The British Journal of Nutrition showed that eating peanut butter with breakfast can satiate us for "for upwards of 12 hours."
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