7 Steps To Prevent Weight Gain During the Holidays

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and lots of families are getting ready to gather and celebrate the pleasure to be together and the good harvest.

The beautiful American tradition of Thanksgiving comes with good and rich food... Maybe too rich sometimes!

Here are 7 steps that will prevent you from gaining weight during this holiday season.

1. Skip the cocktails, slow down on beer and go for wine.

   Cocktails often contain fruit juices (full of sugar) and spirits (high in alcohol), which makes them a killer for your waistline. Red wine, however, is full of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant which helps to keep a healthy heart and vasculature (among many other good things). Yet, moderation is your best friend!

2. Chew slowly and for a long time

   Remember parents telling you to chew slowly when you were a kid? Guess what they knew what to teach you! Scientific studies have shown that in our fast-pace society, people barely chew their food. This not only makes the work harder for your stomach, but it also prevents your body form sensing when you already had enough food, which leads you to overeating. Eat slowly and chew each mouthful at least 20 times. This guarantees that you will not overeat.

3. Pass on the snacks

   Most of us enjoy nibbling on snacks with our drink, right before the meal. Unfortunately, they add up a lot of calories, while you will have a rich meal right after that. Ask for olives or veggie sticks and if there's no alternative and you are starving, just be conscious of the amount you "nibble"!

4. Choose salads and greens

   If there is a choice of salad and/or greens for the appetizer, go for those instead of other dishes, as they are low in calories and high in fibers, antioxidants and vitamins.

5. Eat more turkey and less stuffing

   Stuffing is very tasty and flavorful, but it's also packed with calories. So opt for eating more turkey (which is lean meat full of good proteins) and less stuffing.

6. Keep the sugar at bay

   Minimize the pies, cakes, cookies and sweets as much as you can and go for fruits.

7. The days after

   Compensate the rich holiday meal by eating lots of greens, soups and salads and minimize the intake of calorie-packed foods. This will help your body to process the energy it got from the Thanksgiving meal by using it instead of stocking it.