7 Strategies for "Defensive" Eating

by WiredBerries Editors — December 6, 2007

The holiday season has officially begun. With the many celebrations come feasts and treats that can line the arteries and expand the waistline. Don't let it happen to you! Here are some "defensive" eating tips from Harvard Health researchers:

• Pick your battles. Don't eat everything at feasts and parties. Be picky, and spend calories judiciously on the foods you seriously love.
• Take 10 before taking seconds. It takes a few minutes for your stomach's "I'm getting full" signal to get to your brain. After finishing your first helping, take a 10-minute break. Make conversation. Drink some water. Then recheck your appetite. You might realize you are full, or want a smaller portion. It's not about depriving yourself--you still get to eat whatever you want, but you're just giving your brain time to catch up.
• Distance helps the heart stay healthy. At a party, don't stand next to the food table. That makes it harder to mindlessly reach for food as you talk. If you know you are prone to recreational eating, pop a mint or a stick of gum so you won't keep reaching for the chips.
• Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach. Alcohol increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.
• Be buffet savvy. At a buffet, wander 'round the food table before putting anything on your plate. By checking out all of your options, you might be less inclined to pile on items one after another.
• Cook from (and for) the heart. To show family and friends that you really care about them, be creative with recipes that use less butter, cream, lard, vegetable shortening, and other ingredients rich in saturated fats and cholesterol. Prepare turkey or fish instead of red meat.
• Pay attention to what really matters. Although food is an integral part of the holidays, put the focus on family and friends, laughter and cheer. If balance and moderation are your usual guides, it's okay to indulge once in a while.