Christmas: the most effective tips to avoid ingestion after the most anticipated dinner of the year

Christmas dinner is one of the most anticipated of the year. This is so varied and delicious that many times we can exceed what we eat or drink. Many media focus on the amount of calories that this food can have, however, this type of information in many cases only generates guilt in readers and does not educate. That is why it is recommended to decide what to eat according to our tastes but recognizing when we are satisfied to avoid digestive problems later.

Remember that this note contains general nutritional advice and does not replace a visit to the nutritionist. Also, if you have any comorbidity or disease, you should always consult your treating doctor or nutritionist.

Here are some tips to prevent us from feeling heavy or with indigestion the day after Christmas dinner:

1. Common mistakes

For nutritionist Claudia Agüero, it is a very common mistake that when you have a Christmas gathering, you go hungry all day to be able to eat plenty at night or during the celebration. “It’s not right from a nutritional point of view, you’re putting stress on the body and at the meeting, you’ll eat like there’s no tomorrow”.

He explains that the ideal would be to eat that day as normal, but opting for foods that contain more vegetables, hydrating ourselves regularly, but without filling our stomach with water instead of food, since for a moment this will fill us up, but then we will be hungry again.

For Agüero it is key to understand that food is not bad or good, only some have more or less nutrients. “The best thing will be to opt for foods that nourish us”, indicates. The specialist also emphasizes that health is not only what we eat but also what we think and feel, so we should not eat and feel guilty afterwards.

2. Do not restrict food

One of the pieces of advice that is heard a lot in this season of the year is to restrict food: eat little or with very few calories or even skip meals and do the famous fast. Magister Slovenia Ulloa Acuña, a professor at Unifé’s Nutrition and Food faculty, affirms that the idea is not to restrict food during these celebrations. “For our body to function properly, it needs food and energy. If you restrict food, you also limit nutrients. By not having energy or nutrients, catabolism is carried out, that is, self-consumption. One is going to lose muscle mass, vitamins and minerals that are important functions of the body”, she adds.

“It is better to opt for a slice of panettone and a cup of chocolate with sweetener than, due to the restriction, forbid yourself from eating a whole panettone. In addition, currently, in the market we find more nutritious versions of the Christmas classics ”, he comments.

3. Have a balanced dinner

For her part, nutritionist Sylvia Rodríguez explains that in order to have a healthy dinner, some concepts must be clear in order to make the right decision. The nutrition specialist indicates that all macronutrients are equally important. In this day and age, many people limit or eliminate carbohydrates because they see them as the culprit, and in reality, they are not. Rodríguez explains the functions of these nutrients in our body to find out what they do and why they are important to eat.

Carbohydrates: They are the main source of energy. “It is the fuel we need so that we can function properly. They are part of the process of building muscle mass”, adds the nutritionist. Carbohydrates are found in cereals, tubers, grains, among others. “It will always be better to choose whole carbohydrates, since they also have fiber that fulfills functions and protects our body”, indicates.

Lipids: This macronutrient is also important. We find it in fatty foods, but it will always be better to opt for foods that do not contain saturated fat such as olives, olive oil, avocado, etc. “One of the most important functions of fats is the formation of hormones. Those who restrict these foods often have hormonal problems, especially in women”adds Rodriguez.

Proteins: “They form structure, serve as transport in the blood, are part of many enzymatic processes and provide muscle mass,” he says. “They are always associated with meat, but we also have plant-based protein”, comment. Some examples of protein are meat, eggs, all legumes, Andean cereals, some seeds, nuts, etc.

Sylvia Rodríguez explains that it is best to add new foods, instead of removing them. “Add more vegetables, more vegetables, more fruits to your meals. If you didn’t eat any vegetables, now eat one. Varies the types of preparations. These foods will help us prevent many diseases”, he comments.

4. Listen and understand us

Nutritionist Alejandra Izquierdo and specialist in intuitive nutrition explains that fear should not be used to convince another person to eat healthy. “That may work in the short term, but the alerts that reading an equivalence of a panettone in breads has caused you, you will forget it and you will not carry out any healthy habit because you are not educating yourself as you should”indicates.

For the graduate it is very important that when we go to meetings we eat calmly. “Many people who have dieted all their lives when they go to a celebration or eat Christmas dinner, feel like it’s the last supper. They eat like there is no tomorrow. They are disconnected from hunger and satiety signals. It is important to know that the next day there will still be food. You do not have to eat everything you see on the table, remember that you can always take home what is left over”, indicates.

Izquierdo adds that there is another very marked belief in this season, the “today I disband and on Monday I start the diet ”. This is also restrictive behavior that will lead you into a vicious cycle.

“Within health there is also the psychological part. Remember that you are going to have a moment of sharing that you can enjoy without being obsessed with food. The important thing is to share with friends and family”comment.

For her part, Slovenia Ulloa explains that the key to not falling into excesses that could complicate the prognosis of a person with some pathology is “self-care”. “Here the secret to maintaining health is self-care. There is no one in the world who wants to take care of you more than yourself. Take care of your diet, look for better alternatives, do physical activity. This last piece of advice is for both a healthy person and someone with a disease.”, ends.