Instructions: How to escape from the New Year's table safe and sound
WINTER HOLIDAYS TRADITIONALLY ACCOMPANIA BREAKING TABLES - so, overeating and alcohol abuse. This is happening not only in the post-Soviet space, where preparation for the New Year has a difficult history - the shortage on the shelves of stores forced us to stock up on mayonnaise in September. In Europe and America, Christmas is also associated with food abundance and libations, which is often due to poor health and exacerbation of diseases.
How to celebrate the New Year and Christmas without refusing to eat festive food, and do not regret, read our instructions prepared with the help of Antonina Starodubova, the main freelance dietitian of the Moscow Health Department and the speaker of the “Run to the Doctor” lecture hall.
Snack in advance
Sometimes it seems logical not to eat anything before an evening party — either so as not to interrupt the appetite, or so that the total amount of food eaten is less. As for appetite, it all depends on the task: if you really want to pounce on food in the evening, the feeling of hunger will only help. If you want to treat the festive abundance reasonably, then it is better not to experience strong hunger; then you will not try to satisfy it with a large number of different dishes, but simply try what brings joy.
If we talk about the total amount of food and calories per day, the refusal of breakfast and lunch on December 31 is unlikely to help reduce them - on the contrary, there is a risk to eat at night after you have been hungry all day. Finally, be sure to have a snack, if you open the first bottle of champagne in the early evening: after drinking on an empty stomach, it is very easy to get drunk.
Do not cook and do not buy much
In the pre-holiday hype it is easy to catch gigantic addiction: if Olivier, then a basin, if champagne, then a box. But in fact, if there is two or even three times less food on the table than usual, no one will be hungry. You can try to reduce either the number of dishes (to make one salad instead of four, and preferably from fresh vegetables), or their volumes - instead of a huge salad bowl, serve Olivier on mini-toasts “for one bite”.
According to Antonina Starodubova, poisoning often occurs on New Year's Eve. Products should be as fresh as possible, so do not buy them much in advance, although you will have to stand in line at the supermarket. No need to cook so that was enough for all the holidays - the risk of poisoning a couple of days after the holiday. Salad dressings are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, so special care should be taken with them.
Make a buffet table, not a feast
In itself, sitting at the table is extremely passive exercise, and constant visual stimulation with food makes you absorb more. Try changing the format: move the table to the corner and put away the chairs, prepare snacks that you can eat with your hands, lay out a stack of plates (maybe even paper, not ceramic). In the same way, you can organize drinks: put a number of bottles (do not forget about plain water) and glasses or glasses. Since in such a situation it’s impossible to identify your glass at a place at the table, special clothespins or markers will be useful.
As a result, you will free up space in the room for dancing or games, and for each portion of the food you will have to walk separately - and if it will be difficult to break away from an interesting conversation, you will not be able to overeat. Remember that the meaning of the holiday is in a good mood, and not to eat or drink more (although, of course, to whom).
Experiment with food.
Fresh vegetables and fruits, fish and olive oil - the basis of the Mediterranean model of nutrition, the most beneficial for the heart and promising to increase the life expectancy. We do not urge to make the New Year's table bland and to deprive the guests of the holiday feeling, but, for example, you can replace potatoes or other side dishes for hot vegetables with fresh vegetables, and refuse bread altogether. If you are going to bake a cake or cupcake, then do not buy another cake and a kilo of sweets "just in case." You better stock up on fruit and give everyone a few tangerines — useful for a snack.
Of course, a number of familiar New Year's dishes can not do without mayonnaise. Antonina Starodubova notes that in this case, for example, you can do it yourself. Firstly, you will know exactly what components it consists of, and secondly, just spend a little more energy on cooking. As an option - mix mayonnaise with low-fat sour cream or yogurt or reduce its quantity. Finally, you can simply refuse from mayonnaise salads or other low-value dishes, especially if you do not really like them and just follow the habit.
Plan your activity and move.
Discuss in advance what you will do, especially after midnight. There are many options: discuss what was achieved last year and plans for a new one, play board games or arrange dances. Guess riddles, arrange a hunt for small gifts that everyone will have to find on their own, in the end, just go for a walk, dressed warmly.
If you prepare well in advance, you can even go ice skating on New Year's Eve - but a simple walk will also be a good physical activity. Play snowballs, dazzle a snowman or a fortress and be careful with pyrotechnics, so that the festive night does not end with injury or burn. It is important to be careful, even opening the champagne: the cork flies out of the bottle with great speed and can cause serious harm. Never, even as a joke, direct it towards yourself or others.
Stay on time
Stop putting food from different dishes on your plate. You can fill it with everything you want to try, at the very beginning of the evening - and eat slowly, without adding anything. From time to time, drink a glass of water (or select a plastic bottle for yourself and stick to it during the New Year's Eve). Alternating water and alcohol helps to drink less and at the same time avoid dehydration.
If you feel that you have eaten or drunk - just stop eating and drinking and let the body recover, move or, on the contrary, sleep. Start the next day with hot coffee, fresh air and peace. Do not scold yourself for having oiled or abused alcohol on New Year's Eve - praise better if the holiday was a success.
Photo:kurgu128 - stock.adobe.com, sytnik - stock.adobe.com, Simone Andress - stock.adobe.com
