HOW TO PARTY IN A HEALTHY WAY?
Yes it is that time of the year when you actually start shopping and planning for the minutest thing from your wardrobe to your shoes just because you want to look better than your best on every festival get together with your friends and family. We look forward to party hard and enjoy some great food, liquor and dance which are the key ingredients of a happening party. But with all the fun and frolic, most people take their health for granted and go out and out to overdo every bit of it including binging and boozing in the name of celebration. Since we plan all other things, why don’t we simply plan out a way to enjoy all the glam-sham in the least unhealthy way? Festivals are surely a great way to enjoy but they can be even more memorable if you are in your best of shape and health. So here are some easy tips:
So if you are one of those who think that eating less during the day can compensate for all the excess food you are going to gorge on at the party in the night, then you are absolutely WRONG. Your body is an ongoing machine which needs fuel every second to perform. When you reduce your food intake during the day, you use up your muscles for energy which makes you weak and tired. Studies suggest that you must eat small meals every 3 hours to give you constant energy as well as increase your metabolic rate helping you burn fat faster.
· Start your day with a healthy breakfast like oats / poha/ idli/ millet dosa etc. Do not skip your breakfast under as much as possible as research says, skipping breakfast can actually increase your appetite during the day forcing you to eat more than you what you usually would.
· Have 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks like fruits, nuts, sprouts, roasted pulses etc in between your meals. This helps to control appetite and give you a fuller feeling before you step in the party.
· Do not skip meals as this causes a drop in the blood sugar level, which signals your brain that your body is hungry, increasing your hunger levels. Skipping meals also slows down your metabolism as a survival mechanism which reduces your chances of burning fat. So if you deliberately skip meals to save the calories tend to over eat all the food they see at once and add plenty of fat to their waistline with every morsel.
· Salads are a great way to avoid cravings due to their high fiber content which control your blood sugar roller coaster. Munch on a big bowl of raw salad in the evening prior to the party as it keeps you full and helps to reduce the urge to binge.
· If the party is at night beware of the amount of food you eat. This is the time of the day when your metabolism is the weakest and anything in excess can easily be stored as fat. Research says that eating a light dinner 3 hours before you hit the bed is the best way to keep the fat off. So eat light until you have a little empty space yet in your stomach. When at the party, take your time to get comfortable with the surrounding and scrutinize the food choices available. Opt for non fried, steamed or roasted starters.
· Buffet is an invitation to eat all that is available, but resist temptations and stick to a few favorite food options rather than taking little servings of all 20 different dishes. A recent study in American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition showed that the same women ate more food when exposed to a buffet setting than otherwise. So take smaller servings, use smaller plates to eat and focus on socializing more than eating. Soups are also amazing to help you control binging sprees. They are tasty and filling. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that clear soups can act like an appetizer, increasing your appetite whereas soup filled with veggies/ oats/ pulses and beans can fill you up well making it 50% of your dinner intake. So have a big bowl of soup from home before you step out for the party.
· Party hard, but exercise harder. Make sure to spare one hour of the day to burn all the additional calories and keep your BMR high to avoid piling on that unwanted fat. Let 1 hour of brisk walk or resistance activity do all the magic. Yes and don’t forget to exercise on the day you are going for a party.
Aim at leaving the party satisfied and not stuffed. Let every party be a healthy and memorable one.
Happy Partying!!
