Say No to Flab-ulous Holidays

By: Alexandra Mae H. Espinosa

The air is noticeably cooler, and everywhere we look is a view of trees and buildings adorned with thousands of sparkling lights. The most awaited of all holidays is definitely near! Another year is almost over, and every member of the UST College of Nursing is ready to go home for a long vacation to be spent with his/her family.

Surely, any family celebration would never be complete without the platters of scrumptious food laid on the table, as it has been a common practice among Filipinos to prepare large servings of delicacies days before Christmas Eve to readily serve visiting friends and relatives. To a student who had endured months of sleepless nights, and of persistent studying and intense clinical training, the dining table is no lesser than a luxurious feast to the starve-stricken eye.

However, what follows may be a least-friendly digit or two, waiting to be uncovered under the feet – on the weighing scale after New Year. As a solution, these additional pounds can be kept off the scale with the help of a few simple tips to keep in mind.

‘Eat a little of what you want’
Remember that the ideal calorie intake per day is 1400-1500 calories, according to the World Health Organization (although, a more accurate and individualized suggested calorie intake can be computed manually or via mypyramid.gov). Devouring those delightful slices of frosted chocolate chiffon cake all at once may not be the healthiest option. However, it is a vacation, and abstinence is not mandatory. It is needless to be too strict about this. “Do not avoid holiday meals or treats”, says Jodie Lynn, an online health website columnist. “If you try to avoid them, you will regret it. Eat a little of what you want. This is always a good rule of thumb. Eat healthily for six days, and then eat one or two items, holiday snacks or desserts on the seventh”, she added.

Go carolling!
If nibbling impulses are getting hard to resist, another way to achieve a healthy balance between calorie intake and expenditure is to burn extra calories in physical exercise. An example of such would be helping with easy household chores like sweeping, and dishwashing. However, do anything simple enough to get you out of that couch. According to Paul Bright of ehow.com, a person of normal built who walks at normal pace for an hour burns about 136 calories. That’s just like a carolling roundtrip throughout the neighborhood, plus the fun and money!


Get some rest
People feel very preoccupied this time of year because of the reunion celebrations, gift-shopping sprees and kitchen duties that they have to attend to. Stress is definitely not too far away from this scenario. It is important to bear in mind that stress increases secretion of the glucocorticoid, cortisol, which results into more weight gain.

Eating may be our guilty pleasure, a coping mechanism during stressful times. However, it can also be harmful for our health. When we experience toxicity and depression at its finest, our best friend is that ice cream sundae, chocolate bar, creamy iced tea or coffee. Obviously, more sugar or fat intake means more weight gain – unless you put into play a little extra exercise. Take a minute to breathe too, and try to enjoy the occasions as much as you can. That’s what this holiday is all about in the first place.

Splurging into too much food this season is virtually undeniable, if not impossible. So staying away from it is definitely challenging. Every decision counts when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet this coming holiday. Everybody who’s not brave enough to welcome a few pounds on the start of classes better start it right. Happy holidays, Nursing!