Diane Britton is a registered dietitian who has worked as a sports nutritionist at the U of A , and who has done contract work for the RCMP , Health Canada , and the Southwest Alberta Child and Family Services . She worked for nine years at the University of Lethbridge , and now works for Alberta Health and the Lethbridge Health and Wellness Centre .

Diane Britton

Holiday Survival Tips

Holidays are a time to relax and rejuvenate your energy levels . All too often , the holidays become a time for weight gain as well . Here are some tips to help prevent ‘ waisted ’ calories this holiday season .

• Eat before a party or Christmas dinner . Not eating all day to ‘ save up ’ for the feast is a sure way to overeat . Eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch . Snack in the morning and afternoon on vegetables such as carrot sticks with dip and fruit such as mandarin oranges . This way you will arrive at the party or the dinner table pleasantly hungry , but not starving .

• Control portions . Take small portions of your favorite foods ; savor and enjoy them . Be choosy ! If you do not love it , leave it . Most people will eat all the food in front of them ; so , avoid overfilling your plate . A good trick for portion control is to not let any foods touch each other on your plate .

• Limit alcohol . Packing a whopping seven calories per gram , alcohol is an easy way to increase calorie intake without even feeling full . Try alternating alcoholic drinks with a glass of water . Drink lower calorie festive beverages like wine

spritzers , Bloody Marys , or mix spirits with water or diet pop .

• Drink up ! Staying hydrated helps you to avoid overeating . Health Canada recommends nine cups ( 2.25 L ) of fluid daily for women and thirteen cups ( 3.25 L ) of fluid per day for men . Focus on water for best weight management .

• Get active ! Enjoy winter activities like skating and skiing . Go for a walk with family and friends . Enjoy indoor activities such as swimming , badminton , racquetball or shooting hoops at a community gym . Make the holidays an active time to visit and have fun with loved ones .

New Year ’ s Resolution : Stop Dieting !

“ Lose 10 pounds this week !” We have all read it , some have tried it — and it even worked for a few ; but weight always comes back this way . Fad diets , celebrity diets , quick weight-loss promises do not work long term and cause the yo-yo effect : the weight loss — weight gain cycle . So start this year by not dieting ; and , instead , focus on healthy eating .

When calorie intake is too low , your body simply decreases the amount of energy it burns . The result ? A lower metabolism that means when you stop dieting

( which inevitably happens ) and begin eating ‘ normally ’ again , your body is very good at putting energy that it is not used to receiving into fat stores . Research shows after quitting dieting , most people put on the weight they lost — plus a bit more . Why ? Because they did not change their ‘ normal ’ eating habits and lifestyle choices . Weight loss that lasts requires two things : permanent changes to the way you eat , and physical activity as a part of your daily life . In order for those changes to happen , they have to be enjoyable . Here are some tips to get you started .

Eat yogurt . Research at the University of Tennessee found that people who ate three servings a day ( one serving = 175g ) lost 61 % more body fat and 81 % more stomach fat than people who did not eat any yogurt . Calcium in yogurt ( and other dairy products ) is thought to help burn body fat and prevent fat storage – especially on the belly , hips and thighs . In fact , research tells us that people who eat a low calcium diet have twice the risk of being overweight . New data from Health Canada show most Canadians are not consuming even the minimum recommended number of servings of dairy products each day , the main source of calcium in a Canadian diet . Is it a coincidence that the number of

ALBERTA RETIRED TEACHERS ’ ASSOCIATION News & Views Volume 19 21 , No . 32