Tame your sweet tooth to stay healthy

The festive season is here, and with it, most people tend to indulge in binge eating. While this sweet indulgence is definitely a huge part of the festivities, maintaining a healthy diet should still be a big consideration as it will help in controlling health risks. John R. Butera Mugabe, the chairperson of Scaling up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance, says it is important for people to eat foods that contain essential nutrients as they embrace the celebrations. Foods that are mostly consumed during the festive season include chicken, liver, beef, rice, bananas and French fries, among others. He says during the festive season a balanced diet is still essential and one needs to eat foods that are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and necessary fats. People should, however, refrain from eating lots of oily foods as well as those which contain lots of fats. He advises that one way to achieve this is to roast or steam the food instead of frying. Butera, however, notes that healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations. He advises that one shouldn’t aim at staying unrealistically thin by depriving themselves of the foods they love. “Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, think of your diet in terms of variety and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients,” Butera advises. Fruits and vegetables are not only a good source of vitamins and minerals but also help in lowering the risk of heart diseases and cancers. Eating healthier snacks helps to improve one’s diet but one should aim at cutting down on sweet snacks such as candy, chocolate, and cakes and instead eat foods which are naturally sweet such as fruits. “Drinking plenty of water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins. It also prevents one from getting dehydrated which would have led to tiredness, low energy and headaches. Staying well hydrated will also help one make healthier food choices,” Butera adds. According to Paula Przywojski, a dietitian, most holiday meals are not bad for one’s health if they are prepared properly. She says that trouble usually sets in when fat and sugar are added to the meal. “For example, including large amounts of sugar and butter in recipes negates many of the benefits of healthy foods like potatoes and meat. It also makes it more difficult to enjoy these foods’ natural flavors,” she says. Przywojski advises that all visible fat should be cut off from meat before cooking. “Roast the chicken so that fat can drip away, remove skin before eating, make sauce with fat free broth, tomato juice or skim milk; substitute skim milk for whole milk or cream in desert recipes to decrease sugar in recipes,” she says. Chantal Abayisenga, a mother, says preparing healthy meals on festive holidays is a bit tricky because of the huge gatherings yet everyone always has their unique choice of food. She says, “Most families come together during Christmas or even the New Year hence choosing to prepare a healthy meal for such huge gatherings isn’t an easy task as most people prefer fried meals.” Abayisenga, however, advises that one can have a mix of fried dishes and those that are merely boiled so that the fat is not too much. Salads can also be added on the menu as they help in cutting down the fats consumed. Olivia Mukaaka, a mother, says her children enjoy consuming ice creams and sweetened stuff such as candy and cakes. “It’s hard for me to prevent my kids from having their candy because I want them to enjoy the holidays but this makes me worry about their health. I however try to give them lots of fruits so that at least the sugars are cut to some percentage,” she says. Added sugars are not good as they can result into health problems and can contribute to nutrient deficiencies. Sugar is also bad for the teeth because it attracts bad bacteria in the mouth.

Health

Tame your sweet tooth to stay healthy