IN THE RIGHT FESTIVE SPIRIT
Festivals and food are quite synonymous to each other and with the festivities in place almost all year around, one would find it extremely difficult to resist the temptation for some delicious sweets and greasy food, irrespective of the age group they belong to. Having an exhaustive and lip-smacking line-up of festive fares staring right at you, one tends to indulge without worrying too much about the bulge.
Binging on food and high calorie delicacies endlessly during festivals makes you put on few extra kilograms, as your plans of staying fit go haywire.
WHAT BINGE EATING DOES
Let’s first try and understand the effects Binge eating has on your body -
- Results in the formation of gas in the body, further causing severe discomfort sometimes.
- Expands the stomach more than its standard size which in turn puts additional pressure on one’s organs to work harder, thereby secreting extra hormones and enzymes.
- Binge eating can put your metabolism in overdrive mode to digest all the extra amount of food that has gone in. This leaves the person hot, sweaty and at times dizzy too.
- The extra amount of food is often stored in the form of fat in different parts of your body causing what is commonly termed as obesity.
- The content of highly saturated fat in deep fried and oily food can result in sudden acne breakouts by increasing inflammation and altering one’s hormone levels.
WHAT’S THE WAY OUT?
With few tips, determination and a bit of caution, you can avoid festive binging –
- Make sure to bite into a small and healthy portion of food before you head out for the party. You’ll end up eating lots of sweets on an empty stomach if you’re already hungry.
- Eating a bowlful of salad or drinking a glass of water before indulging in sweets and savouries can increase the feeling of fullness.
- The key is to stay hydrated by drinking as much water as possible. The body will crave for sweets if you’re dehydrated and it can often confuse thirst for hunger.
- Eating sweets or consuming aerated drinks during or post dinner can result in slow digestion of food. This often is the sole reason for all your midnight binge eating sessions.
- Wearing a fitted dress for the party can be of great help in cutting down on your food intake. You will avoid binge eating owing to the fact that you’ll feel extremely uncomfortable in the fitted dress that you’re wearing.
- Stay away from store bought sweets/ fried foods or foods that use preservatives, as they tend to be more adulterated and unhealthier.
- If given a chance, opt for baked or roasted food over deep-fried food as they keep you full and are often low in calories.
- Don’t sit for longer time at the dining table if you are a fast eater. The host will throw in a second serving if they see your plate empty.
- The trick to not binge eat is to take food in a small portion, relish the taste and chew your food very slowly. Chewing your food deliberately results in fewer calories getting consumed during a meal without reduction in feeling of fullness. The food will last longer in your plate and further control your urge to jump in for another serving.
- Make sure to consume foods that are high in protein and fibre like beans, berries, legumes, and nuts. They will keep your body satiated for longer periods and help you digest your food properly. These are also wonderful sources of energy that get metabolized slower than carbs.
- If for some reason you haven’t paid much attention to what you’ve eaten or couldn’t restrain from binge eating at the party, make sure to exercise and burn off those extra calories the very next day. Head out for a run, swim or any other form of sport that gives you the adrenaline rush and keeps your heart rate elevated.
FOOT NOTE
A little push or force feed from friends and family during celebrations brings out our worst eating habits, but to avoid a session of binge eating is totally in our hands. Gorging on food is not the ethos of festivities but undeniably the means to develop quite a few ailments. Try the above-mentioned tips to steer clear of overeating and help yourself in keeping a check on those ‘kilograms’ / ‘pounds’ and at the same time decreasing the possibility of any health snags.
