The new year celebration includes snacking on tasty appetizers, relishing in festive cocktails, overindulging in alcohol intake, and cooking large meals for family and friends to enjoy. It is undeniably a time of year where there are no limits on food consumption.
Around 38 percent of people in the United States are obese and 33 percent are overweight. With that in mind, it is important to be mindful of overeating while bringing in the new year.
What Happens To Your Body When You Overeat
-
Slows your digestion and food spends more time being processed
-
Less blood is available to transport oxygen and nutrients to other parts of your body, leaving you sluggish and lightheaded.
-
Causes your blood sugar to spike, especially if you’re consuming a lot of carbohydrates or sugar
-
Possibility of a headache, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, or fatigue.
Ways To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Exercise. After a big meal, try to be as active as possible. For example, get the family involved with an indoor game or a round of friendly snowball fighting.
Rethink favorite foods. Explore recipes that slim down beloved standards like mashed potatoes, buffalo wings, and holiday drinks.
Forget fasting. The thought of “saving” room for holiday dinner causes your metabolism to think you’re going into starvation mode. It is suggested to eat a low-fat, protein-rich breakfast, a light lunch, and a moderate holiday meal.
Listen to your body. Take small portions and mindfully enjoy what’s on your plate. Skip seconds and leave room for a moderate amount of dessert.
Think before you drink. Be aware of calorie intake around your holiday drinks. Just sip lightly, slowly, and choose lower calorie drinks.
Sleep. It is very important to get enough sleep, mainly because it is the key to overall health, wellness, and your ability to maintain a healthy weight.
How We Can Help
USFHP’s TRICARE Prime plan also offers benefits that support healthy living management. We’ve developed incentive programs that give rewards to our members for meeting certain health goals.
In addition, our comprehensive care benefits partners with you and your primary care physician (PCP) to maximize the quality and effectiveness of your health care. This includes specially trained registered nurses who are available to help understand and manage your specific health needs in collaboration with your providers.
Visit usfhp.net or call 1-800-241-4848 for help finding a provider or assistance scheduling an appointment.