Op-ed: New thinking for the New Year

By Ian Digiacomo

Many people get carried away with the amount of food they consume and the choices they make. It is only natural to want to clean your dessert plate and ask for more. Unfortunately with these meals comes a slight or perhaps significant weight gain. I am not saying, do not enjoy yourself over the holidays. However, weight gain can be lessened or avoided with a few modifications to the overall holiday meal experience and if you are trying to lose weight or thinking about starting a fitness program there are certain things you should keep in mind.

There are many options in front of you when you sit down at the dinner table. However, while some can actually help speed up your metabolism, others can send you into a fat storing frenzy. For example, there are a number of fruits and vegetables that require your body to burn more calories in order to digest them, than they are actually worth in calories. These are referred to as “negative calorie foods.” An excellent idea to keep in the back of your mind is that a piece of cake that may contain +500 calories, will require your body to use less than half of that amount in calories to digest it. On the other hand a celery stalk that is valued between five and 10 calories will take many more calories — much more energy — to break it down and extract the nutrients from it.

The concept is to ultimately have your food work for you to help you lose weight. Imagine eating an entire meal and actually having a net loss of calories that will tap into your fat stores and put you that much closer to being one waist size down. Vegetables in this category include celery, carrots, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, onion, zucchini, and cucumber. Now keep in mind, how you prepare them may completely void this entire concept, so easy on the oil. Fruits that enjoy the same effect are apples, honeydew, papaya, blueberries, strawberries, tangerine, mango, cantaloupe, and grapefruit.

As far as challah and honey goes, just remember: moderation. Take small pieces of challah and do not slather them in honey and you’ll be fine. Also, keep water intake high and eat healthier foods first, so you won’t be ravenous when you are thinking of taking yet another piece of challah and honey, or other sweet foods that lead to extra pounds.

For physical activity, I recommend leaving early for shul and taking a much longer walking route than you normally would. Those extra steps will add up, and make sure to bring a bottle of water with you. Even before you start your day, take a chair and sit down, then stand up, twenty or more times. If you do not exercise at all this may cause you to breathe a little heavier or even break a sweat. If you do exercise regularly this may not be challenging enough to inspire a metabolic response. However, increasing your activity level on and around these holidays will help decrease the effects of overwhelming meals and additional snacks.

Knowing a few hints and tricks to keep the weight off during the holidays is one thing, putting them to use is a whole other story. Now it’s up to you. Have a happy and a healthy New Year.