Savor the Season without Gaining Weight

At this time of year, indulgences seem to be around every corner. Tips to indulge without gaining weight include:

1. Eat mindfully. Many people eat mindlessly. I interview people all the time who cannot remember what they had to eat the day before. This is one of the reasons keeping a food diary can be such a powerful tool.  It helps you pay attention to what you eat.  But mindful eating goes beyond knowing what you’re eating.

Mindful eating also means focusing on how you eat. Are you taking time to chew thoroughly?  Are you sitting down and focusing on your meal?  It means paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues.  It means savoring, with all your senses, the flavors and tastes.  It means eating to nourish your hunger and not out of boredom or stress.

Research by Dr. Brian Wansink, PhD, professor and director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and author of Mindless Eating and Slim by Design, showed that people can be just as satisfied with ¼ portion of chocolate, pie or chips as they can from 4 times as much. So, downsize your portions of holiday treats. You won’t miss the larger portion if you savor each bite. And with so many options available, if it isn’t a favorite, pass it up.

2. Eat half plate healthy. Fill your plate with ½ non-starchy veggies and you will eat less of the rest. Veggies are nutrient dense meaning they provide a lot of nutrients without a lot of calories.

3. Exercise. Keep moving. Exercise is a great stress reliever. Do things you enjoy and have fun.  Research proves that exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of more than 40 chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and hypertension.  And remember, a gym membership, exercise equipment, or exercise DVDs are gifts that keep on giving.

Change to Win is a nutrition and weight management program led by Theresa Stahl, RDN, LDN, Outpatient Community Dietitian. The next Change to Win session starts January 13th or 14th and runs for 12 weeks. To register or for more information, call Theresa at 240-964-8416 or email her at tstahl@wmhs.com.

The Weight Management Support Group meets from 5-6 pm on the second Tuesday of every month.  Beginning in January, they will meet from 5:30-6:30. The next group will be held on December 9th at 5 pm. in Auditorium Room 3.  Call Carey Moffatt, Certified Health and Wellness Coach at 240-964-8418 for more information.

For a complete list of our nutrition programs, call Theresa Stahl, Outpatient Community Dietitian, at 240-964-8416 or email tstahl@wmhs.com.

Happy World Diabetes Day

November is National Diabetes Month and November 14 is World Diabetes Day. The National Diabetes Education Program (www.YourDiabetesInfo.org) has provided 50 Ways to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, emphasizing the importance of healthy eating, fun fitness and stress management to help decrease risk of developing type 2-diabetes or help control type 2 diabetes if you’ve already been diagnosed.  Some of the 50 ways include:

1. Put less on your plate, Nate.
2. Eat a small meal, Lucille.
3. Dance it away, Faye.
4. Snack on a veggie, Reggie.
5. Cook with care, Claire.
6. Eat healthy on the go, Flo.
7. Rethink your drink, Linc.
8. Eat smart, Bart.
9. Keep track, Jack.
10. Read the label, Mabel.
11. You can exhale, Gail.

The Western Maryland Health System has a specialized diabetes center at their Center for Clinical Resources.  They provide a 6-hour diabetes class, Living Well With Diabetes, individual Medical Nutrition Therapy and a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 5:30-6:30 pm in Auditorium Room 6.  For more information, call the Center for Clinical Resources at 240-964-8787 or at wmhs.com.