Healthy Diets You Can Follow during Christmas
What are some of the healthy diets people can follow during Christmas? People wonder this because many tend to overeat during this time of the year. For this reason, it’s a good idea to know a series of nutritional keys that will help you avoid unwanted weight gain.
Before you continue reading, keep in mind that there are hundreds of different diets. However, not all of them are adjusted to people’s individual needs or the time of year. Also, remember that dieting goes beyond eating in a certain way for a certain period of time. In fact, it actually means following healthy habits over a period of time.
The ketogenic diet: one of the healthy diets to follow during Christmas
If you don’t want to miss out on seafood and you don’t really like potatoes and sweets, consider trying the ketogenic diet over Christmas. This dietary protocol consists of restricting carbohydrates.
According to a study published by Hospital Nutrition, the ketogenic diet is effective for weight loss or maintenance. It’s even useful to prevent the development of certain complex diseases.
But it has its limitations. People who suffer from lipid metabolism disorders or pregnant women shouldn’t follow this diet; neither should growing children. In fact, it isn’t a good option for strength athletes, as it could affect their performance.
To follow the ketogenic diet, simply cut out foods that are high in carbohydrates. For example, legumes, cereals, rice, flour, and sweets, among other foods.
It’s important to prioritize the consumption of fresh foods over ultra-processed ones. The good news is that you can eat almost all the seafood you want, obviously within reasonable limits.
The Atlantic diet is another great option
If you don’t want to follow a restrictive dietary protocol, consider trying the Atlantic diet during Christmas. It’s based on the consumption of fresh foods over processed foods, in which fish and vegetables, as well as tubers, play a major role.
In addition, it’s a diet that restricts alcohol consumption, which is very healthy. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, the Atlantic diet can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This is due to the fact that it proposes an intake of omega-3 fatty acids through fish and raw oils. These nutrients are anti-inflammatory.
This dietary protocol also allows you to eat seafood, meat, and fish during Christmas. Simply limit your intake of sweets and alcoholic beverages, which will benefit your health in many ways. Likewise, don’t forget about vegetables!
The Mediterranean diet, another of the healthy diets
The Mediterranean diet, which is similar to the Atlantic diet, is another good option. This diet advocates for the intake of complex carbohydrates. On the contrary, it states that ultra-processed and industrial products that can affect health in the medium term should be avoided.
It allows moderate alcohol consumption. However, it’s best to completely cut out alcohol from your diet.
We should highlight that the Mediterranean diet considers bread a healthy food. But this food abruptly increases blood glucose levels, since it’s made up of flour that the intestine quickly absorbs. Nevertheless, this is a healthy diet if you follow it properly.
You can eat healthy during Christmas
Although Christmas is related to overeating and weight gain, you can follow a diet during this time of year that allows you to enjoy the foods you love while you take care of yourself. Any of the options we mentioned here may help you avoid weight gain. Your body will thank you for it!
Remember to avoid overdoing it during the holiday season. If you do, you’ll simply try to resort to “miracle diets”, which could negatively affect your health and lead to frustration.
Prevention and planning are the keys to achieving your goals. Decide what type of diet you’ll follow during Christmas to avoid regrets later on.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Martín Moraleda E., Delisle C., Collado Mateo D., Aznar Lain S., Weight loss and body composition changes through ketogenic diet and physical activity: a methodological and systematic review. Nutr Hosp, 2019. 36 (5): 1196-1204.
- Rodríguez Martín C., Garcia Ortiz L.., Rodriguez Sanchez E., Maderuelo Fernandez C., et al., The relationship of the atlantic diet with cardiovascular risk factors and markers of arterial stiffness in adutls without cardiovascular disease. Nutrients, 2019. 11 (4): 742.
