It's time to stock up on holiday goodies again. No matter that you and many of your friends and relatives are counting calories this year. It would be a shame to be caught with an empty pantry if guests dropped by. What could it hurt to lay in a supply of fancy chocolates, just to be on the safe side?
It's when you look at your chocolate-smudged fingers and see four empty candy wrappers that it hits you. You're on a binge.
The next day, you join your co-workers in the break room and indulge in the frosted cookies and other holiday goodies you'd been avoiding all week. That night, you go to a party where you end up eating like there's no tomorrow.
What happened? Your diet had been going so well -- at least since the last binge.
Why Do Special Occasions Make Us Vulnerable?
What is it about special occasions -- holidays, weddings, birthdays, vacations -- that invites eating well past the point of being full? Three experts talked to WebMD about the problem and gave some advice on how to bounce back -- and how to prevent the next binge.
Special occasions trigger binges for three reasons, says David L. Katz, MD, MPH , FACPM, author of The Way to Eat.
First, they provide a social license to binge because everyone's doing it. "Indulgence loves company," Katz says.
Second, they provide opportunity: "You're surrounded by foods like chocolate candy, and exposure begets indulgence."
And third, they provide a festive feeling: "You think because it's not something you usually do that it's OK. You can compensate tomorrow."
Special occasions are part of a complex web of hobgoblins that ensnare us in spite of our good intentions. Stress, loneliness, boredom, and feelings of deprivation all contribute.
Deprivation is one of the big ones for dieters, says Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, CD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
"Dieting for some people means skipping meals and getting overly hungry," she says. "That could cause a binge. You'll crave the foods you're leaving out."
Can You Stop Mid-Binge?
One way to turn off a binge is to get away from the stimulus, says Christian Crandall, PhD, professor of social psychology at the University of Kansas in Lawrence .
"Drop the candy in a Dumpster," Crandall says. "If you're home alone, call someone to come over who will interfere with your ability to binge, or leave home and go out in public. The car doesn't count."
Sandquist, manager of the Nutrition and Diabetes Center at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver , Wash. , says while it's not easy to stop mid-binge, it is possible. First, ask yourself if the binge is really worth it.
Then notice what triggered the binge. "For example, if I get overtired I tend to eat too much," says Sandquist. "We need to learn how to express ourselves and find out what we need instead of food for comfort."
Finally, write down your strategies for weight control -- the ones that sustained you before the binge. And be gentle with yourself. "If you stop with five cookies instead of 10, you've made progress." Sandquist says. "It's a process."
She recommends not trying to ignore cravings, which can lead to feelings of deprivation. Instead, manage them by enjoying bite-sized indulgences.
For example, you can satisfy a chocolate craving with a small piece of dark chocolate: "Make it an event. Give it 10 or 15 minutes." Alternately, she suggests, "try low-fat chocolate milk, or mix unsweetened cocoa, nonfat milk, and artificial sweetener."
How Do You Get Back on Track?
If you're tempted to think -- as dieters often do -- that once you've blown your diet you might as well keep on going, consider what Katz has to say:
"No matter how good a person you are or how good a driver you are, if you drive far enough, you'll eventually get a flat tire. Do you hop out of your car, pull out a pocketknife, and puncture the other three tires? That's the kind of response people have to dieting. You're cruising along, you run into trouble, but instead of fixing it and getting back on track, they do the dietary equivalent of puncturing the other three tires."
Our three experts say it's important to remember that to binge is to be human. In fact, we're hard-wired for it, says Katz, who directs the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven , Conn.
"Primitive people had to go long periods without eating, and the natural response to food was to eat everything in sight," Katz says. "When modern people go too long without eating, they reactivate that primal response. It becomes a behavioral pattern that propagates itself."
In other words, cut yourself some slack.
And whether your binge was one supersized meal, a week of holiday treats, or an indulgent month long vacation, don't try to make up for it with a punishing regimen of diet and exercise.
"It will work, but you'll gain the weight back at the first opportunity," says Katz. "It sets up a crazy pattern of going from extremes of indulgence to deprivation, and it makes you desperately anxious about your relationship with food.
"Remember the fable of the tortoise and hare? Everybody in dieting wants to be the hare. But who won that race?"
Strategies for Taking Charge of Special Occasions
And what can you do to stop a binge before it starts? Our experts have some tips for handing occasions that are likely to lead you to overeat.
1. Already bought your holiday treats? There's still time to stop yourself. "Save a bite-sized piece, eat it, and enjoy it," says Sandquist. "Give the rest to a homeless shelter. Don't take it to work." Put your imagination to work on healthier goodies to serve to guests -- like luscious fresh fruit or a raw vegetable platter.
2. Have a plan. Eat a nutritious snack before going to a party. Tell yourself you'll eat just half of what's served, then stick to your vow.
3. Plan active days off and vacations. "I love days of intense physical activity -- hiking, horseback riding, skiing, and wonderful celebratory meals at the end of the day," says Katz. "Don't assume you have to gain weight if you're indulging. Compensate with physical activity."
4. Identify your triggers. For example, if you're going to a family gathering, are you likely to feel resentful or guilty about long-standing differences with certain family members? Deal with these issues. Food can mask them but won't make them disappear.
5. Distinguish between indulging and bingeing. Occasionally allow yourself to indulge without eating out of control. The tendency to engage in black-and-white thinking is the hallmark of a problem with food, says Crandall. "If you think one Snickers makes a disaster, then you might think, 'Why not go all the way and really binge?'"
6. Snack often on nutritious foods to keep from getting overly hungry. Katz carries an insulated snack pack everywhere. It's filled with foods such as dried and fresh fruits, baby carrots, nonfat yogurt, trail mix, whole-grain cereal, nuts, and baked chips. "You have to defend yourself," he says. "You can't go out into the modern 'obese-ogenic' environment and hope not to get fat, just as you wouldn't go out in the rain without an umbrella and expect to not get wet."
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Beware Excess Sodium
Some tapas , as well as meza and dim sum , are high in fat and calories and some have too much sodium.
"Interestingly, this is not true of all tapas and most dishes are very good for you," says Harlan. "There are a myriad of recipes that use fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and anchovies. While these are higher in fat, they do contain high amounts of the good omega-3 fats, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke."
Nuts and olives containing healthy fats also predominate in Spanish cuisine, he notes. Likewise, olive oil is the primary fat used for cooking and marinating.
"The benefits of monounsaturated fats have been well established in a healthy diet," he says.
Make Them at Home
Making your own steamed dumplings, a kind of dim sum , is fun and easy. A quick Internet search of the topic "healthy steamed dumplings" will yield dozens of simple recipes. Some are vegetarian but using shrimp, lean pork, and chicken are great choices as well.
Dipping sauces made with reduced-sodium soy sauce make for a perfect addition to an Asian meal.
Middle Eastern dishes are also designed to be served as small dishes, Harlan says. There are great hummus recipes that use less fat by reducing the amount of tahini (sesame seed butter) and using other ingredients such as yogurt.
Various recipes are available that use ingredients other than chickpeas as the base such as black beans or red peppers; coupled with some tabbouleh, minted cucumbers in yogurt, a few stuffed grape leaves, and pita bread, this can make for a delicious and healthy meal.
Tips for Healthy "Little Dishes"
Don't be afraid to ask questions at a restaurant, says Nowlin. "Black bean sauce and oyster sauce are high in sodium, and people with high blood pressure should ask about sodium content in the foods they're served."
Avoid breaded or deep-fried foods. Instead choose steamed, baked, or grilled dishes and those dishes made from vegetables, nuts, and seafood.
"Remember that these small dishes should replace dinner," she points out. "Don't treat small-dish meals as appetizers."
"Interestingly, this is not true of all tapas and most dishes are very good for you," says Harlan. "There are a myriad of recipes that use fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and anchovies. While these are higher in fat, they do contain high amounts of the good omega-3 fats, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke."
Nuts and olives containing healthy fats also predominate in Spanish cuisine, he notes. Likewise, olive oil is the primary fat used for cooking and marinating.
"The benefits of monounsaturated fats have been well established in a healthy diet," he says.
Make Them at Home
Making your own steamed dumplings, a kind of dim sum , is fun and easy. A quick Internet search of the topic "healthy steamed dumplings" will yield dozens of simple recipes. Some are vegetarian but using shrimp, lean pork, and chicken are great choices as well.
Dipping sauces made with reduced-sodium soy sauce make for a perfect addition to an Asian meal.
Middle Eastern dishes are also designed to be served as small dishes, Harlan says. There are great hummus recipes that use less fat by reducing the amount of tahini (sesame seed butter) and using other ingredients such as yogurt.
Various recipes are available that use ingredients other than chickpeas as the base such as black beans or red peppers; coupled with some tabbouleh, minted cucumbers in yogurt, a few stuffed grape leaves, and pita bread, this can make for a delicious and healthy meal.
Tips for Healthy "Little Dishes"
Don't be afraid to ask questions at a restaurant, says Nowlin. "Black bean sauce and oyster sauce are high in sodium, and people with high blood pressure should ask about sodium content in the foods they're served."
Avoid breaded or deep-fried foods. Instead choose steamed, baked, or grilled dishes and those dishes made from vegetables, nuts, and seafood.
"Remember that these small dishes should replace dinner," she points out. "Don't treat small-dish meals as appetizers."
Dining on Small Plates is Emerging as a Big Hit and Can Actually Be Healthy
Whether it's the Middle Eastern meze , the Chinese dim sum , or the Spanish tapas , one of the biggest trends in dining out is feasting on little dishes. What's more surprising, perhaps, than this growing acceptance of these exotic microfoods, is the fact that eating in this way can actually be healthy.
"Smaller plates have evolved in different cultures through the years for many reasons," says Timothy S. Harlan, MD, who is the well-known "Dr. Gourmet" chef and author of several cookbooks, including It's Heartly Fare . "The most well-known of these dishes might be tapas , which are said to have originated as a slice of complementary ham placed atop a wine glass by bar owners ( tapas meaning "to top" in Spanish)."
The salty ham was felt to encourage patrons thirst, Harlan says, adding that it may have been that the slice of ham kept insects out of the glass.
Flavorful, Surprising
Over the years, more and more small dishes evolved in Spain and the variations are now endless, Harlan says. Much of the variety likely developed as a consequence of competition among bar owners with the foods full of complex flavors designed to surprise the mouth.
Moreover, he adds, "little things are sexy: Mini Coopers, the iPod mini, tiny cell phones. Food is no different. There's something so fun about an appetizer arranged perfectly on a plate like a piece of artwork."
These small dishes, "no matter what culture they started in -- Spanish, Middle Eastern, or Chinese -- are meant to be enjoyed as a meal, not just as appetizers," said Bettye Nowlin, a registered dietitian in private practice in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "What we see here in the U.S. lately is these traditional eating styles gaining popularity. And these meals can be healthy as long as you don't eat you don't treat them like appetizers and then eat them on top of" another meal.
"The idea of small portions of food as a meal is a great way to manage weight," said Nancy Saunders, PDt, a registered dietitian for the Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in Ormstown, Quebec, Canada, which won the 2004 Kino Quebec "École Active" culinary prize. "The 'supersize me' meals are contributing to obesity. Downsizing the portion size and keeping the variety makes a great combination."
"Smaller plates have evolved in different cultures through the years for many reasons," says Timothy S. Harlan, MD, who is the well-known "Dr. Gourmet" chef and author of several cookbooks, including It's Heartly Fare . "The most well-known of these dishes might be tapas , which are said to have originated as a slice of complementary ham placed atop a wine glass by bar owners ( tapas meaning "to top" in Spanish)."
The salty ham was felt to encourage patrons thirst, Harlan says, adding that it may have been that the slice of ham kept insects out of the glass.
Flavorful, Surprising
Over the years, more and more small dishes evolved in Spain and the variations are now endless, Harlan says. Much of the variety likely developed as a consequence of competition among bar owners with the foods full of complex flavors designed to surprise the mouth.
Moreover, he adds, "little things are sexy: Mini Coopers, the iPod mini, tiny cell phones. Food is no different. There's something so fun about an appetizer arranged perfectly on a plate like a piece of artwork."
These small dishes, "no matter what culture they started in -- Spanish, Middle Eastern, or Chinese -- are meant to be enjoyed as a meal, not just as appetizers," said Bettye Nowlin, a registered dietitian in private practice in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "What we see here in the U.S. lately is these traditional eating styles gaining popularity. And these meals can be healthy as long as you don't eat you don't treat them like appetizers and then eat them on top of" another meal.
"The idea of small portions of food as a meal is a great way to manage weight," said Nancy Saunders, PDt, a registered dietitian for the Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in Ormstown, Quebec, Canada, which won the 2004 Kino Quebec "École Active" culinary prize. "The 'supersize me' meals are contributing to obesity. Downsizing the portion size and keeping the variety makes a great combination."
Useful and Not so Useful Worry
Chronic worriers often get advice that may not be helpful to them: “Don’t worry”, “It will all work out” or “You need to believe in yourself”. Worriers seldom find this well-meaning advice to be helpful. In fact, they often find it to be invalidating.
Worriers often get mixed messages about their worry. On one hand, they might feel the worry is “driving me crazy”, but on the other hand they get something from their worry. Worriers believe that their worry can help them prepare, avoid uncertainty, or get motivated. There is some truth in the idea that worry can help people prepare and avoid uncertainty. However, when worry becomes extreme it can cause tension and stress.
It is useful to distinguish between productive and unproductive worry. Productive worry can be distinguished from unproductive worry if something can be done about it today. That is, the worrier can do something today to prepare or be productive.
To take an example regarding someone who is worried about his health. This person notices aches and pains that are unusual. He begins thinking, “I wonder if I have cancer.” This thought then leads to worse and worse scenarios of getting sicker and sicker. These images lead to further thoughts and ‘what-ifs’ such as, “What if the doctor doesn’t diagnose me correctly?” and “What if it’s too late?” In this example, the person has a productive worry about his health. This productive worry leads him to contact a doctor and schedule an appointment. However, this person also has unproductive worry in imagining all the worse case scenarios. This worry is unproductive because he cannot do anything else except call his doctor.
We could think of the utility of worry in this way: “Can I do anything about this?” If the answer is yes, then it is productive worry. Then it would be wise to do what we can to change the situation and then stop worrying. If the answer is no, then our worry is serving no purpose other than making us more anxious.
Another example is a person having an exam coming up next week. She is worried and thinking, “What if I fail? What if I get thrown out of school? What if I end up homeless? What if my parents disown me for letting them down?” All of these “what-ifs” are unproductive worries. They are unproductive because she can not do anything to solve the problem. Since she has not taken the exam, she does not know if she is going to pass. Thus, she cannot solve the problem of being homeless. She can’t solve problems that don’t exist. Unproductive worry is about what-ifs, in which nothing can be done. Productive worry allows us to take action. In the above example, she could set time aside to study over the next week. Productive worry helps to take action. To figure out what we can do to change the situation. It allows to get ‘out of our heads’ and do something to solve the problem. If we cannot do anything to solve the problem, then we might say to ourselves that worry is not helping me out in this situation.
Worriers often get mixed messages about their worry. On one hand, they might feel the worry is “driving me crazy”, but on the other hand they get something from their worry. Worriers believe that their worry can help them prepare, avoid uncertainty, or get motivated. There is some truth in the idea that worry can help people prepare and avoid uncertainty. However, when worry becomes extreme it can cause tension and stress.
It is useful to distinguish between productive and unproductive worry. Productive worry can be distinguished from unproductive worry if something can be done about it today. That is, the worrier can do something today to prepare or be productive.
To take an example regarding someone who is worried about his health. This person notices aches and pains that are unusual. He begins thinking, “I wonder if I have cancer.” This thought then leads to worse and worse scenarios of getting sicker and sicker. These images lead to further thoughts and ‘what-ifs’ such as, “What if the doctor doesn’t diagnose me correctly?” and “What if it’s too late?” In this example, the person has a productive worry about his health. This productive worry leads him to contact a doctor and schedule an appointment. However, this person also has unproductive worry in imagining all the worse case scenarios. This worry is unproductive because he cannot do anything else except call his doctor.
We could think of the utility of worry in this way: “Can I do anything about this?” If the answer is yes, then it is productive worry. Then it would be wise to do what we can to change the situation and then stop worrying. If the answer is no, then our worry is serving no purpose other than making us more anxious.
Another example is a person having an exam coming up next week. She is worried and thinking, “What if I fail? What if I get thrown out of school? What if I end up homeless? What if my parents disown me for letting them down?” All of these “what-ifs” are unproductive worries. They are unproductive because she can not do anything to solve the problem. Since she has not taken the exam, she does not know if she is going to pass. Thus, she cannot solve the problem of being homeless. She can’t solve problems that don’t exist. Unproductive worry is about what-ifs, in which nothing can be done. Productive worry allows us to take action. In the above example, she could set time aside to study over the next week. Productive worry helps to take action. To figure out what we can do to change the situation. It allows to get ‘out of our heads’ and do something to solve the problem. If we cannot do anything to solve the problem, then we might say to ourselves that worry is not helping me out in this situation.
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