Nutrition

Managing Holiday Eating: Sciatica Clinic

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The holidays are a wonderful time to gather with family and friends and celebrate. However, it can be a time of overindulgence and overeating. Managing holiday eating habits is achievable by having options to help you make better choices so you can indulge and enjoy the festive food and drinks without overdoing it. Here are a few techniques to be successful.

Managing Holiday Eating

Many individuals overeat during the holidays. It’s understandable as the holiday season means letting loose, relaxing with friends and family, and enjoying the moment are major factors in overeating as auto-pilot is engaged. The next thing you know, the plate is clean, and more food is being added. It’s all about maintaining a healthy balance. Here are a few ways to manage holiday eating.

Practice Mindful Eating

  • Don’t just start devouring the food.
  • Try to spend a few moments tasting the food.
  • Slow down and chew the food slowly.
  • Savor every bite.

Doing this will help to cut down on how much food you’re consuming while truly enjoying the meal.

Prioritize sleep

  • Before the busy season begins, get enough sleep.
  • Getting the proper rest will make it easier to manage holiday stress and avoid unhealthy indulgences.

Eating Triggers

  • Stress, too many cocktails, and easy access to various foods can make individuals overeat.
  • Plan how to handle eating triggers.
  • For example, make a small plate and don’t return for seconds.

Pay Attention To The Foods and How Much

  • It’s easy to get distracted and lose track while you’re busy and socializing.
  • Distraction can cause you to eat more than you realize.

Eat and Drink Slow

  • Have what you want, but in moderation, and consume slowly.
  • Pay attention to your body signals. You could be full before the plate is clean.

Seasonal Treats

  • These can be special foods that you don’t get every day, so enjoy them.
  • But try to maintain moderation or alternate with something healthy.

Constantly Drink Water In Between

  • Take a drink of water in between bites and beverages.
  • A stomach with water can curb hunger.
  • Plenty of water helps with digestion and heartburn issues.

Moderate Alcoholic and Sugary Drinks

  • Too many holiday sweet drinks and alcoholic beverages add empty calories.
  • Try to go with the healthiest option or reduce sugar and alcohol.
  • Have one drink, then a glass of water or healthy juice, etc.

Don’t Go To The Dinner/Party Hungry

Super Foods

Adding superfoods to your holiday nutrition plan to help balance food indulgences. These are foods with high levels of vitamins and nutrients, dietary fiber that helps reduce cholesterol, and antioxidants that fight free radicals. 

Nutrients

  • Vitamin A – Protects against infections and promotes eye and skin health.
  • Vitamin C – Helps heal wounds and aids in iron absorption.
  • Vitamin K – Supports healthy digestion and blood clotting.

Superfoods include dark leafy greens, nuts, fruits, dark chocolate, olive oil, and oily/fatty fish. Here are a few superfoods you can enjoy:

Sweet Potatoes

  • Rich in vitamins A and C, fiber, and potassium.

Beans

  • They are high in fiber and protein, magnesium, and potassium.

Pumpkins

  • High in fiber and vitamin A.

Pomegranates

  • Rich in flavonoids and tannins are a healthy source of folate, potassium, and vitamin K.

Cranberries

  • Contain antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Kale

  • Low in calories.
  • High in vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, potassium, and fiber.

Winter Squash

  • High in fiber and a great source of vitamin A and carotenoids.

Parsnips

  • Provide fiber, vitamin C, folate, and manganese.

From the Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Team, have a happy, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving!


Functional Nutrition


References

Seven tips for reining in holiday overeating www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/7-tips-for-reining-in-holiday-overeating

Brown, Tanya, et al. “Have a Food-Safe Holiday Season.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics vol. 117,11 (2017): 1722-1723. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2017.08.123

Díaz-Zavala, Rolando G et al. “Effect of the Holiday Season on Weight Gain: A Narrative Review.” Journal of obesity vol. 2017 (2017): 2085136. doi:10.1155/2017/2085136

Get Your Superfood Nutrition for Good Health www.scripps.org/news_items/4431-get-your-superfood-nutrition-for-good-health.

Healthline, 2019; Ruled by Food? 5 Strategies to Break the Cycle of Overeating health.clevelandclinic.org/ruled-by-food-5-strategies-to-break-the-cycle-of-overeating/

Healthline, 2019; 23 Simple Things You Can Do to Stop Overeating www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-stop-overeating.

Lobo, V et al. “Free radicals, antioxidants, and functional foods: Impact on human health.” Pharmacognosy reviews vol. 4,8 (2010): 118-26. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.70902

What Is a Superfood, Anyway? health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-a-superfood/

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Managing Holiday Eating: Sciatica Clinic" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

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Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

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Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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Dr. Alex Jimenez

Specialties: Stopping the PAIN! We Specialize in Treating Severe Sciatica, Neck-Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal Mobility, Posture Control, Deep Health Instruction, Integrative & Functional Medicine, Functional Fitness, Chronic Degenerative Disorder Treatment Protocols, and Structural Conditioning. We also integrate Wellness Nutrition, Wellness Detoxification Protocols and Functional Medicine for chronic musculoskeletal disorders. We use effective "Patient Focused Diet Plans", Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Cross-Fit Protocols, and the Premier "PUSH Functional Fitness System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. Ultimately, I am here to serve my patients and community as a Chiropractor passionately restoring functional life and facilitating living through increased mobility. Purpose & Passions: I am a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in progressive cutting-edge therapies and functional rehabilitation procedures focused on clinical physiology, total health, functional strength training, functional medicine, and complete conditioning. We focus on restoring normal body functions after neck, back, spinal and soft tissue injuries. We use Specialized Chiropractic Protocols, Wellness Programs, Functional & Integrative Nutrition, Agility & Mobility Fitness Training and Cross-Fit Rehabilitation Systems for all ages. As an extension to dynamic rehabilitation, we too offer our patients, disabled veterans, athletes, young and elder a diverse portfolio of strength equipment, high-performance exercises and advanced agility treatment options. We have teamed up with the cities' premier doctors, therapist and trainers in order to provide high-level competitive athletes the options to push themselves to their highest abilities within our facilities. We've been blessed to use our methods with thousands of El Pasoans over the last 3 decades allowing us to restore our patients' health and fitness while implementing researched non-surgical methods and functional wellness programs. Our programs are natural and use the body's ability to achieve specific measured goals, rather than introducing harmful chemicals, controversial hormone replacement, un-wanted surgeries, or addictive drugs. We want you to live a functional life that is fulfilled with more energy, a positive attitude, better sleep, and less pain. Our goal is to ultimately empower our patients to maintain the healthiest way of living. With a bit of work, we can achieve optimal health together, no matter the age, ability or disability.

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