Getting through the Passover Food Fest

Well-here we go again.  How much can you gain this Passover!  Well, now hear this--you don't have to gain weight.  My collegue, Jennifer Racz R.D.who works with me here in the Lose It! Center for Weight Loss and Stess Management has drafted the following tips:

Tips for Getting through Pesach

(Print, Cut out and Post!)

1. Don’t skip meals - especially right before the Seder. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast and a light meal before the Seder. Remember: you will not eat your Pesach meal until late, and if you are very hungry, you may overeat at the Seder meal and/or nibble on too much matzah. 

2. Plan a healthy Passover meal with YOU in mind. Just like on Shabbat, make sure there are healthy alternatives of your favorite dishes. There are a lot of healthy Pesach recipes on the internet.
   
   
3. When cooking, make sure to eat sitting down to avoid over-tasting. Put a piece of gum or a mint leaf in your mouth. The extra second it takes for you to remove the gum will give you time to think twice!

4. Avoid the “All or Nothing” approach to eating. If you overate at a meal or ate too much of an unhealthy food, move on and start making healthy, balanced choices again. Every small step helps. Remember: a righteos person falls 7 times and gets up 8.

5. If you don’t use canola oil because of legunes, chose walnut oil instead of palm oil, which is high in saturated fat. Your health is worth paying a little bit more.

6. Make sure to have healthy snack foods handy. Overeating or eating too much of an unhealthy food often occurs because you are too hungry to make wise decisions, or there are no healthy alternatives. Keep cut up veggies, nuts, and cheese available for snacking and….

7. PLAN PLAN PLAN!! Just as you are planning the Seder and your Passover cleaning in advance, you can also plan your meals so that you are not left hungry or to noshing unconsciously. Plan you daily menus, shopping and snacks so that you have plenty of healthy options and you don’t skip meals.

8. How much matzah can you eat? One square of matzah is equal to 2 servings of carbohydrates, and 1 round matzah is equal to 3 servings of carbohydrates. Try to buy whole wheat or spelt matzah. The fiber in the matzah will help you feel more full, and may help counteract its other unpleasant effects.

Thank you Jennifer.  Happy Holidays and next week I will speak about this a little bit more.

Alan

www.loseit.co.il