As much as we’d all love to write winter weight gain off as one of those annoying health myths (an apple a day, the two-second food rule, et cetera) it’s unfortunately 100 percent real, as a large international study recently proved. You’re likelier to gain the most weight of the year during the holiday season, and it can take up to five months to lose. Say it with me: Ughhh.
So, because I’m really not very good at giving up the things that help me deal with my Seasonal Affective Disorder?namely, pasta, risotto, wine, cheese; you get the idea?I decided to ask people who specialize in eating healthy how they do it during winter. Below, get seven of their best secrets for staving off those cold-weather pounds?and, unlike their clients, you don’t even have to pay a cent. Pick Healthy Comfort Foods.
You don’t have to give up comfort foods entirely. (Phew.) But you do need to choose wisely if you don’t want your waistline to grow. Monica Amsterdam, Director of Nutrition at the Medical and Wellness Center of New Jersey, suggests opting for roasted vegetables like carrots, onions, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips and rutabaga. “These are naturally sweet and very satisfying, nourish our organs, and invigorate our mind,” she says. That I can get behind.
Spice it Up.
In place of carb-y, cheesy dishes (sigh, my fave), focus on adding as much flavor to your food as possible, and it’ll be a ...