The Christmas season is supposed to be merry and bright, marked with calorie-laden dishes and treats during festivities. Unfortunately, after the merriment comes the regret over getting a Santa belly for Christmas. To make matters worse, the abdominal or visceral fat increases one’s risk of increased blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Simply put, your belly fat can give you diabetes and heart disease among other diseases.

But what can we do? Filipinos are known to celebrate the Christmas season with so much food on the table. Can we at indulge for just a day or two? That would have been alright, except Filipinos celebrate the Christmas season longer than other countries, therefore indulging a couple of times doesn’t happen at all. What shall we do to stay healthy during the holiday season?

Drink tea. Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea from the Camellia Sinensis plant contain plant chemicals known as catechins that are natural fat busters. In a study conducted by Sung I. Koo and Sang K. Noh, they concluded that green tea effectively inhibits the absorption of fat in the intestines. The most potent catechin that was identified was the Epigallocathechin Galate or EGCG. This is also abundant in black tea and oolong tea. Don’t forget to drink your tea after eating some ham or lechon this season.

Drink or eat chocolate. Yes, that’s right. Chocolate from pure cacao, sans the added milk and sugar. Pure cocoa is rich in polyphenol—a group of antioxidants and phytochemicals that have been reported by numerous clinical studies to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. It is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and high abdominal fat. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, and stroke. Go ahead and indulge in dark chocolate or hot chocolate. Be cautious about what other ingredients you mix it with. Avoid sugar and animal milk. It is best to add some nut milk or soymilk (soy helps lower lipids too!). A teaspoon of coco sugar or honey is just right to add a little bit of sweetness.

Eat soluble fiber. There are two types of fiber. The insoluble fiber helps with bowel movement while the soluble fiber lowers blood glucose and helps flush out bile acids in the intestines resulting to decreased fat absorption. Bile aids in fat digestion. Since most dishes served during festivities are not only high in calories but also fat and sugar (excess sugar gets converted to fat), it is important to consume food sources of soluble fiber before you head out to party. These are some rich sources of soluble fiber: Banana, oats, psyllium husk, beans, lentils, soy, avocado, chia seeds, and nuts. Why don’t you have oats with soymilk or nut milk with some cocoa powder for breakfast or snack?

Be physically active throughout the day. Walking can help decrease visceral fat. If you don’t have the time to do an hour of exercise every day, why don’t you walk for 10 minutes before or after meals. That would give you a total of 30 minutes physical activity per day. You can also take a few flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. Why don’t you pace while talking on the phone? Why don’t you walk or jog in place while watching your favorite show? Stand while reading or texting. Just keep moving! It will not only help you burn those calories that you have consume. It will also help with you blood circulation and even mental health. See, the benefits of movement and exercise goes a long way when it comes to overall health.

While you may not be able to avoid some foods that are rich this season, try your best to incorporate these four ways into your daily habits throughout the Christmas season and even beyond. But above all else, be mindful of your portions and be physically active all the time to stay healthy during the holidays.

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