Debugging after parties

After the Christmas holidays, in which some of us have put our digestive systems to the test, it is time to restore normality in meals.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Following a light and healthy diet, replacing fats, sugars and alcohol with foods rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, low in calories and cleansing properties, will help us return to normality.
• Eating slowly, drinking plenty of water and avoiding fatty and sugary foods are some of the tips that will facilitate digestion.
• Performing moderate physical activity between three and five days a week will help burn the calories that we have consumed more and even allow us to reduce weight.

How to get back to normal?

If the meals on these dates have far exceeded our nutrient needs, if the lunches and dinners of celebrations and commitments have happened one after another, if we have exceeded with sweets and fats thanks to nougats, polvorones, etc. and we have drunk too much with the excuse of washing our meals or dinners with a good wine, and toasting with cava or champagne… it is time to return to normality! Before doing so, therefore, we should do a slight "cleaning", which gives a truce to the digestive system.

The recommendation is to follow, for a few days, a light and healthy diet in which we replace fats, sugars and alcohol with foods rich in fiber, with a low caloric intake and, if possible, with cleansing properties. Here's how.

Dietary habits

We must take into account a series of tips to facilitate good digestion, always and especially after days of having made the digestive system work more than necessary.

• Eating slowly: it is recommended to eat by chewing food well, taking the time necessary not to eat food too quickly, in a relaxed and calm environment.
• Eat fresh food: although there are habits for all tastes, the usual thing for Christmas parties is menus based on broths and soups, stews, sauces ... and sweet desserts. Instead, we tend to leave fresh and healthy foods like fruits and vegetables a bit forgotten. These, especially if we consume them raw, will provide us with vitamins and minerals that we cannot get with processed products or with other types of food. In addition, they provide fiber that helps us regulate intestinal transit.
• Avoid fatty or sugary foods: this type of food should always represent a punctual contribution to our diet. If for a few days they have become the protagonists we should avoid them for a few days trying to balance the intake.
• Choose light and digestive preparations: to counteract excess fat and protein foods (meat, fish, shellfish ...) we opt for simple, low-fat and easy-to-digest cooking, as well as foods with the same characteristics. Preparations based on vegetables and whole grains, and cooking such as steam, iron, grill, papillote, etc.
• Make frequent and low-volume intakes: in order to get rid of the copious meals typical of the Christmas holidays, it is preferable that we choose to eat five meals a day, avoiding that the noon and, above all, dinner are too abundant.
• Drink enough water: after a few days in which the consumption of alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, etc. has increased. We must remember that the most advisable drink is always water, necessary in multiple processes of the organism. Water helps us to eliminate products that our body does not need and, therefore, it covers a purifying function that is always essential and especially after some excess. It should be noted that a daily consumption of about two to two and a half liters of water is recommended.
• Avoid fluid retention: to achieve better drainage we can opt for foods and drinks that stimulate diuresis such as vegetables in general, and in particular artichoke, onion, etc., and infusions such as red tea, cola of horse…

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE EXERCISE

Although the ideal would be to practice it regularly and not neglect it during the holidays, if we did not have that habit or we have forgotten it for a few days it is time to get down to work.

Performing moderate physical activity between three and five days a week helps us to tone the muscles, improves blood flow and reduces the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. It will also help us burn the calories that we have consumed more and even allow us to reduce weight.

ALLIED FOODS

• and papaya: both have proteolytic enzymes, that is, they help us in the digestion of proteins and, therefore, will help to lighten our digestions.
• It stands out for its properties as a diuretic and choleretic food (stimulates the creation of bile) and for its beneficial effects on the liver. (To learn more about the artichoke: link to the content Artichoke, the famous ally of diets).
• Blue fish (sardines, anchovies, salmon, tuna ...) and nuts: after days in which we have possibly abused foods rich in saturated fat and cholesterol, we must reintroduce foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help balance the cholesterol balance, increasing the so-called good cholesterol (HDL).
• Whole grains (pasta, rice, bread…) and legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans, soybeans…): after having somewhat forgotten foods rich in fiber, let us remember the beneficial role they exert on intestinal transit, among other functions.

SAMPLE MENUS

This is a guideline that must be modified according to personal needs and that shows some examples that we can take as a reference when preparing our menus these days:

Breakfast:

• A piece of fresh fruit.
• A skimmed dairy: it is a source of calcium and protein with little fat.
• A whole wheat flour (bread or toast or cereals): fiber with few sugars.

Examples: A kiwi, a glass of skimmed milk and whole grains (rolled oats, multigrain muesli ...)

An orange, a calcium-enriched soy smoothie and whole wheat toast.

Midmorning:

• A piece of fresh fruit: it will provide us with fiber, vitamins, minerals, water ...

Examples: an apple or two or three tangerines.

Meal:

• Vegetable or vegetable (salad, steamed vegetables, cream or vegetable puree): it should be the main dish.
• Farinaceous (pasta or rice or potato or legume), without creams or fatty sauces.
• Protein (meat or fish or egg): small amount and grilled, grill or oven without sauces or added fats)
• Fat (extra virgin olive oil): maximum two tablespoons.
• A piece of fresh fruit.

Examples: Assorted green salad + hake loin a la papillote with vegetables and wild rice + papaya Steamed broccoli with potato + grilled chicken breast with a seasoned tomato + a pear. Complete salad: warm vegetable salad with hard-boiled egg + a slice of pineapple.

Mid afternoon:

• A dairy (skimmed yogurt or fresh cheese or skim milk)
• A handful of dried fruits (walnuts or hazelnuts or almonds): they provide fiber and unsaturated fatty acids.

Examples: skimmed yogurt with two almonds and two walnuts or fresh cheese with two hazelnuts and two walnuts.

Dinner:

• Vegetable or vegetable (salad, steamed vegetables, cream or vegetable puree)
• Fat (extra virgin olive oil): maximum one tablespoon.
• A dairy (skimmed yogurt or fresh cheese or skimmed milk).

Examples: Vegetable cream (pumpkin, zucchini ...) + individual tub of fresh cheese. Microwave artichokes (see recipe in Artichoke, the famous diet ally) + skimmed yogurt. Grilled vegetables + kefir.

Note: this proposal is indicative and, therefore, does not suit all cases and needs.