This Christmas, have a heart-friendly feast!

(Photo : Dr Priyanka Rohatgi)

New Delhi, December 22, 2018:

Tis’ the season, of spending time with family and friends while indulging in feast and festivities. Christmas dinner is a celebrated tradition which not only satisfies the palate but also sates the soul. People look forward to the relishing Christmas foods throughout the year where the entire family comes together to prepare a delicious meal.

But festive indulgence should not have harmful effect on your health. Festive meals tend to be rich in fats, sugar and carbohydrates. The sluggishness one feels after indulging in Christmas feast (also known as postprandial somnolence) is due to consumption of foods that have a high glycemic index. Such foods quickly increase blood sugar, which can induce an insulin rush and thus make you feel sleepy. While in most people, such an insulin spike would lead to a food coma, in people who are diabetic, serious health complications can occur.

While it goes against the basic tenet of festivities, this Christmas make an effort to have a heart-friendly feast. We tend to get carried away with all the festive eating and then feel the after-effects of Christmas indulgence long after the festivities are over. It is reflected not only in the weight gain that inevitably happens it can also push your body into a state which becomes more receptive to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Here are a few things one can do to prepare a Christmas meal that would be light on your heart without compromising on the taste-

1. Use MUFA rich oils: It is better to avoid fried food as much as possible, but when required use MUFA rich oils to fry or sauté the food. MUFA, meaning Monounsaturated fatty acids, are more heart friendly. MUFA rich oils such as peanut oil, mustard oil, canola oil, among others, help in controlling high blood pressure which is a risk factor for many heart diseases. They have also proven to be helpful in preventing oxidation of bad cholesterol ‘LDL’, thereby reducing arterial inflammation.

2. Add Green to your meal: The best way to avoid over-consumption of fatty foods is to balance your meal out with green vegetables. These can be in the form of sautéed vegetables or eating variety of salads. Since vegetables are rich in fibre, they can induce satiety which will help you feel ‘full’ and thus avoid over-eating. Incorporating nut such as cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. in your daily diet also provides you with healthy fats and good nutrition.

3. Eat smaller proportions: Another way to limit your food intake is to reduce the proportion of your meal. The dining table is always groaning under the weight of scrumptious Christmas treats which are hard to resist. In this scenario, instead of abstaining from indulging in the delectable foods, choose to eat everything but in smaller proportions. This way you can indulge without over-eating.

4. Reduce the salt and sugar intake: Be vigilant in limiting the amount of salt and sugar intake during this festive season. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet helps to decrease blood pressure which reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, have control over how much sugar you are consuming to avoid a ‘sugar rush’. Increased consumption of sugar is also associated with increased risk of heart disease. Use jaggery or molasses instead of refined sugar.

5. Eat ‘good’ meat: Meat is rich in proteins. But red meats such as beef, pork and lamb have more saturated fats as compared to chicken and fish. These saturated fats can increase the risk of heart disease and in people who already have a heart condition consumption of red meats can worsen the problem. On the other hand, fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to reduce the risk of heart failure.

Author: Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi, Chief Clinical Nutritionist, Apollo Hospitals