Partying Without Derailing Your Diet

With ongoing Christmas festivities and New Year around the corner, parties are in full swing all over. With this holiday mood, often any thought of healthy living gets completely sidetracked. But it doesn’t have to be. You can still have a good time and good health too.

Here are a few things to remember,

Fill up before you go

When we’re hungry we have less control and are more likely to give in to temptations, so before leaving for a party, ensure that you have a small meal at home like a sandwich/paratha/idli/dosa/cheela with a fruit. Also have plenty of water.

All about alcohol

Because alcohol is calorie-dense (1 gram has 7 kcal), body tends to first utilise calories from alcohol, slowing down the burning of fats for energy. So, it is important to choose your drinks wisely. Calories mentioned are approx values per drink.

1. Drinks like, Light beer (110 cal), Rum with Diet coke(65 cal), Red wine (85 cal), Gin and Tonic (110 cal) are preferable
2. Sugary cocktails like Pina Colada (590 cal), Margarita (550 cal), Long Island Iced Tea (540 cal) are best avoided.
3. When mixing drinks, try to blend with diet soda/water
4. Drink plenty of water along with alcohol, don’t drink alcohol to quench your thirst.
5. Even for teetotallers, drinks like fresh lime soda, Fresh juices without added sugar are preferable than sugary soda/mocktails.

What about Snacks?

If possible, arrange healthy snacks to munch like roasted chana, roasted papad, sukha bhel, sprout chaat, grilled/baked veg/nonveg starters

Avoid deep fried, cheesy and oily snacks.

How to manage party Meals

1. Whenever possible, have salads first thing.
2. Instead of oily gravies (veg and non-veg) prefer roti and daal
3. In other options, chaat item without sev and pao bhaji/sandwiches without cheese/butter, paste in red sauce are better choices

Ensure that you don’t skip your meal. Atleast have a small portion of Daal-Roti/ Plain rice with veggies after the drinks.

Drink lots of water on the next day to get rid of the toxins faster.

Also increase your fiber intake (fruits/salad/vegetables) one day before and after the party to minimize the ill effects.

Regardless of how you managed your diet at the party, don’t forget to get back on track as quickly as possible.

Cheers and here is wishing all of you a merry christmas and a happy and healthy new year in advance!