The truth is, we tend to eat more during holiday season—Christmas and New Year's feasts of course. While it sounds fun to celebrate these days with our loved ones and with delicious recipes, the problem arises when we become mindless of what and how we eat. Keep in mind, even though it’s the season of family gathering and feast, doesn’t mean we can't manage our eating habits.

1. VitaminA
Whyyouneedit:ThevitaminAfamilyplaysakey
roleinimmunity,reproductivebehaviors,and
especiallyvision.TheAvitamins,whichinclude
beta-carotene,helptheretina,cornea,and
membranesoftheeyetofunctionproperly.
Wheretogetit:Thehighestconcentrationof
vitaminAisfoundinsweetpotatoes;justone
medium-sizedbakedsweetpotatocontainsmore
than28,000internationalunits(IU)ofvitaminA,or
561% ofyourrecommendeddailyvalue(DV).Beef
liver,spinach,fish,milk,eggs,andcarrotsalsoare
goodsources.
VitaminB6
Whyyouneedit:VitaminB6isanumbrellaterm
forsixdifferentcompoundsthathavesimilareffects
onthebody.Thesecompoundsmetabolizefoods,
helpformhemoglobin(partofyourredbloodcells),
stabilizebloodsugar,andmakeantibodiesthatfight
disease.
Wheretogetit:Wheretogetit:Fish,beefliver,andpoultryareall
goodsourcesofB6,butthefoodrichestinthis
vitamin—goodnewsforvegetarians—isthe
chickpea,orgarbanzobean.Onecupofcanned
chickpeascontains1.1milligrams(mg)ofvitamin
B6,or55% ofyourDV.
VitaminC
Whyyouneedit:VitaminCisanimportant
antioxidant,andit'salsoanecessaryingredientin
severalkeybodilyprocesses,suchasprotein
metabolismandthesynthesisofneurotransmitters.
Wheretogetit:Wheretogetit:Mostpeoplethinkcitruswhenthey
thinkofvitaminC,butsweetredpeppersactually
containmoreofthevitaminthananyotherfood:95
mgperserving(wellaheadoforangesandjust
edgingoutorangejuice,at93mgperserving).
Othergoodsourcesincludekiwifruit,broccoli,
Brusselssprouts,andcantaloupe.
Calcium
Whyyouneedit:Calciumisthemostabundant
mineralinthebody.Morethan99% isstored
in—andhelpsfortify—teethandbones,whilethe
remaindergoestowardbloodvesselandmuscle
function,cellcommunication,andhormone
secretion.
Wheretogetit:Wheretogetit:Dairyproductscontainthehighest
amountsofnaturallyoccurringcalcium;plainlow-fat
yogurtleadsthepackwith415mg(42% DV)per
serving.Dark,leafygreens(suchaskaleand
Chinesecabbage)areanothernaturalsourceof
calcium,whichcanalsobefoundinfortifiedfruit
juicesandcereals.
VitaminD
Whyyouneedit:VitaminD,whichourbody
generatesonitsownwhenourskinisexposedto
sunlight,helpsspurcalciumabsorptionandbone
growth.It'salsoimportantforcellgrowth,immunity,
andthereductionofinflammation.
Wheretogetit:Wheretogetit:Fattyfishes—includingswordfish,
salmon,andmackerel—areamongthefewnaturally
occurringdietarysourcesofvitaminD.(Codliveroil
istops,with1,360IUpertablespoon,while
swordfishissecondwith566IU,or142% DV.)Most
peopletendtoconsumevitaminDviafortifiedfoods
suchasmilk,breakfastcereals,yogurt,andorange
juice.juice.
Eatearly.
Don'tskipbreakfast,saysAmyJamieson-Petonic,a
registereddietitian.“Don’tletlastnight’sbigmeal
keepyoufromhavingahealthybreakfasttoday,
andeveryday,”shesays.Ifyoudon’tcommitto
breakfast,youmayspendtherestoftheday
overeating.
Workout.
Exercisekeepsyourmetabolismgoing,helpsyou
digestandburnoffcalories,andcanstabilizeyour
mood.
Doatrade-off.
“Foreveryalcoholicdrinkyouhaveduringthe
holidays,tellyourselfyouneedtobephysically
activefor30minutestoburnitoff,”says
Jamieson-Petonic,who'salsoanexercise
physiologist.
Stayhydrated.
Choosewaterorlow-caloriedrinks.Ahandytip:
“Twentyouncesofwater20minutesbeforeeach
mealkeepsyouhydratedwhilereducingcravings
andcalorieswhenyoueat,”Jamieson-Petonicsays.
Vegout.
Hitthecrunchyvegetables.Hard.They'llfillyouup,
makingyoulesslikelytoovereat.
PresentedBy:
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/25-healthy-holiday-choices
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20660118,00.html
www.ultrapurforskolin.com
Healthy
Holiday
Choices