Rosalee Brown

Here are some suggestions, tried, tested and proven:

You must plan and you must strategise, as without a workable plan you will fail!

Portion control, portion control. Yes! You can have most foods, but the crunch is how much you eat, that is what will ruin you!

Have meats, foods with rich sauces, dressings and fats in very small amounts.

Have very large amounts of vegetable salads which are unadulterated, but flavourful from the variety of vegetables used.

Have moderate amounts of the starches.

Have large glasses of water and other low or no-calorie beverages.

Drink punches, sorrel and alcoholic beverages in very small glasses and limit the amounts to one per meal.

Serve your cake or pudding in a plate, use a fork and enjoy a small piece. If you 'junk' or 'hunk' a wedge and eat thoughtlessly, you won't be able to keep track until it is gone.

Enjoy the gatherings; it is not all about the food. Do not be so intense as there are other fun things to do. Mingle!

Eat slowly, you do not have to chew 32 times, but you are not in a race. When we eat too fast, we tend to consume too much without realising it.

Do not make mounds on your plate. If you see your food making tiers, even when you have chosen a small plate, you are taking too large a portion or too many portions. Leave the rest for another occasion.

And for those who are preparing the meal, try not to taste too often and too large portions, these add up!

For the partygoers, have a little something before you go. Drink a glass or two of water before you dig in.

Also remember that those alcoholic beverages are high in calories.

Last, but not least, dance up a ton of sweat or find some other sort of high-energy activity to burn some calories.

Have fun, be safe and spread the cheer, share with someone less fortunate than yourself.

God bless!

You can survive the feasting season without gaining excess body fat. For many persons, the last two months of the year are difficult because of heightened demands on their time and reduced opportunities for physical activity. These last two months have many mornings, middays and evenings of intermittent rains, ruining many planned, outdoor-exercise activities. Because of this, many persons have started the season with a few unplanned pounds and are worried about navigating the coming weeks without gaining even more, while still having fun, enjoying some festive foods and not being a party pooper.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.