During the holidays, we eat, drink and be merry. It can lead to feelings of guilt and fear if we don't take care of ourselves during the holidays.
How much do you have to worry about the effects of holiday over eating?
Studies show that weight gain can happen during silly season. It is not as dramatic as diet culture would have you believe, coming in at about 0.7 kilograms.
Nutrition science is difficult because humans are complex and varied. Weight gain doesn't occur despite significant increases in energy intake and diet quality.
Major holidays in the northern hemisphere coincide with winter. These studies only look at weight. Health is more complex than weight is convenient to measure.
There is more to food than energy and nutrition. It contributes to social, cultural and emotional wellbeing.
It's difficult to study, but it's equally important to nourish our souls with foods that connect us to our loved ones and our traditions.
Sharing meals is part of the holiday feasts. Sharing meals makes us feel better.
Homeostasis is a term used to describe how systems regulate themselves. The ancient Greek words for "steady" and "similar" are what the word comes from.
It is possible for biology to adapt to changes in order to keep things in their normal state. Our body is always changing in order to stay the same. Our body temperature, blood sugar, blood pressure and other vital systems are regulated in this way.
Our eating and metabolism are related to the principles of home. Our biology works to minimize the impacts if we eat more for holidays.
As our bodies adjust to using less energy, it can be difficult to lose weight on restrictive diet.
Most people aren't likely to be the main drivers of health outcomes. Most of the time, the patterns we follow will affect our health.
It's difficult to maintain a restrictive diet long term. When indulge is allowed, some people are more successful in keeping a balanced diet.
Science has helped you to be cautious.
Chronic diseases can be caused by over-consumption of alcohol.
Accidents and violence can be caused by excess alcohol consumption during the festive period.
Staying hydrated by alternating with non-alcoholic beverages will help reduce how much you drink, but it will not eliminate the risks.
Our risks of food poisoning increase when we eat festively, travel and over-crowded fridges. The risk of heat increases during the summer.
Remember your basic food safety rules, such as hand washing, avoiding cross-contamination of uncooked meats and other foods, and storing food chilled and heating thoroughly, because you want to share food and joy, not germs.
To make sure everyone has a safe holiday feast, it's important to talk to your guests about food allergies.
Adding guilt to your festive feast isn't healthy because what we eat is a big part of determining our health.
Balance and moderation for the bulk of the year and for most of your choices, but social and cultural eating is part of balance.
Enjoying your celebration foods doesn't have to mean throwing away all your healthy habits if we let it.
Emma Beckett is a senior lecturer in the food science and human nutrition department.
Under a Creative Commons license, this article is re-posted. The original article is worth a read.
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