The Partygoer’s Guide To Healthy Eating For Fabulous Skin

The biggest party of the year aka NYE is a few weeks away and is usually dotted with many other soirees leading up to the big night.

So, if you have been flitting from one shindig to another and skipping meals or eating on the go, we get it! But, it may just take a toll on your skin too, not to mention that your emergency snacks at the local late night eateries add empty calories that completely mess up your body functioning. So, what is a party animal to do?

Celebrity nutritionist Ryan Fernando, Modern Breads says, “My standard reply to this age-old question is ‘Eat before you go’. Does it work for everyone? Depends on how strong your will power is to say ‘No’ to all the aromatic temptations whiffing past you as well as to the free-flowing alcohol. A good thumb rule is to eat a healthy snack before you head to the party such as a fruit, nuts or even sandwiches made from multigrain breads. Focus on friends instead of the food.”

Party Don’ts

All you need to fully enjoy the party season is indulge in some conscious eating. “It is difficult to be health conscious when you’re out having a good time with friends, family or even colleagues. Striking a balance between maintaining a happening social life with a healthy mind and body can seem almost impossible,” says Ryan.

But, nothing is impossible! Here are his tips to do exactly that at a soiree:

Ask before eating: If the server comes to you with a delicious-looking appetiser that you cannot seem to put your finger on (not literally!), make sure you ask him what is being served before popping the food into your mouth.

Keep your drinks clean and light: Do not have aerated beverages as chasers at the party as they are high on calories. Use sparkling water with a slice of lemon to help save calories and to avoid fruity and alcoholic drinks.

Social media stalk the restaurant: Pull up the menu of the party venue restaurant and cross check the calorie count of each dish you are thinking of ordering. Use that as a guide to influence what you’re ordering later.

Bring the party to your home: Hosting a party can work to your advantage. You can invite friends and family over to your place where you can control what you are preparing and serving. This will help you to stick to your diet plan without making an extra effort.

Do not stay away from dessert: Instead of having a whole chunk by yourself, share your plate with friends. This way, you would have pacified your sweet tooth, killed your cravings and not have added too many calories.

Do not go hungry: Skipping meals is always a no-no because saving calories for later often backfires. So, plan your meals in advance as it will help you keep a tab ensuring you never overeat.

Exercise or workout in the morning: It is always better to finish your workout in the morning. This way, you don't miss a workout if you have to go out with friends or family later in the day.

Crash-dieting Gets You Nowhere

One should never go on a crash diet or even exercise for long hours to lose weight. Simple changes in your day-to-day lifestyle can also help you lose weight and maintain it. Research has shown that sudden weight loss can harm you. Instead, make these following changes to your lifestyle:

Eat more often: Eat every two hours. It keeps the metabolism high and ensures your energy levels are stable.  One should never skip a meal as large gaps between meals leave the body in starvation mode, which in turn, lowers the BMR and hinders fat loss.

Eat more fibre: Consuming less of fibre-rich food and more of processed food can take your sugar levels up. This leads to a greater release of insulin than required, leading to obesity. I always advise people to include high-fibre food such as fruits, multi-grain breads and green veggies every day.

Add good proteins to your diet: Your diet should include 30 to 40 percent of good protein as this helps you to lose weight faster. Some good sources of protein are chicken, fish, skimmed paneer and eggs.

Include complex carbohydrates in your diet: Foods such as millets, oats, and brown rice have a lower glycemic index value which indicates that they turn into sugar far more slowly as compared to simple carbs.

Say no to sugar: Sugar and sugar-based food can cause imbalance in glucose levels. Cutting on your sugar intake will help keep your hormones in check.