More Tips To Eat Well During The Holidays

We all know that the months between October and January can represent weight gain for many people. We are all faced with temptations starting with Halloween, through Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years. These holidays center around food–and who doesn’t love food? We know that we at Hauser Diet sure do! You have heard it many times before, however, you do not have to gain weight during the holidays. Here are a few tips from us at Hauser Diet.

Include foods that are good for YOU!
The Hauser Diet program involves five different Hauser Diet Types – the Lion, Otter, Bear, Monkey, and Giraffe Diet Types.

•	Hauser Lions and Otters need to keep their focus on protein and vegetable containing foods.
•	Monkeys and Giraffes need to focus on lean protein and vegetable sources, allowing some whole grain carbohydrates and fruits.
•	Bears really need to watch the portions of a wide array of foods.

You need To include healthier foods!
Part of the Hauser Diet is learning how to eat better quality, fresh foods. The holidays make it tempting to reach for pre-made products loaded with chemicals and additives. Steer clear of those and start FRESH! Here are some of our favorite, easy, delicious, and healthy foods:

Roasted Fresh Vegetables: Vitamins, minerals, fiber – yup! You’ll get plenty of these from fresh vegetables! One of the most delicious, nutritious, and down-right good ways to prepare fresh vegetables is to lightly coat them with olive oil and kosher salt, place them on a baking sheet, and pop them in the 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Roasting brings out the sweetness and the flavor. Vegetables are a food that all Hauser Diet Types need. Give it a try! Check out Chapter 9 in The Hauser Diet book for more delicious vegetable recipes!

Baked sweet potatoes: These orange colored potatoes are filled with potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and fiber! Lions and Otters eat a small serving as a side dish, where the other three Diet Types can make these a staple. A pinch of kosher salt, a small drizzle of olive oil, and a shake of cinnamon make baked sweet potatoes a delicious healthy alternative to the more calorically-dense sweet potato casseroles loaded with butter and sugar.

Yogurt Dipped Fruit: Fruit is a good dessert alternative for Bears, Monkeys, and Giraffes. You Otters and Lions need to pass the fruit AND the desserts, and go right for the nuts. A nice, healthy, easy way to get a little sweetness in your holiday meal is to cut up fresh melon, berries, and grapes and serve it with some plain yogurt that has been sweetened with a little fruit and/or honey or lime juice. See chapter 9 in the Hauser Diet book for more ideas.

Nuts: Otters and Lions need to step away from the holiday cookies and go nuts! Almonds, pecans, peanuts – those are friends to the Otters and Lions and make nice desserts. We like to have a dish of nuts out for parties, especially ones involving kids! Kids love nuts and they are much healthier for them than sugar-coated candies or cookies! They provide Vitamin E and essential fatty acids.

Roast Beef and Turkey: Good quality meats are a must for the holiday meals. Lions and Otters need to fill up on roast beef or turkey as they need the protein to feel their best. Offering roast beef or turkey roll-ups and an interesting mustard dipping sauce make great easy appetizers!

Chicken or pork satays: Chicken or pork on a stick! What a great way to serve protein to all of your Hauser Lion, Otter, and Bear buddies! Make them yourself using good quality, organic meats and serve with a Thai dipping sauce or peanut sauce. We’ve got some great recipes in Chapter 9 of the Hauser Diet book. Check it out! Giraffes and Monkeys will love roasted tofu on a stick too!

Avoid foods that are excessively high in calories!

Eggnog: Although very tasty, eggnog calories can add up over 350 calories for one cup! If you add in some extra toppings and alcohol, we’re looking at 400+. Pass on the eggnog and have some roasted veggies instead!

Alcoholic beverages: Speaking of alcohol, we all know that if you are trying to watch your weight, consuming alcohol will not help you. Lions and Otters do not do well with alcohol and should not be drinking it, especially when they are already being tempted by all sorts of sweets already!

Desserts: Giraffes and Monkeys are allowed moderate amounts of simple carbohydrates on their Hauser Diets, but this does not give them license to eat them ad lib. Try substituting fruit as described above, and definitely bite-size pieces versus large ones! Lions and Otters – forget about it! These are not for you!

Cream sauces and gravies: One of the downfalls that many Giraffes and Monkeys face is their desire for creamy rich foods. Unfortunately, fat is not something in abundance on these Hauser Diets. Try fresh herbs and seasonings to add extra flavor. Otters and Lions can have the sauces/gravies, however, they need to watch the portions, as do the Bears.

Tweak for your Type!
You may be thinking, “wow, I can’t eat any of my favorite meals any more!” Well, that may be the case, but you can learn how to tweak your recipes to be healthier and more appropriate for your particular Hauser Diet Type. We review this extensively in Chapter 9 of the Hauser Diet book and have provided “tweaks for your type” to help you see how to change a recipe to make it more friendly for your particular Hauser Diet Type. We are all familiar with the “green bean casserole” made from cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, and the like. Here’s an example of a tweaked recipe:

Green Bean Casserole