4 principles to control weight gain during the 4-day New Year holidays

If you eat and drink too much during the Chinese New Year, be careful that your belt will have several holes in it! Nutritionists point out that frequent gatherings during the New Year holidays, coupled with not restricting snacks, can lead to a 1kg weight gain in just 4 days. They recommend that people add 1/3 green vegetables to dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and hotpot, replace staple foods with 1/3 whole grains, and eat only 1/3 of a pack of snacks. If you also measure your waist circumference once a week, you can easily control your weight without worries.

Nutritionists point out that if you do not avoid eating festive meals and snacks, you may consume an extra 7,700 calories in four days, which means you gain 1 kilogram of weight.

Dr. Chen Peirong, a nutritionist at the National Taiwan University Hospital, said that the average calorie content of commercially available New Year's Eve meals and restaurant dishes is about 2,000 calories per person, which is 600 to 1,200 calories more than the average regular meal. If you continue to eat too much at every meal, you will gain 1 kilogram in just 4 days, before the New Year holiday is over! In addition, if we indulge ourselves in New Year snacks such as sesame and nougat, only 3 small packets (about 450 calories) a day, the weight gained from snacks after the New Year is at least half a kilogram per person. If we are not careful, the waist circumference will increase. If the waist circumference exceeds 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women, they may also develop metabolic syndrome and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

【Dietary Control Card 3331 Principle】

Nutritionist Chen Peirong recommends that people who eat a lot during the New Year holidays should avoid obesity, which can lead to metabolic syndrome. You can refer to the 3331 rules:

1. When cooking at home, replace 1/3 with green vegetables: If you pack Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for a gathering and bring it home, add appropriate amounts of cabbage, bok choy and other vegetables to reduce calories and increase fiber.

2. Replace 1/3 of the staple food at each meal with whole grains: According to research, eating 48 to 80 grams of whole grains (about 2/3 bowl) a day can not only reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but also effectively reduce the weight of children aged 8 to 13.

3. Limit snack intake and only eat 1/3 of a pack: Eat snacks in moderation and with fruits, and change the habit of buying large bags of snacks.

4. Measure your waist circumference once a week: In addition to diet management, the easiest way to fight New Year's weight gain is to measure your waist circumference once a week. Parents and children can monitor each other's waist circumference to stay away from the threat of metabolic syndrome.

Nutritionist Chen Peirong recommends that you keep in mind the 3331 principle when eating a lot during the New Year holidays to effectively control your calories and avoid worries. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

Metabolic syndrome risk

Nutritionist Chen Peirong pointed out that the risk factors of metabolic syndrome include: abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≧90cm for men and ≧80cm for women), high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure ≧130 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≧85 mmHg), high fasting blood sugar (≧100mg/dl), high triglycerides (≧150mg/dl), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (male <40mg/d, female <50mg/d).

If a person has a thick waist circumference, 50% will have metabolic syndrome. If their blood pressure is also a little high, the chance of having metabolic syndrome increases to 72%. Encourage the public to practice "3D healthy living" - Do Control to control waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids, Do Healthy Diet to choose a healthy diet, Do Exercise to maintain a dynamic lifestyle and exercise habits, so as to stay away from metabolic syndrome and fight against the three high threats.