Dietitian weighs in on holiday feasting

Glazed ham and cookies and pies, oh my.

The feasting that begins on Thanksgiving and runs through New Year’s Day needn’t derail your efforts to maintain, not gain, through the holiday season.

And occasional indulgences should be guilt-free, according to Hy-Vee dietitian Stephanie Vande Brake, based at the Mount Vernon Road SE in Cedar Rapids store.

It’s the cravings that need to be managed, through the types of food and the times of day and order in which they’re eaten, she said.

Controlling the ebb and flow of blood sugars is an educational passion that dates to her youth.

“The reason I wanted to be a dietitian was seeing family members suffering, whether it was diabetes or heart disease, and just knowing deep down that there were things that we could do to help with this, whether it was through diet or lifestyle,” said Vande Brake, 33, of North Liberty. “It's just wanting to help show people that they really can make a big difference — food really is medicine.”

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Now that we’re in the season where a spoonful of sugar awaits at every turn, The Gazette asked her to help us navigate through the taste temptations. Here is a glimpse at her answers.

Q: Why is food so tied to celebrations in general — and the holidays in particular?

A: I think most dietitians really believe food should be enjoyed. They're a part of our memories. If you think back to Christmas as a child, I bet you would think of a certain recipe your mother or your grandmother made. I think back to baking Christmas cookies and the different German recipes my mom would make that she probably had growing up. That's such a beautiful thing to enjoy.

Statistically, we know most diets fail because when we feel restricted, our brain just really focuses on what we can't have. So if you can find yourself in a place where you have this healthy relationship with food and you feel free to enjoy some of the sweeter things or your holiday favorite, that is such a good thing. So definitely no guilt about enjoying food over the holidays.

(Pointing to the science behind nutrition:) When we eat a lot of starches or sweets, our blood sugar goes up really high. And then our body puts out a lot of insulin to bring our blood sugar back down into kind of a healthy range.

But when we have essentially a blood sugar spike, it's usually followed by what feels like a crash. And when we have that crash — when our blood sugar gets low — our body secretes hormones to tell our brain to crave more of those high-calorie foods. So when we're having these big swings in blood sugar, biologically, that is why we experience really intense cravings and hunger.

So it's like cravings are not our fault. And there's so much we can do. Balanced blood sugar can even prevent those really intense cravings in the first place. …

And so I think my biggest tip for going into the holidays is just trying to be in control of your hunger and cravings, rather than being controlled by them. The best tip is at breakfast, to have a considerable amount of protein. That's really going to help you feel diminished cravings for the remainder of the day. …

The other point I wanted to make is (that) sometimes people feel so much guilt over just one meal, and if you think about the whole year, one meal is not going to make or break anything. So let go of some of that guilt and some of that pressure.

Q: What else can you do?

A: As a dietitian, we're always telling people (to) eat more vegetables, eat more vegetables — but nobody really ever does. And so we've taken that tip and made it more specific.

There's been some really cool research that shows if you switch up the order in which you eat your meals, it really helps to balance your blood sugar, and then consequently, it’s going to help you with reduced cravings later in the day. They found if you just eat vegetables first at your meals, like at lunch and dinner, that fiber really slows down digestion. So if have your vegetables first, then move on to your protein, and end the meal with the potatoes or the dessert, that sweet thing at the end of your meal is not going to spike your blood sugar nearly as much, because you have that fiber and protein in your stomach. …

One more tip along those lines: Research shows that with even just a few minutes of movement time after a big meal, your muscles start using up some of that sugar to help balance blood sugar. … If you're able to do a 10-minute walk or some stretching or playing with your kids — something active where you're up and moving around for a few minutes, it really, really helps. It's super effective. …

Q: When hosting dinners and parties, how do you plan your food choices when there's so many dietary restrictions, sensitivities and food allergies?

A: I can speak to this a little bit personally. For a while, I've had to do gluten-free and dairy-free. (Others may be) a little bit hesitant to go to social gatherings because you're not sure if you're going to be able to eat anything. … What I found that works well, if you're going to a gathering, bring a side dish or something that you can enjoy, and be willing to share those items with other people.

And then for the host, remember that most vegetables and fruits and plain meat are going to be pretty safe — they're going to be naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, so try to have those options.

And just communicating about it, too, and being open. Especially around the holidays, as a host, you would want to make sure your guests are comfortable. As you're extending the invitation, ask people if there are any food preferences (you) can accommodate.

Q: How do you navigate desserts and cookies, when you see six different cookies that you love?

A: Our tip here is avoid having desserts on an empty stomach, because on an empty stomach, that's going to spike your blood sugar, and then you're going to have a crash, and then a few hours later, you're going to have really intense cravings.

If you can just set the dessert aside and save it until after you have that balanced lunch or balanced dinner, where you've had your vegetables, you've had your protein, and then have that Christmas cookie. By that time, your stomach's going to be pretty full to where you're not going to have room for six cookies — you'll probably have room for one or two, but you're going to feel satiated and satisfied.

Q: How about kids? How do you keep them from getting all sugared up?

A: … A good tip is to be very consistent with meal and snack time for kids. If they're grazing all day on Christmas cookies, they're not going to eat any lunch or dinner. So rather than grazing, the parent decides when these consistent meal and snack times are, and the parent also decides what foods are going to be offered at those meals and snacks. …

When you're sitting down at the table, you have these different food choices that the parent selected. And then you're not going to comment at all on your child's eating. We know that pressuring the kid just leads to more picky eating. And so essentially, you just want to sit down and enjoy the meal, talk about your day and remove the pressure from mealtime.

(At) Christmas, sometimes intentionally put the dessert on the table with the rest of the meal and let your kid pick and choose whatever they want to eat. Maybe today they will only eat dessert for dinner, but it's a great lesson to learn, like, “Hey, when eating too many Christmas cookies, my stomach really hurts. And that's not very pleasant.” That's a great lesson to learn as a child — the natural consequence of that. And eventually, dessert isn't put on a pedestal.

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com