An expert spoke about the risks of overeating during the holidays

On January 2, Sofya Eliashevich, head of the laboratory for the study and correction of eating behavior at the National Medical Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine of the Russian Ministry of Health, told Izvestia why people finish everything they cooked after the holidays and how it harms their health.

It is noted that there is nothing wrong in the fact that people continue to finish salads and pies after New Year's Eve, if it is accompanied by active recreation, winter fun and meetings with friends in the fresh frosty air, and the products themselves were stored correctly.

However, if not physically active, it can cause a number of negative consequences, namely an increase in body weight for seven days by an average of 2.5 kg; the risk of food infections and poisoning, especially if the food was not heat-treated, left for a long time at room temperature and dressed with mayonnaise; exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including pancreatitis and cholecystitis.

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Among the reasons for overeating, the expert pointed out the content of sugar and fats in food, which activate the pleasure centers in the brain, stimulating the desire to eat more. Also, emotional state (stress, depression) and social habits, when food becomes part of leisure time, can influence overeating.

It is specified that when consuming energy-dense food, it is important to maintain a high level of physical activity. This will help to achieve stable body weight regulation. Sufficient physical activity keeps the balance between energy needs and energy expenditure. Otherwise, the energy that comes with food does not have time to be used up and is stored in fatty tissue.

According to the expert, to organize a healthy diet after the New Year's holidays should take into account several principles: try to eat at the same time, include in the diet more vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products, reduce the consumption of sugar and saturated fats and drink enough water.

Eliasiewicz gave an example of how to eat to establish a balanced diet.

For breakfast she advised to eat oatmeal porridge on water (100 g) with 50 g of berries or cheesecakes baked in the oven with a tablespoon of 10% sour cream (100 g). As a snack you can take 150 g of apple or 10 g of walnuts, for lunch - salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado with a tablespoon of olive oil and sesame seeds (200 g), grilled chicken breast (100 g) and orange (150 g), for dinner - baked fish (100 g) with broccoli (200 g).

Strict diets are usually not recommended, as they can lead to psychological discomfort and, as a result, frequent breakdowns and weight swings. Instead of diets, you should stick to a balanced and varied diet, which will help restore the normal state of the body without excessive restrictions, the specialist concluded.

Earlier, December 30, freelance nutritionist of the Department of Health Antonina Starodubova said that the least caloric among the traditional New Year salads are "Mimosa" and herring under a fur coat. She added that the traditional New Year's Eve salad Olivier has a high content of saturated fats and dietary salt.