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Holiday Health Guide: Experts Roll Out Last-Minute Tips for Safer, Lighter Festive Meals

Specialists issue pre‑holiday advice to curb foodborne risk, overeating, dehydration.

Overview

  • Nutritionists urge planning menus in advance with fresh, homemade dishes that emphasize fruits and vegetables while limiting sugary and alcoholic drinks.
  • Food-safety guidance includes separating raw and cooked foods, preventing cross-contamination, keeping refrigeration below 5°C, and reaching at least 65°C when cooking or reheating.
  • Mindful strategies include serving small portions, eating slowly, pausing between bites, and using a single well-balanced plate to sample favorites without repeating.
  • Experts advise against daytime fasting to ‘compensate’ for dinner because it heightens anxiety and binge risk, recommending steady meals and vegetable choices for satiety.
  • Alcohol moderation centers on hydration, with one specialist suggesting a 1-to-3 ratio of alcoholic drinks to water, alongside tips such as trimming visible meat fat, using spices to cut salt, adding nuts, and staying active after meals; reporting also cites research linking holidays to 30–50% higher caloric intake and stress-related impulsive eating.