Here’s the English translation of the provided HTML text:
“`html
It’s been almost a month since Christmas ended, and this month, known as the January slump, is not only about the expenses of the holiday season but also about the effort it takes to get back to the routine and deflate.
Yes, deflate. We always say we “gain weight,” “put on weight,” “get round,” but in reality, our bodies undergo sustained inflammation for about a month due to continuous intake of sweets, alcohol, richer meals, and sometimes less physical activity than usual. And if we’ve had to stay confined at home, returning to the routine is not as easy as it seems.
We want to return to our good habits and set new goals with quick results, and when we don’t succeed, we feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Let’s face it, in January, February, and throughout the year, we still have events, stress (the king of inflammation), cravings for that leftover nougat, or the desire to relax with a glass of wine. Sometimes, practice becomes complicated, and our minds sabotage us.
We have to understand that dietary choices don’t always depend solely on us; sometimes, they depend on the place, people, time, and your mind and stomach, which are not always in agreement. For example, if I’m going to a friend’s house for paella, and I think, “I’ll just have one plate and nothing else,” but they offer me a beer and some chips, then your mind and stomach say, “I really want it, and I’m hungry.” Later, we eat the rice dish and decide not to have dinner, but at dinner time, your stomach growls, you’re hungry, and you end up having dinner. But you go to bed feeling guilty for not just eating that plate of rice. You’ve tried an action without considering the hunger you were going to feel and the emotions surrounding you during the day.
Let’s be practical and address the 3 pillars of health in a simple way to gradually deflate without feeling overwhelmed.
1. Nutrition:
We’ll make a shopping list prioritizing the foods we like the most:
- Vegetables and fruits: turn them into salads, cooked vegetables, and mix them into all our meals.
- Proteins: mix them with our vegetables: fish, eggs, dairy, poultry, meat, legumes, soy, and its derivatives (without additives).
- Fats: decorate our plate generously, as they will help us deflate: extra virgin olive oil in all our meals, avocado, nuts, fatty fish (also a good source of protein) such as salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, etc.
- Carbohydrates: play with them by adding them to our plates as a side depending on our needs. Quality bread with whole grains, pasta, rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc.
Our meals should be sufficient to satisfy us; if they are scarce or unappealing, our minds will crave sweets or less healthy foods with more flavor. It’s not about avoiding them at all costs but about working to reduce them in the best possible way, and for that, WE MUST EAT WELL.
I highly recommend meal planning, both at home and away. If this is not done, our daily lives become chaotic because, remember, we live stressed, and the “eating” moment should be a pleasant time where we not only enjoy but also nourish ourselves.
What do we do when we eat out or really crave a less healthy food, like sweets or alcohol?
Eat it, calmly and enjoy it. If you know it’s not forbidden, you won’t feel guilt or discomfort, and you won’t crave it constantly. We desire twice what we deny ourselves.
Let’s give an example:
“I really crave a donut; I could make a healthy one, but I want the one from bakery X.” Go and buy it, cut it into pieces, savor it, dip it if you like, save a piece if you want, but do nothing else but eat it. And another day, when you crave something sweet, you can choose something healthier that you also like, for example: natural Greek yogurt with banana and grated 85% chocolate. Both sweets you like, the key is being able to choose either without your mind sabotaging you and always leading you to the less healthy one (and it will undoubtedly if you forbid yourself).
Not all weeks are the same—our cravings, relationships, work, etc., so don’t demand perfection. Set small goals within each week, starting with the shopping list and healthier choices you enjoy.
2. Exercise
As you improve your dietary choices, you’ll feel better with more energy and can decide what type of exercise you can do based on your life. Plan the week; make it part of your routine, and if you can do it in a group, even better; it promotes a better mood.
3. Rest
If we eat better and exercise, we release tension, reduce stress, and consequently, sleep better. Sleeping and resting are essential to recover from any excess. Don’t forget this factor; it’s crucial to maintain the balance and functioning of our entire body. Turn off screens, read a good book, breathe deeply—these are some tricks that help us fall asleep.
In conclusion, I recommend that you pay more attention to your eating habits, whether you make big restrictions that lead to a weekend rebound, get angry when you don’t eat what you thought, or go hungry. Rethink your weekly menu based on the tasks of the week.
And, as always, I leave you with an example of a menu for any given day (both at home and away) that can help you with your next planning or choice:
Breakfast:
- At home: buckwheat bread with goat cheese and a drizzle of oil.
- At the bar: whole-grain bread with oil and tomato.
Lunch:
- At home: steamed broccoli and carrots sautéed with garlic and chopped almonds and baked salmon.
- At the restaurant: lentils with vegetables and ham or zucchini cream with oven-baked chicken and vegetables (sometimes you have to ask for them).
Dinner:
- At home: lamb’s lettuce, red pepper, fresh cheese, avocado, and bonito in olive oil with whole-grain rye toast.
- Restaurant: grilled artichokes and octopus with potatoes.
Snacks:
- Semi-skimmed or additive-free vegetable milk coffee
- Raspberries and blueberries with yogurt
- Dark chocolate with walnuts
- Apple with grated cheese
- Banana with cinnamon
- A couple of tangerines
- Unsalted pistachios with raisins
Victoria Rodríguez Moldenhauer
Pharmacist and Nutritionist
“`
Please note that the translation includes the HTML structure and formatting.