Written by: Evelyn Cheng, Dietetic Intern

I can’t believe that 2014 is almost coming to an end! The start of a new year represents a fresh start for many people, which is often accompanied by the buzz about making New Year’s resolutions. There’s some excitement involved in planning to make positive changes in our lives—to make healthier food choices, increase activity, read books, and so on. But all too often, we set resolutions that just don’t stick. We have the best of intentions at the beginning but slowly fall off the wagon by the time Valentine’s day rolls around.

The holiday season is upon us! Although an exciting time, going to holiday parties unplanned can halt your weight loss efforts. Here are some practical tips to help make this holiday season fun and stress-free, while still being mindful about how and what you eat:

No empty bellies:

Some people think it’s a good idea to show up to a party on an empty stomach, to make the most of the yummy holiday foods. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Starting off too hungry leads to poor decision-making and over-eating. Overdoing it often results in feelings of guilt and regret, which is no fun.

If it were a perfect world, we would all eat fresh whole foods that do not come in a box or bag. We would enjoy seasonal and fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh fish, and local ingredients from the farmer's market year-round. But, unfortunately, we don't have access to a wide range of local fresh foods year-round in most parts of Canada, and life gets busy, so whipping up meals from scratch three times a day just isn't possible. For most of us, anyway.

Although I try to be the best to eat fresh most of the time, I inevitably find myself wandering down the grocery aisles in search of the odd packaged food. What I'm looking for, though, is packaged food that is made from real food. Things like stone-ground whole wheat flour, canned tuna, salsa, hummus, breakfast oats, milk, and Greek yogurt are some of the packaged foods that I buy on a regular basis. In years past, I've wasted time going through nutrition labels, counting calories, fat grams, and comparing packages for fiber and sodium levels. Although this practice can be helpful for those who have Diabetes (counting carbohydrate grams), or when choosing between two products, it's usually a waste of time.

I don't believe in dieting or food deprivation to improve health or lose weight, because I believe that sustainable weight loss can be achieved through making smarter choices most of the time and eating more mindfully. There are, however, a few food ingredients that I avoid most of the time and don't feel good about feeding my family. These ingredients often make their way into popular processed/convenience foods at the grocery store, or perhaps foods that you may order in when you don't feel like cooking. When people ask me what to look at when purchasing foods, I always tell them to look at the ingredients first and foremost as it will tell you everything you need to know. The nutrition facts table is a nice-to-know, especially if you are watching your grams of carbohydrate (Diabetes or PCOS), but it really doesn't give you much information about the quality of the product that you are buying. When looking at the ingredients list, be wary of lists with more than 4 or 5 ingredients, especially when you don't recognize the ingredient (in other words- it's not real food) or it sounds more like a chemical.

Spiced Pumpkin Bran Muffins

Gather two 12-cup muffin tins, lightly greased or lined with paper cups (makes 2 dozen medium-sized muffins or 3 dozen small muffins), and preheat the oven to 375 F (or 350 F if you have a super hot oven).