Watch What's on Your Table on New Year's Eve!

With only days left until 2022, preparations are underway for New Year's Eve. When thinking of the new year, everyone imagines carefully prepared perfect tables. Although we try to be careful during New Year's Eve dinner, sometimes things get out of hand.

How can we pay attention to our nutrition on New Year's?

"Indulging one evening because of New Year's Eve meals and dishes does not mean compromising everything for healthy eating. However, if you have a chronic disease, indulging could put your health at risk," says Renan Güneş, Nutrition and Diet Specialist at Acıbadem Ankara Hospital, continuing as follows: "Therefore, if you have diabetes, blood pressure problems, heart and kidney disease, or if you take continuous medication due to your conditions or have special dietary requirements, be careful. In such situations, even one day of poor nutrition choices can cause serious problems."

Watch out for New Year's Eve tables!

Dietitian Renan Güneş emphasizes that you should not sit down to eat very hungry, and lists other nutrition recommendations specific to New Year's Day as follows: * Make food choices that will make you feel good. * Try to have snacks throughout the day. * Start the meal with light appetizers such as olive oil and salad before eating. * Turkey would be a good meat choice for New Year's Eve, but you can also opt for white meats like chicken or fish instead. * For carbohydrates, you can choose one of rice, soup or bread. * For dessert, prefer milk-based or fruit desserts instead of heavy fried sweets with high sugar content and calories. * Be careful when consuming nuts, a staple of New Year's. Since they are high in calories and roasted varieties have high salt content, prefer raw ones and do not consume more than a small handful. * Since the evening continues after the meal, snack on fresh vegetables and fruits to avoid consuming extra calories. * If you will consume alcohol, be careful. Remember that 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. Try to limit your alcohol consumption. When consuming alcohol, make sure to consume it with food so it does not create imbalance in your blood sugar. When drinking alcohol, avoid consuming overly fatty foods and try to space out your drinks slowly throughout the evening. * Set your own limits and learn to say no. * Try to increase your water consumption. Nutrition recommendations after New Year's Eve If you overdid it on New Year's Eve, pay special attention to your nutrition the next day. Dietitian Renan Güneş emphasizes that New Year's morning should start with a light breakfast, "Stay away from caffeinated beverages as much as possible and reduce your tea and coffee consumption. In this context, herbal teas such as green tea, white tea, rosemary and thyme that you consume will help eliminate bloating. At the same time, since alcohol causes water retention and bloating in the body, make sure to consume plenty of water for a few days to help your body eliminate the alcohol," he said. Emphasizing the importance of light snacks, Güneş added, "A rich vegetable soup that you prepare will remove toxins from your body, keep you full and help reduce bloating. Try to consume more foods containing potassium. Consuming more potassium helps your body eliminate excess sodium. This reduces bloating. If possible, try to take light walks the next day and for a few days after," he concluded.