How Should We Eat During and After the Holiday?

Should meat be rested before cooking during Kurban Bayramı? What is the healthiest way to cook meat? How can those who overeat during the holiday compensate? Can any detox be done after the holiday? Dyt. Derya Fidan, Nutrition and Diet Specialist at Istanbul Okan University Hospital, explained. During Kurban Bayramı, meat consumption increases alongside sugar and sugary food intake. Particularly those with obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stomach conditions and diabetes should pay attention to their diet. Meats are foods that are difficult to digest. The toughness in freshly slaughtered animals' meat causes difficulty both in cooking and digestion. For this reason, especially those with stomach-intestinal disease should not consume sacrificial meat immediately, but should wait it in the refrigerator for a few days before cooking it by boiling or grilling. Deep frying should be avoided.

Consume vitamin C alongside meat

Since fatty meats have higher saturated fat and cholesterol content, those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure should prefer lean or low-fat meat during Kurban Bayramı, consume them in limited quantities and not overindulge. Alongside meat consumption, adequate and balanced nutrition rules should be followed during holiday visits, food variety should be provided, and syrup-based desserts should be replaced with milk-based and fruit desserts. Attention should be paid to eating small and frequent meals. If meat is consumed in meals, iron absorption should be supported by definitely including salad rich in vitamin C alongside it.

How should sacrificial meat be cooked?

If possible, it would be a healthier choice to rest sacrificial meat for one night before cooking on the same day and marinate it before preparing it for cooking. In this way, we also eliminate the negative effect of hot meat on blood cholesterol levels. During Kurban Bayramı, attention should be paid not only to the consumption amount of meat but also to cooking methods. Boiling and grilling methods should be preferred for cooking meat, and frying should be avoided.

Avoid butter or tail fat when cooking meat

Very high heat, long cooking time and frying methods should not be preferred as they can lead to the formation of various "carcinogenic substances". Cooking or consuming meat together with vegetables rather than alone is a healthy method in terms of ensuring food variety. Meat dishes should be cooked in their own fat and no additional fat should be added. In particular, tail fat or butter should be avoided in meat dishes. When grilling meat, the distance between the meat and the fire should be well adjusted so as not to burn it. When choosing a meat menu, you can be careful not to consume additional animal food in the meal, avoid consuming dairy group foods, or try to reduce the amount of animal food you will consume in the meal.

Balancing detox for those who overeat during the holiday!

To cleanse our body which we have subjected to intense feeding and to burn excess body fat that bothers us, you can try post-holiday detox. In this program that you will do regularly for 3 days, do not forget to pay attention to drinking plenty of water and increasing your movement.

Breakfast;

• 4 tablespoons of yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of oats
• 1 thin slice of pineapple or 12 cherries
• 10 raw almonds or hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and nigella seed

Mix all ingredients and consume

Snack;

• 1 cup of cherry stem herbal tea

Lunch;

• 200 ml smoothie (Recipe below)

Liver cleansing smoothie recipe

• ½ cup lettuce
• ½ cup parsley
• ½ small beet (washed and quartered)
• 1 apple (seeds and pits removed)
• 1 lemon (peeled)
• 2 slices fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon dandelion or 1 raw artichoke
• ½ cup drinking water

Snack;

• 1 cup sugar-free coffee made with milk
• 10 raw almonds or hazelnuts

Dinner;

• 6-8 tablespoons of vegetable dish (without meat and broth)
• 1 bowl of yogurt
• Seasonal salad rich in raw spinach and arugula (no pomegranate molasses and corn)

Evening;

• 1 cup of lemon balm tea