Recommendations for a Healthy New Year's Eve Table

For many of us, the greatest expectation from the new year is first and foremost "health". Excessive consumption during New Year celebrations can lead to stomach acid, indigestion, bloating and other gastrointestinal issues, as well as headaches, edema and fatigue that can cast a shadow over the New Year festivities. So what should we eat and what should we avoid to prevent health problems both on New Year's Eve and throughout the rest of the new year? Ece Öneş, Nutrition and Diet Specialist at Acıbadem Kadıköy Hospital, explained 8 important rules for a healthy New Year's table.

Don't Skip Meals During the Day

Waiting for the New Year meal without consuming anything for long hours causes your blood sugar to drop significantly, which leads you to gravitate toward foods high in carbohydrates at the New Year meal, and also slows down your metabolism. For this reason, after a healthy breakfast, never skip a light lunch consisting of foods such as salad, vegetable dishes and yogurt. You can also maintain balanced blood sugar throughout the day by having a small snack 1-2 hours before the New Year meal. This snack could consist of a bowl of soup and 2 small whole-grain crackers, or 1 serving of fruit and 1 bowl of yogurt.

Eat Slowly

As the name suggests, a New Year meal—there's no rush. This is a dinner where you will have long conversations and enjoy time with your family and loved ones. Slow down your movements, don't keep fork and knife constantly in hand. Because when you eat quickly, the satiety signal reaches your brain late, and you think you're not full and consume more food. This leads to increased gastrointestinal problems the next day.

Don't Forget to Drink Water

Water is your body's sole necessity... However, just as there is a tendency to skip meals during the day, water consumption can also be insufficient. Starting from the moment you wake up, do not neglect drinking at least 2 liters of water throughout the day. The foods and beverages you consume at the New Year meal are rich in carbohydrates, which can lead to serious edema problems the next day. For this reason, drinking at least 2 liters of water throughout the day and additionally consuming at least 2-3 glasses of water during the meal will significantly reduce the edema problems you will experience the next day.

Correct Appetizer Selection is Important

Appetizers, fruits, desserts are must-haves of New Year's night... However, when you want to eat from each and exceed portions, you can consume 2-3 times your daily carbohydrate requirement in a single night. At this point, the quantity and the content of the foods you consume are very important. For example, you can avoid fried foods and appetizers high in carbohydrates such as hummus, and instead prefer yogurt-based appetizers and cheese varieties.

Don't Exceed 2 Servings of Fruit

Pay attention to the portions of fruits you will consume after the meal. Otherwise, whenever you want fruit served, you may experience excessive carbohydrate consumption from fruit alone. You can consider an average fist size for each fruit portion. On New Year's night, be careful not to exceed 2 servings of fruit.

Although Nuts are a 'Healthy Snack'...

As a common misconception, it is thought that nuts are so healthy that eating as much as one wants will not harm our health and will not cause weight gain. But beware! More than a total handful of nuts will not benefit you; instead, it can cause harm by adding weight and creating conditions for many diseases.

Your Choice Should Be Milk-Based, Not Syrup-Based

Desserts are a must-have of the New Year meal... However, syrup-based and pastry desserts are as delicious as they are dangerous! Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ece Öneş points out that making the right choices in dessert consumption and maintaining portion control is very important, saying: "Instead of syrup-based and pastry desserts, prefer fruit-based and milk-based desserts. No matter how delicious, don't forget to say 'no' when a second serving is offered".