Counting calories of CNY goodies: How to avoid overeating during festive period
Published on
25 Jan 2022
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - Many people are exercising less two years into the pandemic - and the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities might cause a further blow to weight loss plans.
People tend to overeat during this period as snacks such as love letters, bak kwa (dried sweetmeat) and pineapple tarts are readily available.
Mr Derrick Ong, accredited dietitian and founder of Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy & Clinic, says: "We tell ourselves that we eat them only once a year, hence we take the opportunity to eat more of them. We would also sometimes be in situations where we do not notice the amount that we are consuming."
For instance, when people binge-watch dramas or movies during Chinese New Year, which starts next Tuesday and is celebrated over 15 days, they may eat mindlessly and finish the whole container or packet of festive goodies by the end of the show.
Dr Reuben Wong, a senior consultant gastroenterologist at Gleneagles Hospital, says everyone has a different capacity as to how much he or she can eat, but a good indication of overeating would be when one feels full but continues to consume food.
Ms Kong Pun Pun, a dietitian with digital health and fitness platform HealthifyMe, says there are receptor nerve endings in the stomach wall that send signals to the brain when the stomach is full, but this process can take about 20 minutes.
"Overeating then occurs when people eat beyond the stomach's capacity, and they may already be too full by the time their brain stops them from consuming more food," she adds.
When a person overeats, the body works doubly hard to support the digestive system.
Mr Ong says: "The blood will flow towards the gut and be redirected away from other parts of the body, especially the brain. This may cause one to feel lethargic."
The first symptoms of overeating are an immediate discomfort in the abdomen and bloating. In more severe cases, some people may experience belching, nausea and vomiting, as well as a reflux of gastric acid.
The human stomach, Dr Wong says, is like an elastic bag, which can stretch to accommodate all the food ingested.
But there is a limit, and when it is exceeded, stretch receptors trigger the vomiting centre in the brain, creating a sense of nausea and resulting in vomiting.
While overeating in one sitting may cause people to feel discomfort, constantly doing so in the long run may "train" the stomach to hold larger volumes of food with less discomfort, says Mr Ong. This can cause weight gain and lead to obesity and chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Experts say that Chinese New Year delicacies should be eaten in moderation due to their high salt, sugar and fat content.
Bak kwa, for example, is high in salt and sugar. Eating too much of it may result in increased blood pressure because of its high sodium content.
Dr Leong Choon Kit, a family physician at Mission Medical Clinic in Serangoon, advises those who have diabetes or are at risk of the condition to eat snacks such as pineapple tarts, love letters and kueh lapis in moderation, as these can cause more sugar to be absorbed into the body faster.
Reunion dinners which include preserved meat, such as Chinese sausages, should also be eaten in limited amounts as these may raise one's blood pressure and cholesterol levels, he adds.
Eating too much may strain the digestive system, triggering flatulence.
The gas-producing items that people tend to overconsume are spicy and fatty foods, as well as carbonated drinks, says Ms Kong.
"People generally have food with high fat and sugar content during Chinese New Year, and especially enjoy eating steamboat with mala soup accompanied with a lot of meat.
"It is generally paired with cold, fizzy sweet drinks, which could lead to bloating from overconsumption," she adds.
Eating too quickly may also cause flatulence and bloating due to the large amounts of food rapidly entering the stomach.
Flatulence varies from person to person, with the average person passing gas eight to 14 times a day.
Passing gas up to 25 times a day is still considered normal, notes Ms Kong.
In some people, symptoms experienced from excessive gas may come in the form of burping, bloating or a swollen belly and pain or discomfort in the stomach.
To prevent overeating and ensure that one consumes a balanced meal for Chinese New Year, Mr Ong suggests that people portion their snacks on a plate instead of eating directly from a container or packet.
People can pick a smaller plate to pace their eating, especially when visiting several households or food establishments for meals and snacks.
As Chinese New Year snacks are typically high in carbohydrates and added sugar, it is important to include protein-rich food, vegetables and fruit with every meal as fibre and protein in these foods promote fullness and may be useful for weight management, adds Mr Ong.
For instance, people can include steamed fish, yusheng and mandarin oranges in their meal.
While some may think of skipping meals ahead of a big Chinese New Year feast to reduce the calories consumed, Ms Kong says that overloading the stomach after going hungry is not recommended.
"Skipping meals leads to starvation, which slows down the metabolism and increases fat storage, making dieting less effective and may result in binge eating later in the day," she adds.
Experts advise people to stop just before they feel that they are eating too much.
Says Dr Leong: "Aim to be 50 to 70 per cent full at each meal. This is so that we will have sufficient allowance for snacks in between the main meals when we visit our relatives."
Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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