Something fishy about wors

When planning a festive season braai, instead of buying the inevitable boerewors, take a walk to the aisle that serves fish and choose some seafood.

Boerewors has 28 times more fat per 100g than fish, according to dietician Jade Campbell.

The end-of-year holidays - when people strip down and put on their costumes for the beach - make many feel self-conscious and concerned about their fat rolls.

But it is also the time one is most likely to expand.

According to dietician Ina Nortjé, "On average people pick up 5kg in the holiday season."

Nortjé says she encourages her clients trying to lose weight to avoid putting on weight during the festive season.

"I recently saw a family of four who lost 44kg in total. I told them to ensure they maintained their weight during the holidays."

Dieticians are confident that people can navigate the festive season and emerge the same size in January.

Here are some tips to keep from expanding over the Christmas season:

• When braaiing, choose lean cuts of meat such as rump steak, chicken kebabs and skinless breasts or a fish braai, says Campbell.

"Chicken has only about 4.1% of fat per 100g while boerewors has about 36%";

• Remember to eat fruit and snacks between meals to avoid getting too hungry and then overeating at meal times;
• Try to exercise every day of the holidays;
• Enjoy the Christmas meals but control portions, advises dietician Charnè Smit;
• Have only one serving of chocolate pudding and no seconds;
• A glass of Coke has 10 spoons of sugar in it. Rather choose fruit juice and dilute it with water.
• Alcohol is full of empty calories that add weight but have no nutritional value. Rather mix your brandy with Coke Light;
• Red wine is the best alcohol choice because it contains antioxidants;
• Nortjé says the size of a person's stomach is the size of a fist so portions should be as big as a clenched fist;
• Two or three slices of pizza constitute a portion. So share a pizza; and
• At restaurants meal sizes are too big. Ask the waiter to put half your pasta or meal in a doggie bag. Take it home;

To those wanting to try quick-fix diets to shed inches before they hit the beaches, dieticians say: avoid fad diets that include elements of starvation or cutting out certain food types.

"The recommended safe weight-loss rate is 0.5kg to 1kg a week," says Campbell.

"Losing weight too rapidly can result in losses of lean muscle and water as opposed to fat loss.

"Lean-muscle loss can slow down your metabolism.

The more lean muscle tissue you have, the faster your metabolism works."

Psychologist Liane Lurie says: "People should not just think about losing weight but, instead, think about developing a long-term, nurturing healthy lifestyle".