[Click! Health] The 'Natural Enemy' for Dieters... How to Handle Holiday Meals

The Key to Weight Control is 'Blood Sugar'
Eat Vegetables and Protein First, Then Consume Carbohydrates

Ahead of last year's Chuseok, citizens visiting Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul, are purchasing jeon, a representative holiday dish. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Many people set weight loss as their first goal of the new year. For those who have been diligently exercising and controlling their diet, the first real challenge often comes during the Seollal holiday. While it is a time to gather warmly with family and relatives and share affection over meals, the nature of 'holiday food'?which tends to be rich and oily?often leads to overeating when one's guard is down, making this period almost like a 'natural enemy' for them.

Dr. Lee Sanin, head of the Doctor Diary Research Institute, advises, "The key to eating without gaining weight is controlling post-meal blood sugar." After eating, blood sugar rises, and an appropriate level below 140 mg/dL two hours after a meal is used as an energy source and stored in the liver and muscles. However, excessive blood sugar beyond this level leads to weight gain.

First, attention should be paid to the order of eating. Carbohydrates, which have the greatest impact on blood sugar, should be eaten last, while vegetables and proteins that suppress blood sugar rise should be consumed first.

Even if one usually follows this rule well, it can be difficult to resist at the holiday table filled with a variety of delicious foods. Dishes such as tteokguk (rice cake soup), tteok mandu guk (rice cake and dumpling soup), galbijjim (braised short ribs), steamed fish, pyeonyuk (pressed boiled pork), mung bean pancakes, various jeon (Korean pancakes), three-colored namul (seasoned vegetables), mustard greens, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), yakgwa (honey cookies), gangjeong (sweet rice puffs), sikhye (sweet rice drink), injeolmi (coated rice cakes), and songpyeon (half-moon shaped rice cakes) spread out in vibrant colors. Eating without thought can easily lead to a weight gain of over 4 kg during the holiday period.

However, even when eating the same foods, mindful eating with blood sugar in mind can prevent this. Start the meal by slowly eating the namul (seasoned vegetables), then enjoy galbijjim, steamed fish, and other dishes along with kimchi or vegetable side dishes. This alone creates a subtle feeling of fullness. Finally, consume only a small amount of carbohydrates like tteokguk or japchae to keep blood sugar stable and avoid weight gain. Especially, foods high in carbohydrates and sugars such as rice cakes or desserts cause rapid blood sugar spikes when eaten alone, so it is better to eat them after a meal rather than as snacks.

For those on a diet, it is also good to slightly modify the ingredients of the holiday staple 'tteokguk.' The main ingredient, white rice cakes, rapidly raise blood sugar and are a representative food that causes weight gain, so it is best to consume them sparingly. Similarly, eating the various toppings and vegetables in tteokguk first and then eating only a small amount of rice cakes later can prevent a rapid blood sugar spike.

Adding perilla powder to tteokguk makes it even healthier. Omega-3, abundant in perilla, helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, perilla induces a feeling of fullness, allowing you to feel satisfied even with less rice cake. Topping the soup with unseasoned roasted seaweed reduces sodium intake while enhancing umami flavor.

For dumplings served alongside, it is better to increase the ratio of meat, tofu, mushrooms, chives, and onions instead of glass noodles. The richer the protein and vegetables, the slower the blood sugar rises, minimizing insulin secretion. Moreover, mushrooms and chives are among the vegetables high in potassium, which helps excrete sodium that causes high blood pressure. Reducing the carbohydrate content and increasing the proportion of animal and plant proteins in dumplings can improve both taste and health.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.