Hot Topic: Happy Healthy Holidays
It’s definitely the season to eat, drink, and be merry but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to overindulge in holiday treats or libations.
Packing on the holiday pounds is easy to do. An extra cookie here or slice of pie there and the next thing you know your clothes aren’t fitting quite right. To avoid gaining too much extra weight during the holiday season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends balancing the calories you consume with the calories you burn. The CDC offers the following tips on how to reach that goal.
Cooking and Eating Smart
• If you're heading out to a party — holiday, birthday, or any sort — eat a light, healthy snack before you go. Broth-based soups, cereal with skim milk, or just plain fruit are all good options! This will help curb your hunger and decrease your visits to the buffet table.
• Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories. For example, when making lasagna, use part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta cheese. Substitute shredded vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and spinach for some of the ground meat in lasagna.
• Bring a low-fat, holiday dish to the party. Visit CDC's Healthy Recipes for some suggestions.
• When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It's easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else.
• You've tried the leftover turkey sandwich, right? Now try the leftover turkey salad! Add a few pieces of turkey to a generous portion of mixed greens, tomatoes, raw broccoli, carrots, or any of your favorite vegetables. Toss with a light salad dressing and some dried cranberries for an authentic holiday taste.
Rethink Your Drink
• Choose water, diet, or low-calorie beverages instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
• For a quick, easy, and inexpensive thirst-quencher, carry a water bottle and refill it throughout the day.
• Limit your alcoholic beverage intake. Alcoholic drinks can have many calories, especially holiday favorites like eggnog. Cut or limit your alcohol calories by drinking more water.
Stay Active
• Sign up for a 5K walk or run to keep your mind focused on physical activity goals. Maintain your physical activity during the holidays — better yet, try and get more active! It will make those New Year's resolutions even easier to attain.
• Find fun, creative ways your friends and family can spend time being active instead of eating. Be sure and spend time together that doesn't revolve around a meal.
Watching your caloric intake during the holidays probably doesn’t seem like a lot of fun but you can still enjoy your favorite recipes in moderation. Eating right and exercising will help start the new year off right.
Happy, healthy holidays from the Coastal Health District!
WWW Address: http://www.gachd.org/hot-topic/happy_healthy_holidays.php