To Your Health November, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 11)

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Healthy Over The Holidays

By Meghan Vivo

Holiday season is in full swing, which means holiday eating is already causing many Americans to gain "the holiday 5." With cookies and cakes in the office, eggnog with the neighbors and one holiday party after another, tradition abounds - but no one likes the tradition of weight gain.

Gaining a pound here or a pound there may not seem problematic, but according to the National Institutes of Health, most Americans never lose the weight they gain during the winter holidays. The pounds pile on year after year, making holiday weight gain an important factor in adult obesity. This year, dodge those extra pounds by following these do's and don'ts for eating healthy and staying fit over the holidays.

Do find healthy alternatives. The average Thanksgiving dinner has more than 2,000 calories. But you can cut down by substituting new, healthier holiday foods for the traditional favorites. Try replacing rich gravies with turkey broth, or serve sweet potatoes with a low-fat honey glaze instead of the usual helping of butter and brown sugar. You can find hundreds of creative, low-fat holiday recipes on the Internet.

Don't  stop moving. Especially during the holidays, be sure to schedule at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity in your day. If you leave it to chance, you'll find all sorts of festive reasons to skip your workout. If you have a regular exercise time, keep it up. If you don't, buddy up with a walking partner.

But, you say, "Where do I find the time?" One of the best ways to find time to exercise is to cut down on television. Your entire family will benefit from replacing the sitcoms and video games with new holiday traditions. Take a brisk walk through the neighborhood with family or visiting relatives to look at holiday decorations, or hike, bike, cross-country ski or snowshoe in a nearby park, nature reserve or national park. Remember, any exercise is better than no exercise.

Do bring your own dish. If you're going to a party or office potluck, prepare a low-calorie dish you know you'll like. This way, at least you know there's one thing you can feel good about eating. If you're cooking the holiday meal, be a health-conscious hostess by offering vegetable side dishes (without the butter or sauce) in addition to stuffing or mashed potatoes. You also can set out bite-sized, healthy snacks like popcorn, fruit, nuts, raisins, or celery and carrots.

Don't  skip meals. Skipping meals means you arrive hungry and drastically increase your chances of bingeing at the holiday dinner table. Treat the holiday like a regular day and eat all of your normal meals and snacks. Have a nutritious snack like juice, whole-grain crackers or a slice of cheese and lots of water before arriving at a party, and start the big holiday meal with a salad instead of bread to add to your vegetable quotient.

Do pace yourself. When you arrive at a party, take your time making your way to the snack table. Set limits for yourself by eating slowly, putting your fork down after each bite and keeping track of the number of hors d'oeuvres you eat. Alcohol also has loads of calories, so pace yourself and be discerning with your beverage choices. For chocolate lovers, nonfat hot chocolate can be a festive, low-calorie treat.

Don't  have a diet mentality. The holidays are one of the few times you may have to accept the next best thing to staying on your perfect diet. But if you let yourself go "off" your diet around the holidays, you'll go way off the deep end, and rather than having a slice of pie, you'll rationalize eating the whole pie. If you can't completely avoid your favorite holiday treats, indulge only on occasion rather than all or none of the time. Trying to lose weight during the holidays will be an uphill battle, but you can certainly maintain and even lose a few pounds in preparation for the holidays.