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Wellness Matters: Avoiding Holiday Temptation by Jenny Hackel

Oh boy, here come the holidays: Thanksgiving turkey with the fixin’s, holiday parties, Christmas cookies, and New Year’s dinner. The sugar plums are already dancing in my head. But food is so abundant in our society, we now have an epidemic of health problems related to obesity: hypertension, diabetes, strokes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and cancer. No wonder so many people wake up on New Year’s Day and resolve to lose weight. Here are ten ways we can support each other in making healthier choices this holiday season so those New Year’s resolutions can be about something more fun. 1. Don’t skip meals. Many people think that if they skip breakfast or lunch, they can eat twice as much at dinner. Research shows that people who skip a meal usually end up eating three to four times the number of calories at the next meal. Hunger is stronger than reason! 2. Bake, broil, steam, or sauté instead of fry. Fried food has hidden fats, which are the most calorie-dense of all the foods we eat, and raises blood cholesterol. 3. Plan ahead. Don’t go too hungry to a party—eat a salad first, and drink a good tall glass of water—we often drink too much alcohol and eat too many appetizers even before dinner starts. Focus instead on people and conversation. 4. Leave the platters on the buffet table. People eat more food than they need when the platters are within easy reach on the table. 5. Serve and eat lots of healthful fruits and veggies. Use rounds of fresh cucumber and thin slices of apple

to replace crackers. Dip celery and other vegetables in hummus. As themain course, go for green beans sprinkled with sliced roasted almonds, julienne carrots sautéed with ginger and soy, roasted cauliflower tossed with basil pesto, salad greens with sliced peppers and vinaigrette— the healthier options are endless and delicious. 6. Serve smaller portions. Instead of a big scoop of stuffing, take a small one. Instead of five ounces of meat, take three or four, but don’t scrimp on the low-cal veggies. 7. Use lower calorie alternatives. You can replace the full- fat ice cream and chocolate sauce with low-fat frozen yogurt and a sprinkle of granola and fresh berries for half the calories. In so doing, you get more vitamins and fiber and eat less fat and sugar. 8. Savor the flavor. Sometimes there is no low-calorie alternative to your favorite Christmas pudding. Okay! Eat a smaller portion with a small Turkish coffee spoon and cherish every bite. A dietitian once told me it’s the first three bites that give people the most pleasure, the rest is empty calories, so really focus on the taste. 9. Read labels. Learn what a serving is; avoid foods where more than a third of the calories come from fat, especially saturated fat; stay away from corn syrup and added sugar when possible. Go with more natural, less processed foods and those with the least amount of salt. 10. Plan party activities that are not about eating. Sing songs, play charades, get out the board games, go for a walk, play Twister, dance the Macarena, plan a holiday treasure hunt. Here’s to your—and our—health!

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NOVEMBER 2016 CHEBEAGUE ISLAND COUNCIL CALENDAR