Smart Choices
by Connie Lehman, Registered Dietitian at Topeka Pharmacy
Practice These Holiday Health Tips
The holidays are always a struggle for those of us who want to keep on track
with our nutrition and fitness goals.
The wide variety of rich foods available, the extended number of weeks given
to celebrations and the unusual amount of stress and changing schedules all
make it hard to practice healthy habits.
The “good” news: most Americans only gain about one pound of fat during
the seasonal eating.
The really bad news is we don’t take the extra weight off, and the pounds
add up year by year, to threaten our well-being and our health. What can we do
to avoid the holiday gain yet enjoy the special times of celebration together with
friends and family?
Make it your goal this year to practice these tips:
Practice Portion Control
Just do it! Cut the portion sizes in
half of everything you eat. Make
it simple and make it stick. No fair
going back for seconds at home,
and at restaurants, simply share
the entrée and order a no-calorie
drink.
Practice Discernment
Be picky! Instead of avoiding your
favorite treats, choose to eat small
amounts of only your favorites
when at a buffet. Then savor the
moment, eat slowly, and no going
back for seconds!
Practice New Recipes
Offer to take a healthy, low-calorie
dish or a fruit & vegetable tray to
carry-ins. Then you know there
will be something to snack on
which you will like.
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Practice Simplifying #1
It is time to obey that inner voice
that tells you to simplify this year.
Decorate less, bake less and buy
less. Take the time to focus on a
meaningful activity the whole family can enjoy.
Practice Simplifying #2
It is a proven fact that the more
variety there is, the more we eat.
When you are planning a meal,
simplify as much as you can and it
will give you more control.
Practice Small
It is also proven that using larger
plates and bowls and cups will
cause us to eat larger portions, and
that using smaller dishes will help
us eat less. Which will you choose?
Practice Being Active
Think a five minute walk doesn’t
count? Think again- every five or
ten minutes you can spend walking
in the mall or taking the dog out
an extra time or walking the kids
to the park is five more minutes
of healthy activity and taking a
walk after a meal helps the calories avoid going straight to your
waistline.
The Hometown Treasure · January ‘13 · pg 35