How to Have a Healthy but Merry Christmas
Fri, December 23, 2011 at 03:00AM Yuletide is the time, unfortunately, when many people overdo things, and create health problems rather than just having a good time. Here are some areas where you can perhaps emerge from the season in as good a shape as you entered it.
Avoid weight gain. In UK (where turkeys traditionally feature on the menu) the average person consumes about 6,000 calories on Christmas day, as well as an extra 500 calories a day during the whole holiday period. This amounts to a weight gain of up to 5 lbs by New Year’s Day. Try these small steps to help avoid putting on the pounds:
- · Take a brisk walk if you’ve over-eaten; don’t sit on the couch, eating chocolates.
- · Don’t eat in front of the TV.
- · Practice Mindful Eating; become more aware of the simple activity of eating itself.
- · At a party, choose non-creamy, non-pastry canapés, avoid dips, and stop after two. Dance as much as you can.
- · Take the stairs, park far away, fit in ½-hour brisk walks as often as you can.
- · Leave the leftovers for others (or the freezer or the dog).
- · Remember, a 250 calorie dessert takes 40 minutes of cycling, 30 minutes jogging, or 25 minutes on a Stairmaster to ‘burn off’.
Avoid food poisoning. 20% of all food poisoning outbreaks are related to poultry, and poultry is a popular dish at Christmas – turkey, goose, duck, or chicken are often the main dish on the menu. Make sure the bird is thawed properly before cooking, as otherwise salmonella and campylobacter may survive the cooking process. Washing the bird is a waste of time; it won’t get rid of bacteria - only a high temperature will do that. The safest way to cook stuffing is separately from the bird, in its own roasting tin. And leftovers must be refrigerated promptly.
Alcohol. Regular drinking of small or moderate amounts of alcohol can be beneficial to good health. However, the temptation to over-indulge is great during the holiday period. Try to stay within the guidelines: men no more than 3-4 drinks a day, women no more than 2-3 drinks a day. If you regularly exceed your limit, you’re at risk of “fatty liver”, as well as other unpleasant effects. Excessive alcohol in single sessions on top of regular drinking can lead to the “Holiday Heart Syndrome”. You’ve been warned. And don’t forget about the risks of driving when drunk.
Now make sure you have fun over the holidays!
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"Michael Muskat"