If your break room is like mine around this time of year, it is impossible to enter it without coming out with some type of homemade pastry or candy. From Halloween to the New Year, it is an unrelenting battle of willpower to resist the tempting snares of scrumptious possibilities awaiting you. It isn’t a matter of a lack of knowledge regarding healthy meal options. On the contrary, it is simply our carnal desire to want to live a little and share in the holiday festivities.
Well, my southern mother used to always say, “What is done in the dark, will come to light,” although I really do believe she meant this for me when I was dating boys. However, my 21st century translation to illustrate my point: “all of those calories you ate will eventually land in places that you will soon regret.”
Therefore, what are some better ways to navigate through the many holiday parties and gatherings with family, coworkers, and friends?
Never go to the party hungry. This is the same principal for grocery shopping. You are more likely to overindulge on poor dietary choices if your stomach is empty. Eat a little before you go and drink plenty of water.
Instead of two or three beers, try having a glass of red wine instead. A 5-ounce glass of red wine is about 125 calories compared to 146 calories for a 12-ounce beer. Though some research has shown that moderate alcohol use may decrease development of heart disease or dying from it or reduce your risk of diabetes, the evidence is not certain and may not be the same for everyone. Moderate use is defined as one glass of alcohol for women and two glasses for men.
Just because you are traveling does not mean you have to abandon your routine exercise schedule. Almost every hotel these days has an adequate gym facility. So pack your workout clothes and get to sweating!
Serving size! Serving size! Serving size! FYI: a plate full of dressing or stuffing is not a serving size. Even during the holidays, your plate should be full of mostly vegetables. Pick your carbohydrate. If you just have to have Aunt Betty’s macaroni-n-cheese, then skip the homemade rolls, please.
Start a new healthy holiday tradition. Find a local race in your hometown and encourage the family to join you or after your big dinner celebration, take a long walk. Improving the health of our families should be on the agenda of each family gathering. Someone has to be the catalyst to get things started. Let it be you!
Choose better options for food fests at work. And not to exclude your office family, instead of the typical potluck, encourage everyone to be creative and find healthy alternatives for their favorite dishes. For example, consider bringing in salads and eating fresh fruit for dessert instead of cakes and pies.
This year I am encouraging each of us to make smart choices this holiday so that we catapult into the New Year with a great head start.
Your family doctor,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
