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The holiday season can be a challenge to anyone who wants to eat healthfully. We are bombarded with turkey and stuffing, hams with rich sauces, gravies, pecan pie and every kind of cookie imaginable. Moreover, friends and family are offended if we turn down the goodies they have so lovingly prepared.
The good news is that the conventional wisdom touting five-to-seven pounds of holiday weight gain is false. A recent study by Patrick O'Neal and Jack Yanovski, for the National Institiutes of Health, looked at 200 men and women from Thanksgiving to New Year's. It found that the average weight gain is about a pound. Now for the bad news: that pound stays. Throughout a ten-year period, it is easy to gain ten pounds or more.
A good way to avoid this cycle is to follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that were released last May. The ten guidelines point the way to good health.
Here's how they can help you navigate through the holidays:
Aim for fitness
- Aim for a healthy weight.
- Be physically active each day.
Choose a lifestyle that combines sensible eating with regular physical activity -- moving your body. This helps you become fit and gives you more energy to do the things you need to do without tiring. You also feel better about yourself. Additionally, fit people burn calories at a faster rate than unfit people.
The physical activity guideline recommends that all adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. To maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, adults probably need to do 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity daily. An example is walking 2 miles in 30 minutes. Over time, even a small decrease in calories eaten and a small increase in physical activity can keep you from gaining weight or can help you lose weight.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Aging recently found that regular exercise helps us live longer. On average, people who exercise moderately on a regular basis live about three years longer than those who don't. Make it your New Year's resolution to start moving!
Build a healthy base
- Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Keep food safe to eat.
Carbohydrates, fat and proteins provide energy, which is measured in calories. High-fat holiday foods contain more calories than the same amount of other foods.
Healthy eating patterns begin with the three food groups at the base of the Food Guide Pyramid: grains, fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of grains--especially whole grain foods--along with fruits and vegetables is the basis of healthful eating. Enjoy holiday meals that include rice, pasta, tortillas as the base of main dishes. Add whole-grain breads. Accompany this with plenty of fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of low-fat foods from the Milk group and the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Bean, Eggs and Nuts Group. To use leftover turkey, try the Turkey Stir-Fry recipe below.
To avoid foodborne illness, handle food safely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Practices estimates that at least 76 million Americans suffer each year from foodborne illness. Practice these four easy steps:
- Clean: Wash hands and food preparation areas often. Thoroughly clean and rinse counters, cutting boards, dishes and other equipment before using.
- Separate: To prevent the spread of bacteria, keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods. When you stuff turkey on a cutting board, for example, clean that cutting board thoroughly before you cut up fruit for a salad.
- Cook (high temperatures): To kill harmful bacteria, cook foods to proper temperatures. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 180 o F. Bacteria grow best between 40o F and 140o F. Don't leave foods, such as turkey, ham or stuffing, at room temperature for longer than two hours.
- Chill (low temperatures): Refrigerate foods quickly to keep bacteria from growing. Don't defrost turkey on the counter. Bacteria can grow at room temperature. Defrost meat in the microwave, refrigerator or in cold running water.
Choose Sensibly
- Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
You need some fat in your food but choose holiday foods sensibly. Some kinds of fat, especially saturated fats from animal products and coconut and palm oil, increase the risk for coronary heart disease by raising blood cholesterol. Foods high in trans fatty acids tend to raise blood cholesterol. Such foods include partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such in as many hard margarines and shortenings. Unsaturated fats don't raise blood cholesterol. They are found in vegetable oils, most nuts, olives, avocados and fatty fish, such as salmon. Whenever possible in holiday baking, substitute oil for butter or margarine. In some quick bread recipes, you also can cut the amount of fat by substituting half the fat for applesauce. Experiment with recipes.
Holiday sweets and candies, cakes and cookies and fruit drinks (not 100% fruit juice) are major sources of added sugars. Consuming these foods in excess can contribute to weight gain, as well as decrease consumption of more nutritious foods. Use the Nutrition Facts Label to compare the amount of sugar in various products.
Holiday foods also tend to be high in salt. Many people can reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure by consuming less salt (sodium chloride). Salt is the main source of sodium in foods. It is added during food processing or cooking.
Alcoholic beverages are plentiful during the holidays. They supply calories but few nutrients. Taking more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men can raise the risk of motor vehicle crashes, other injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide and certain types of cancer. Even one drink per day can slightly raise the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects. Heavy drinkers also are at risk of malnutrition because alcohol contains calories that may substitute for those in nutritious foods. Choose wisely.
By following the guidelines you can promote health and reduce your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. The Guidelines will help you build healthful eating patterns so you can breeze through the holiday season and last all year long.
For more information about this topic, contact Karen Cox at the Colorado State University Extension office in Jefferson County, Colorado - (303) 2710-6640 or e-mail to: kcox@co.jefferson.co.us or contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.
Turkey Stirfry
4 Servings, about 1/2 cup each
- Chicken bouillon cube 1
- Hot water 1/2 cup
- Soy sauce 2
- Cornstarch 1 tablespoon
- Vegetable oil 2 tablespoon
- Garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Turkey, cubed 1 pound
- Carrots, thinly sliced 1 1/2 cups
- Zucchini, sliced 1 cup
- Onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup
- Hot water 1/4 cup
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
- Combine chicken bouillon cube and hot water to make broth; stir until dissolved.
- Combine broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add garlic and turkey. Cook, stirring, until turkey is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in color.
- Add carrots, zucchini, onion, and water to cooked turkey. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Uncover; bring turkey mixture to boil. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Serve over steamed rice.
Per Serving:
- Calories 195
- Total fat 9 grams
- Saturated fat 2 grams
- Sodium 506 milligrams
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