Cynthia Munoz
Published: December 6, 2006
Many of us worry over crazy superstitious diets.like the “if it tastes good or is made of real food I can’t eat it” diets. Some of PJC’s nutrition experts want to help ensure your health this winter season and they say feel free to indulge in the holiday feasts that come ahead.
Nuts are a big holiday snack that can help you avoid overeating, according to Gloria Gonzalez, RD, MS, PJC nutrition associate professor. If you snack on nuts such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, or almonds – no more than half a cup – 30 minutes before your meal, your stomach will feel full, preventing you from eating a ton at dinner.
“Nuts are made of good fats,” Gonzalez said. “They are great for the [winter] dryness of your hands and the vitamins and minerals in nuts can help fight cancer.”
Turkey is a great choice of lean meat, so don’t mess it up by frying it, said Gonzalez. The taste might be great but frying it only adds the nasty fats and greases that most have been trying to avoid all year.
And do not forget to add green veggies to the plate – the darker, the better.
“Green veggies such as broccoli, asparagus, collard greens and all dark veggies are full of vitamins that we just don’t get enough of,” Gonzalez said.
And who knew that sweet potatoes and pumpkin pies were good for you. Wait. What?
“That’s right,” Gonzalez said. “Eat lots of sweet potatoes and some pumpkin pie. They help your eyesight and are a great source of beta-carotene for better skin.”
In fact, according to The World’s Healthiest Foods, whfoods.org, sweet potatoes are a “strong performer in terms of traditional nutrients,” providing an excellent source of vitamins A and C, manganese, copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.
Winter season is also germ season, and water is an essential staple during the holidays to keep you healthy.
“Drink plenty of fluids,” Gonzalez said. “It fights coughs and cold by keeping you hydrated.”
Also paramount to maintaining holiday health is hand washing. By washing your hands routinely, you may be able to fight off some of the bad germs that are spreading around this flu season.
A key to the season is to think antioxidants, Gonzalez said.
“Drink orange juice, eat lots of oranges,” Gonzalez said. “They’re big on vitamin C and antioxidants. They also keep your body clean and help fight off all the bad stuff that comes from being inside – and [helps fight off] coughs as well.”
Blueberries are also big on vitamins, minerals and the word of the month: antioxidants. Also good are grapes and cranberries – or even better for your system is cranberry juice.
A concern among many health-conscious holiday eaters is managing dinner hopping. When traveling from one relative’s feast to the next, how do we keep from offending our hosts and still eat healthy?
“It’s simple,” said Gonzalez. “Eat, but just off of a smaller plate. You won’t even realize you’re eating less.”
According to Vicki Carson, PJC human performance and recreation coordinator, you have to address the holidays like any other day of the year.
“Diet and exercise is a lifestyle to being healthy,” Carson said.
Gonzalez, Carson and Fitness Director of Escambia County Public Safety Billy Kimbrell, PJC’s fitness lab tech, all agree that it is okay to splurge during the holidays. But it is also important to get right back on track.
“Everything is good in moderation,” Gonzales said. “We normally go to sleep or watch the game [after dinner], but what’s important is to get up and do something afterward.”
“In order to lose calories you have to get your heart rate up,” Kimbrell said. “Running is a good factor in burning calories. But for some who may not be capable of doing so because of personal disabilities, start out by brisk walking or going slow uphill to bring your heart rate up.”
According to Kimbrell, who has been a personal trainer for more than 10 years, Americans gain an average of 4.5 pounds during the holidays every year.
“3,500 calories equal one pound,” Kimbrell said. “So if you overindulge, you will have some weight gained.”
If you splurge on the holiday, you will need to offset set that by burning more calories no later than the following week, Kimbrell said.
“It is a matter of decreasing food intake and increasing exercise,” Carson said.
“Food provides energy, and energy not used will be stored as fat,” Kimbrell said. “When you exercise remember this: sweets are known as simple sugars and will be burned first. Use the sugar as energy.”