Beware of these seasonal
health hazards!
Ten months of the year, you may do the right thing.
You eat healthy, exercise regularly, and maintain your work/life balance. So,
what is it about the holiday season that seems to unravel even the most fit
people? Having a full plate—both physically and metaphorically—can take its
toll on your normal routine, energy, and waistline. And sometimes, even
seemingly healthy habits can backfire.
Here are 20 common mistakes made during the holidays, and how to make smarter
choices instead.
YOU EAT CREAMED SPINACH:
Creamed spinach, green bean casserole, and candied
yams are veggies so they must be good for you, right? Not exactly: While antioxidant-rich
produce makes up the main components of these dishes, they are overwhelmed with
high-fat and/or high-sugar add-ons. Creamed spinach can contain up to 75% of
your saturated fat for the day; green bean casserole—made with butter, cheese,
salt, and fried onions—can have up to 800 calories a batch; and candied yams
have up to 38 grams of sugar per serving! (Stay away from fruitcake, while
you're at it: One slice can have more than 400 calories!)
YOU ‘EYEBALL’ THE MEAT TO TELL WHEN
IT’S DONE: Some people think that
it's possible to judge whether meat is cooked through by checking its color or
the juices dripping out of it. "Old cookbooks say to ‘cook until there's
no pink meat remaining, or until the juices run clear,'" says Ben Chapman,
PhD food safety specialist at North Carolina State University. "But
there's been quite a bit of research done on both poultry and meat that shows
that these are not good indicators of whether they have reached a temperature
that's considered safe." Instead, to reduce your risk of food-borne
illnesses that can linger on uncooked food, you should use a meat thermometer and
make sure you're cooking poultry to 165, and red meat to 160.
YOU WASH BAGGED LETTUCE…AGAIN:
You need a salad first course for your holiday
feast, so you pick up a ready-to-serve bag of greens at the market. The package
says they're twice washed—but it can't hurt to give them one more wash, right?
Actually it can, says Chapman. "A national microbiological safety panel
looked at those bags and they concluded that even if you wash them again,
you're unlikely to remove any type of pathogens that are still hanging on."
By touching the lettuce with your hands and tossing it in a colander, however,
you do run the risk of introducing new pathogens, he adds, especially if you've
recently been handling raw meat, as well. "The best thing you can do is
open the bag and dump it right in a salad bowl, ready to eat."
YOU DON’T EAT BEFORE A PARTY:
If you know there's going to be food and drinks at
the office party tonight, you may think it's best to skip your healthy
afternoon snack beforehand. Another bad idea, says J.J. Virgin, certified
nutrition specialist and author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy. "It
makes sense to arrive at a party a little hungry, but to come starving means a
glass of wine and appetizers will lead to one big caloric nightmare," she
says. "Besides, parties never start when they're supposed to, and you know
there’s going to be some gooey, crunchy appetizer that will be your undoing."
Solution: Taper your appetite by popping a handful of raw almonds before you
leave your desk.
YOU PLAN YOUR POST-HOLIDAY CLEANSE:
Advertisements for New Year's cleanses and detox
diets will promise to rid you of your holiday weight gain. The problem is, severe
calorie restrictions and juice-only plans can keep you from getting the vitamins
and nutrients your body needs, and, because they cause the body to burn large
amounts of fat, they even have the potential to create new toxins. If you're
looking forward to a fresh and clean start in the New Year, consider a diet
full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead.
YOU SKIP RED MEAT, BUT SCARF DOWN
CHICKEN AND FISH: "Red
meat has the most saturated fat, but skinless chicken breasts are not far
behind—and actually have more cholesterol than red meat," says Dana
Simpler, MD, internal medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
Watch out for salmon, as well, which is full of healthy fats, but fats nonetheless.
Even though they're healthy choices, they don't give you a pass to pig out. With
all sources of animal protein, keep serving sizes in mind.
YOU STICK WITH YOUR REGULAR WORKOUT:
This may seem like a great way to combat excess
holiday pounds, says Jessica Smith, coauthor of The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan.
"But it could backfire if you find yourself running ragged trying to get
everything done and then getting to the gym on top of it all," she adds.
"If your to-do list is already overflowing, don't add stress by forcing in
a long workout that may interrupt more important health habits like getting enough
sleep." Instead, Smith advises, consider breaking up your usual 45-60
minute workout into split sessions—try a 15-minute strength routine in the
morning before you hit the shower, a 15-minute walk at lunch and a 15-minute
yoga flow to help relax you at the end of the day. You may find you are less
stressed and still burning as many (if not more) calories than with your usual routine.
YOU VOW TO JOIN A GYM IN JANUARY:
The New Year is a time for personal reflection and setting
goals for self-improvement. It also happens to be when gyms are most crowded,
and the staff is busiest signing up new members. If you've been thinking about
joining a fitness club, why not use a few of your days off in December to shop
around? "It is always wise to visit a gym to make sure it will work for
you," says Randy Crawford, an exercise physiology technician at The Ohio
State University Center for Wellness and Prevention, and you may get a better
feel for the facilities during quieter hours, when you're not rushed to make a
decision. "Make sure the hours work with your schedule and the facility
has the amenities—like child care, a family discount, a pool, or personal
trainers—that you desire," he says.
YOU GIVE YOURSELF A CHEAT DAY…OR DAYS:
Maybe it starts with doughnuts at your breakfast
meeting, or a cookie swap among coworkers. Then comes the holiday luncheon. By
the time dinner rolls around, you figure you've already done enough
damage—might as well finish the day off with the richest item on the menu, plus
dessert. "It's not just the calories that are the problem here," says
Virgin. "You're also psychologically allowing yourself future food deviations
and setting yourself up for failure." Letting yourself splurge at truly
special events—like enjoying your sister's stuffing and your mom's pies at
Christmas dinner—is one thing, but don't allow yourself to make excuses for
each and every mini holiday celebration. "Have a plan and don't deviate,"
says Virgin. "If you absolutely must have a dessert, follow my three
polite-bite rule: three bites and step away from the cookies"
YOU GO CRAZY WITH THE OLIVE OIL:
Olive oil is full of healthy fats and has no
cholesterol and saturated fat the way butter does, so it can certainly be a
healthier alternative in many holiday recipes. But before you dip another piece
of bread or help yourself to another serving of olive oil-tossed potatoes, remember
that it has just as many calories (120 per tablespoon) as any other kind of
fat, says Dr. Simpler. Two tablespoons a day may lower your risk for heart
disease, but more than that could contribute to weight gain.
YOU COOK (AND EAT) LOTS OF ‘LIGHT’
RECIPES: If you can stick with a single
serving, using lower fat or sugar can be a good way to keep your calories and
fat count low when enjoying holiday treats, says Smith. "The trouble is,
many people think to themselves, 'It's healthier or lower calorie, so I can have
two or three ... or five of these.' They often end up eating as many calories
as they would have if they had stuck with a smaller serving of the real deal."
Knowing that piece of pie is rich and full of calories may make you more likely
to enjoy every bite of a smaller serving, Smith suggest, instead of going with
a much larger portion of the 'lighter' version.
YOU BUY AN ‘ALL-NATURAL’ HAM OR
TURKEY: There may be nothing
wrong with meat labeled "all natural"— but unlike "organic"
or "antibiotic-free," all natural simply means that your turkey, for
example, doesn't contain artificial ingredients or colors, and has been
"minimally processed." This term is open for interpretation; for
example, poultry can be injected with sodium and water, and still be labeled
"natural." (Check the fine print.) If
you're concerned about finding meat from an animal that was raised humanely and
not treated with antibiotics or hormones, look for a certified organic label—or
educate yourself about companies' farming practices and choose a brand you
trust.
YOU SWEAR YOU’LL HAVE ‘JUST ONE’:
You know the scenario: Your favorite coworker brings
in fresh-baked gingerbread cookies and, to be polite, you have one. An hour
later, as your blood sugar crashes, you visit the copy machine … and have
another cookie. And the pattern continues, all. day. long. "The commercial
had it right," says Virgin: "You can't eat just one. But if you do
breakfast and lunch right, you won't get those mid-morning or mid-afternoon
cravings. If you need something to munch on mid-day, keep little baggies of raw
almonds or apple slices with almond butter at your desk."
YOU OBSESS OVER (OR AVOID) THE SCALE
ALL MONTH: So much food over the
holidays may cause you to step on the scale several times a day—or to slide it
under the bed and swear off until the New Year. Both policies can be
detrimental to your weight and to your emotional well-being, studies show: If
daily weigh-ins give you anxiety, consider cutting back to once a week. And to
make sure your results are consistent, try to weigh yourself on the same scale
and at the same time of day.
YOU OVERBOOK AND STAY UP LATE:
Parties, shopping, baking, and travel add on to our
already packed schedules during the holidays, so it’s easy for active, healthy
go-getters to fill up their calendars—and then some. Staying up late and waking
up early may help you get everything done but missing out on sleep can lower
your immunity and affect your mood and energy levels. Plus, exposure to bright
light at night can raise your risk of depression.
YOU SKIP BREAKFAST OR LUNCH:
Banking your calories by skipping (or skimping) on
meals so that you can eat more at a holiday dinner won't do your waistline any
good; in fact, it's a great way to trigger overeating, says Smith. Focus on
eating filling, higher fiber foods at regular mealtimes—a fruit smoothie with
spinach and protein powder for breakfast, for example, and a veggie-filled
salad with lean protein for lunch—so you'll still be able to enjoy holiday meal
(and treats!) later without going overboard.
YOU USE ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP: It's a good idea to shore up your cold and flu defenses
during the winter, especially when you're in close social contact with so many
friends, coworkers, and relatives who may be sick. But rushing off to wash your
hands with antibacterial soap after every handshake may not protect you the way
you think: Unless you're at a hospital or doctor's office, there's no need for
such extreme protection—and studies show that the ingredient triclosan, in many
antibacterial products, can contribute to drug-resistant bacteria. Stick with
regular soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, instead.
YOU GET TOO MUCH SLEEP: Sleeping
in is one of the great pleasures of vacation, and if you have a few days off
for the holidays it may be tempting to take advantage of unlimited snoozing. A
day or two spent catching up on sleep debt is one thing—but disrupting your
normal sleep patterns for longer than that has the potential to cause chronic
sleep problems. Plus, staying in bed for too much of the day, especially during
the wintertime, can be a sign of depression.
YOU SAVE LEFTOVERS, BUT DON’T CHECK
THE TEMP: You may know the rule about getting leftovers in the
refrigerator no more than two hours after they come out of the oven, but do you
know the temperature inside your refrigerator? Your milk may taste cold, says Chapman,
but many people's fridges aren't kept cold enough to keep bacteria away. Make
sure you have a thermometer visible, and that it's kept below 41 degrees.
YOU DECORATE WITH NATURE: Everyone loves an arrangement of holly berries and
pine cones, or a bunch of mistletoe—everyone except for the small children and
pets who can choke on or be poisoned by the all-natural ornaments. Display
these plants with care, and make sure they (and anything that can fall off of
them) are out of reach of anyone or anything that might try to eat them. Watch
out for real Christmas trees, too, which can be a dangerous fire hazard if
they're not treated with care.
BY: Amanda MacMillian, Health Magazine
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