Tips to Stay Healthy For the Holidays

December 6, 2008

‘Tips for the season to beat sickness (not to mention tiredness, stress, or other holiday downers). Fortunately, you can stay well and have a good time even if everyone else is falling apart.

Follow these 5 tips to boost your body’s defenses:

1. Fend off germs. Family gatherings, airports and travel stops, shopping malls, even the library during finals week — they’re all places germs like to mingle. So protect yourself: Get a flu vaccine and wash your hands a lot. The holidays are all about sharing, but some things you’ll want to keep to yourself: forks, spoons, and drinking utensils. People can be contagious before they know they’re sick, so even just a sip from someone’s drink puts his or her germs in your body.

1. Eat healthy and be merry. Holiday foods can be high in calories and low on the nutrition you need to battle germs and boost energy. Make it a priority to eat five or more fruits and vegetables a day (choose the whole fruit instead of juice so you feel full longer and avoid added sugar). Carry an apple or a bag of baby carrots so you always have a healthy snack available. And don’t give your exercise routine a holiday. Exercise gives you energy in addition to burning calories.

1. Chill. “Can I afford it?” “Will it be perfect?” Even things we look forward to, like parties or gifts, can come with worries attached. If you feel stressed out, stop what you’re doing for just a moment. Take five deep breaths — all-the-way-down-to-your-belly deep. Concentrate on each breath as you inhale and exhale. Walk over to a window and look out at the sky. Then go back to what you were doing, realizing that holiday drama will happen. Just hope it leaves you with some great stories to tell.

1. Beat the blues. Holiday depression doesn’t just happen in songs. For some people, it’s seasonal, brought on by shorter days, longer nights, and colder weather. Other people are going through difficult life events like a breakup or a move. If you feel down, go outside, even if it’s cold where you live. Sunlight and exercise are great mood lifters. Try a seasonal activity to put you in the holiday spirit, like ice skating or neighborhood carol singing. And don’t hesitate to talk to someone you trust, like a parent or teacher, about how you’re feeling.

1. Get some Z’s. Getting 8½ to 9 hours of sleep a night during the holidays can help strengthen your immune system, give you more energy, and make you less vulnerable to stress.

One of the top things to do for your health is to get out and have fun. Forget about the tough stuff for a while (except for your safety, of course — be sure someone knows where you are and watch out for drunk drivers).

Laugh and enjoy yourself — the holidays only come once a year.

Healthpractical Tips with Picky Eaters

October 11, 2008

Lunch with my daughter who is a fifth-grader. It seemed a perfect time to talk about good food choices. She listened patiently, then said, “Don’t worry about me, mommy. I know all about the four food groups. It’s just that all the four food groups. It’s just that all the things I like are in the fifth food group – junk food!”

Of course, most parents worry about their children’s eating habits. Usually it’s because the child doesn’t eat enough, or prefers the wrong foods. If you’re worried about your child’s nutrition, consider these suggestions:

1. Make mealtime a happy time, free of “discussions” of family finances, poor report cards, or table manners.
2. Serve only nourishing foods, those low in fats and sugar. Skip desserts, serve fruit for dessert, or have dessert only once a week. And throw out the snack foods that are heavy in fats, salt, or sugar, stock up, instead, on healthful snacks.
3. Substitute nutritious foods your child likes for those he or she dislikes. Many vegetables, for example have, similar nutritional value. Your child may refuse to eat spinach but be willing to eat peas.

Incidentally, there may be a very good reason behind the dislikes. Many vegetables, for example, have similar nutritional value. Your child may refuse to eat spinach but be willing to eat peas.

Incidentally, there may be a very good reason behind the dislike many children have for vegetables. Alexandra Logue from the University of New York, states: “Some children are genetically sensitive to certain tastes. They find vegetables bitter.”

1. Try a different form of the food your child dislikes. A child who disdains cooked carrots may like raw carrot sticks. And children who dislike casseroles will often eat the casserole ingredients prepared separately, unmixed.
2. Experiment with flavorings. A school cook old me that she adds vanilla to orange juice to make the juice taste sweeter. And a parent said her daughter won’t eat green beans unless she sprinkles them with chicken-style seasoning. Another parent adds vanilla and raisins to the oatmeal.
3. Present the food in a colorful manner. Your child might like to make open-faced sandwiches or salads with faces. The base could be half a peach or pear or bread spread with peanut butter. Add raisins or cereal for eyes, nose, and mouth and coconut for hair.
4. Change your schedule. If your problem is a child who fills up on snacks after school and has little appetite for a late-evening meal, consider changing the dinner hour. If breakfast is a problem, you may want to get your child up early enough for a brief playtime before breakfast.
5. Teach your child why we eat nutritious food and how to make wise choices.
6. Don’t let your child get into the habit of skipping meals and then asking for food soon after. You might require such a child to stay at the table until the family is finished and allow no snacks before the next meal. (Very young children, however, may need something to eat before going to bed.)
7. Breakfast is especially important. You may able to arouse the appetite of a child who is finicky at breakfast by substituting favorite foods for traditional breakfast foods – spaghetti or sandwiches in place of cereal, for instance.
8. Avoid power struggles about eating. You don’t want to turn picky eating into an eating disorder. Be patient. A growth spurt may change today’s finicky eater into tomorrow’s chow bound.
9. Remember, also, that a child’s stomach is very small. What seems to adult like a small amount may be enough for a child. Children who have regular checkups and are making adequate weight gains are probably eating enough. Requiring a child to eat everything placed before him or her may encourage overeating, putting on fat that may be hard to take off later.

Finally, do keep in mind that picky eaters are found only in homes that have an abundance of food. I once worked in school in a low-income neighborhood. The students ate lunch family style in the classrooms.

Quick Steps to a Great Lunch

September 18, 2008

Whether you pack or buy your lunch, follow these guidelines:

1. Choose fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are like hitting the jackpot when it comes to nutrition. They make your plate more colorful and they’re packed with vitamins and fiber. It’s a good idea to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, so try to fit in one or two at lunch. A serving isn’t a lot. A serving of carrots is ½ cup or about 6 baby carrots. A fruit serving could be one medium orange.
2. Know the facts about fat. Kids need some fat in their diets to stay healthy — it also helps keep you feeling full — but you don’t want to eat too much of it. Fat is found in butter, oils, cheese, nuts, and meats. Some higher-fat lunch foods include french fries, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets. Don’t worry if you like these foods! No food is bad, but you may want to eat them less often and in smaller portions. Foods that are lower in fat are usually baked or grilled. Some of the best low-fat foods are fruits, vegetables, and skim and low-fat milk.
3. Let whole grains reign. “Grains” include breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. But as we learn more about good nutrition, it’s clear that whole grains are better than refined grains. What’s the difference? Brown rice is a whole grain, but white rice is not. Likewise, wheat bread contains whole grains, whereas 100% white bread does not.
4. Slurp sensibly. It’s not just about what you eat — drinks count, too! Milk has been a favorite lunchtime drink for a long time. If you don’t like milk, choose water. Avoid juice drinks and sodas.
5. Balance your lunch. When people talk about balanced meals, they mean meals that include a mix of food groups: some grains, some fruits, some vegetables, some meat or protein foods, and some dairy foods such as milk and cheese. Try to do this with your lunch. If you don’t have a variety of foods on your plate, it’s probably not balanced. A double order of french fries, for example, would not make for a balanced lunch.
6. Steer clear of packaged snacks. Many schools make salty snacks, candy, and soda available in the cafeteria or in vending machines. It’s OK to have these foods once in a while, but they shouldn’t be on your lunch menu.
7. Mix it up. Do you eat the same lunch every day? If that lunch is a hot dog, it’s time to change your routine. Keep your taste buds from getting bored and try something new. Eating lots of different kinds of food gives your body a variety of nutrients.
8. Quit the clean plate club. Because lunch can be a busy time, you might not stop to think whether you’re getting full. Try to listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel full, it’s OK to stop eating.
9. Use your manners. Cafeterias sometimes look like feeding time at the zoo. Don’t be an animal! Follow those simple rules your parents are always reminding you about: Chew with your mouth closed. Don’t talk and eat at the same time. Use your utensils. Put your napkin on your lap. Be polite. And don’t make fun of what someone else is eating.
10. Don’t drink milk and laugh at the same time! Whatever you do at lunch, don’t tell your friends a funny joke when they’re drinking milk. Before you know it, they’ll be laughing and that milk will be coming out their noses! Gross!