Healthful hints: how to enjoy a truly happy holiday season

Better Nutrition, Dec, 2004 by Marilu Henner

Christmastime is almost here--the most wonderful time of the year! It's the most emotionally charged holiday that can bring lots of joy, but it also has the most potential for leaving us feeling depressed, especially if we bail on our healthy good intentions. Reminders of the holiday are everywhere throughout December, and you can't avoid it even if you don't celebrate it. It brings out our inner child more than any other holiday, and with it our inner BRAT! You know who I'm talking about. That little demon living inside of us, screaming, "I WANT WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT IT!!"

Last month, we talked about the temptations and risks of overindulging during Thanksgiving weekend. Well, Christmas is a whole different story. Christmas is not just a weekend; it's a season. It's a 6-week onslaught of hedonistic holiday saboteurs determined to derail your greatest efforts to stay healthy happy and looking your best. You have to navigate through minefields of homemade fudge, baked hams, office peanut brittle, holiday eggnog, hot toddies, smoked cheese logs and platoons of armed and dangerous gingerbread men. Not to mention all the other stresses that come with the season: no time, lack of sleep, crowds, shopping, traffic jams, cold weather, flu season, no place (or time) to exercise and--last ball not least--Aunt Lily!

Well, never fear! Here's my take on these holiday health saboteurs and what we can do about them.

Avoid the Bad Stuff

If you've been eating healthier and your palate has adjusted to fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, then holiday junk/pleasure foods can be an assault on your taste buds. It's similar to an alcoholic having a drink after months of abstinence. You can easily slip back into craving the bad stuff. You'll also be tasting flavors you grew up with and risk triggering nostalgic childhood comfort zones. One bite and you could find yourself watching Miracle on 34th Street, cuddling with Mom and your old Frosty, the Snowman blankie. Mom might love it, but Frosty, will be embarrassed.

The trick is, don't have the really bad stuff in the first place. You don't need it. That might be hard to believe until you've actually experienced a junk-free December and discover yourself bursting with energy and an abundance of euphoria that lasts into January. Not to mention better skin and a healthier body!

Learn to enjoy new pleasure foods, which are actually old pleasure foods, such as baked yams with a touch of real maple syrup; pumpkin pie made with, believe it or not, pumpkins; and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. There are plenty of choices that nature provides for us. Sometimes, we forget that nature is where real food comes from.

Plan Ahead

Lack of time is a real health killer. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, your whole world is hinted upside down. Nothing is simple. Your schedule isn't your own. Things are constantly thrown at you, and you're often forced into plan B. If you're not oar top of the holiday season, it's on top of you before you know it--and everything gets done in a panic.

December is all about preparation. I can't emphasize this enough. Make lists for gifts, cards, cooking, chores, cleaning, clothing, travel plans, guests, dinner reservations and anything else you're responsible for. Carry those lists with you, and chip away at them throughout each day. Stay on your game so you won't get overwhelmed at the last minute.

Stress can also cause you to gain Weight. If you're under continuous stress, the hormone cortisol will be mobilized to supply your body with energy by breaking down muscle and bone tissue. This raises your appetite, and the cells that are receptive to cortisol will store fat.

Because fat requires less energy to maintain than muscle, this decreases your metabolism. And you're most likely to gain fat cells around your waistline because those cells are the most sensitive to cortisol. This cortisol-induced weight gain is just one of the problems caused by stress. Lack of time can also lead to sleep deprivation causing more stress and afternoon lethargy, which forces you to pump up with sweets or caffeine.

Don't Overdo It

I don't encourage alcohol consumption, but let's be realistic. Some people can't imagine a Christmas party or holiday dinner without a toast or two. So, if the party's at your place and you include alcohol, serve it in the most responsible way possible.

Alcoholic beverages contain toxins, or congeners, that contribute to hangovers, but you can significantly reduce the risk of a hangover by lowering the amount you drink and choosing drinks that have the fewest congeners. Highest in congeners are drink spirits such as whiskey, scotch, bourbon, port and brandy. Cheap spirits, wines and champagnes are also high, along with mixed drinks with a high sugar content--Triple Sec, Cointreau, Rose's lime and so on. Don't drink anything that's sloe, comfortable, slippery, or screaming Lowest in congeners are premium vodkas, gins, sakes (Japanese rice wines) and beer. And, most importantly, never have more than two drinks per day, and drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.