Healthy Holidays!

The holiday season is typically a time of overindulgence. How can you stay on the “health track” throughout the celebrations? Here are a few tips.

Temptations

Mouth-watering meals featuring high-fat, high-sugar and high-sodium foods are a tradition of the holiday season, and for some, resisting this rich fare is an impossible feat.
Here are a few tips to nix overeating this holiday season:

• Have a snack (fruit + yogurt or vegetables + cheese) before the party. This will keep you from heading for those hors d’oeuvres as soon as you walk through the door.
• Start with a glass of water. You’ll avoid the effects of drinking alcohol on an empty stomach and be less likely to eat (alcohol is an appetite stimulant).
• During meals, try everything, but keep the portions small. Pretend it’s a food tasting!
• Eat slowly
• Listen to your body’s signals that it is full. Ask yourself, “Am I still hungry?”

Heartburn relief and hangover helpers!

After a heavy meal, some of us tend to develop heartburn, which involves a burning sensation in the lower chest and leaves a bitter, acidic taste in the throat and mouth.

To alleviate the discomfort, you can use an antacid. There is a variety of brands, such as Diovol, Maalox, Mylanta and Gaviscon. Generally speaking, you should take one dose approximately one hour after eating and another just before bedtime. However, if you are taking other medicines, talk to your pharmacist first, since antacids can lead to undesirable interactions with certain drugs or be contraindicated for you.

As for hangovers, remember that they are the body’s way of responding to an excessive consumption of alcohol. They usually produce their effect six to eight hours after the episode of heavy drinking. Even when the alcohol has completely left your bloodstream – or almost – you might still feel its effects for the remainder of the day.

Neither coffee nor medication, even prescribed drugs, can totally alleviate the symptoms of a hangover. The only effective remedies are rest and rehydration! Fresh air might also help get you back on track, so get out there and get moving between meals and parties! Skiing, snowshoeing, skating, hiking – the sky’s the limit!

Happy healthy holidays!