Family Caregivers: Helping You and Your Loved Ones Avoid the "Holiday 10"
From Tricks and Treats to holiday feasts, many fall festivities focus on food — and lots of it! But for too many of us, from children to the elderly, a season of overeating leads to a winter of discontent — and eventually to serious long-term health complications. This is not only important to watch for ourselves, but also for family caregivers who are looking after a loved one's health.
According to the National Institutes of Health, holiday eating can result in an extra pound or two every year, and a recent Weight Watchers report says that the average American gains around 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Unhealthy eating is a hard habit to break, even after the holidays are over. Get out in front of your holiday eating this year. With a little planning and attention, you can create some moderation momentum that will carry you into a healthier New Year and beyond.
- Maintain, don’t gain. Let’s face it: Dinners, parties, gift baskets, and all kinds of seasonal goodies are par for the course around the holidays. Sample everything in moderation and make it your goal to maintain your current weight. If you can avoid the “Thanksgiving 10,” you’ll be ahead of the game.
- Exercise, and make it a habit. Take a lap around the airport between holiday flights. Take a family walk after dinner. Better yet, use some of the time off from work and school to establish a regular exercise routine.
- Eat regular meals, and don’t skip meals. It’s a bad idea to go to the grocery store hungry, and it’s a terrible idea to starve yourself all day in anticipation of a holiday buffet. Sticking to regular, healthy meals makes it much easier to sensibly handle holiday temptations.
- Drinks matter, too. Alcohol can induce overeating, but adult drinks aren’t the only cause for concern. Americans take in an abundance of calories from sugary drinks year round, and the holidays ramp it up with an assortment of punches, eggnog and the like. Try alternating beverages with glasses of water or tea.
- Offer to bring food. If you’re invited to a holiday party, offer to bring your own healthy dish to pass. You know you’ll like it, you’ll know how it’s made, and you know it won’t derail your best-laid eating plans. This can be especially useful for people with specific dietary needs, from vegetarians to diabetics to kids with food allergies.
- Strike a balance. If you happen to overeat at one meal, go light on the next. Stock your buffet plate with small portions of a variety of food, including lots of fruit and veggies. If you know you’re headed for a big night out, stick to healthy meals in the days leading up to it. Keep some healthy snacks on hand — like raw veggies and the Mississippi Spiced Pecans listed here — that can take the edge off in times of temptation.
Mississippi Spiced Pecans
Here’s a tasty little snack from EatingWell.com that’s great to have on hand for the holidays (or anytime!):
1 pound pecan halves
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon piment d'Espelette (see Tip), or a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread pecans on a large baking sheet. Roast until fragrant, about 12 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
3. Combine brown sugar, salt, thyme, rosemary, pepper and piment d’Espelette (or cayenne) in a small bowl. Transfer the roasted pecans to a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss well to coat completely. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again. Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
TIPS & NOTES
Make-Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Tip: Piment d'Espelette is a sweet, mildly spicy chile pepper from the Basque region of France, ground into a powder. Find it online at spanishtable.com.
If you or someone you know needs assistance this holiday season, from providing relief for a family caregiver, helping with holiday decorations and transportation to grocery shopping, meal prep and more, BrightStar Care®'s Hire An Elf® program can help ease the stress that can overwhelm us all this time of year. Call 866-618-7827 (STAR) and punch in the zip code, or visit: www.brightstarcare.com/find-a-location to find a BrightStar Care® location near you.