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SOLUTIONS FOR SURVIVING THE PARTY SEASON

Exercise Tips.

• Plan a head. It is no different than scheduling a function or having the family over. Make the time to schedule your activities [even if they are short] and you will increase the likelihood of completing them by 70%. The AMA notes that 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity a minimum of three days / week is a great start.
• Recruit a friend. A fun, built in accountability package, recruiting a friend increases the likelihood of meeting your commitment. We all know, once we get started, we are happy to have made the time and feel great afterwards. Having someone else there makes the experience that much better.
• Use your equipment. Strap on a heart rate monitor or bring out the pedometer. It’s like having your own personal trainer on hand 24/7 and ensures you are not over or under doing it. You can purchase either at any running store or access www.polarheart.co.nz for specific information. Makes a great gift!
• Make it fun! Simple things like taking the family tobogganing or having a snowball fight will usually lead to something long enough to get a sweat on and provide a great break from the indoors, television and the food table. Plan active play dates instead of the movies where you are basically sitting and eating high calorie foods with very little nutritional value.

Nutrition Tips:

• Don’t save up. If going to a party, keep the rest of the day’s food selections healthier. Select foods like high fiber cereals, non fat milk or yogurt, vegetable soups, cut up veggies such as red, yellow, and green peppers, baby carrots, small pieces of fruit such as apples, bananas or mandarins. These foods can provide bulk and a feeling of fullness and decreasing the temptation to over-eat at the party.
• Avoid skipping meals. Starving yourself before a party or get-together increases the odds that you will overeat when the festivities begin as you will be too hungry to make a good choice.
• Avoid standing at the food table. This often leads to filling awkward silences by nibbling more or drinking more.
• Portion control. Use a plate so you can visually see how much you are eating and how many plates of food you have eaten.
• Fill up on fruit and vegetables. If you arrive hungry, before tasting all the other delicious treats start with a salad and vegetable sticks so you curb the appetite and look at the food table with fresh new eyes.
• Limit alcohol: Make health and road safety a priority when serving holiday beverages. Lower fat eggnogs, “virgin” Caesars, sparkling water and cranberry juice spritzers without the alcohol are great choices in keeping with the season.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!