January 2006
Healthy Holiday Follow Up Tips
Most Americans will spend a portion of the last day or two of December pondering ways to correct or recover from errors made during the holiday season just past. Over eating, wrong eating or unwise choices may have added a few unwanted pounds or elevated a blood cholesterol, sugar or triglyceride level. Here are a few simple approaches towards making the New Year a healthy year:
First and foremost avoid the fads. Drastic diets often make drastic changes in one’s health but not the kind desired. A short simple fast can be a good beginning. Diabetics are not advised to fast so do not choose this beginning if you have a diabetic condition. Fasting can be a good method to allow your system rest and cleansing. Focus for a few hours on healthy thoughts. Imagine what you would like to accomplish this New Year. Take some time to pray about your health and ways you can live more realistically and consistently healthy. A few hours can bring about positive results. Eight, twelve or twenty-four hours is sufficient. A good thought to bear in mind during this time is that fasting does not eliminate hydration. Drinking water, juice or other liquids keeps the body functioning properly.
Once eating is resumed concentrating on wise choices will eliminate the need to starve oneself. There are plenty of healthy foods that do good things for the body that are also low in caloric count. Antioxidant rich foods such as greens, cantaloupe, melons, strawberries, blueberries, teas—green, black, or red, and broccoli are very wise choices. Black grapes are a good source of antioxidants and really enhance salads, and some meat dishes. Recently I was treated to a lunch salad of tuna, romaine lettuce, pecans, black grapes and raspberry dressing. The caloric count even with a few pecans was very low; the taste excellent and the health benefit great. We accompanied the salad with whole wheat crackers and black tea, sweetened with Splenda. There are abundant similar combinations available for the person who takes time to be creative and health-wise in meal planning. Healthy eating can be fun and enjoyable. Baptist Retirement Communities wishes you a healthy and happy New Year!