Eat, drink and be healthy | eat, one, exercise - Life - The Orange ...

Holiday fudge need not turn into lasting pudge.

Now is the season for health experts to offer diet and exercise advice such as walking a lap around the mall while shopping or loading up on crudit?s at parties.

But we wanted to hear what really works.

We asked you, readers, to share your diet and exercise tips for the feasting season that begins today.

AROUND THE OFFICE

Although Santa may look dashing with extra holiday weight, I aim to keep pounds off my Christmas list! To avoid this unwanted "present," I eat smaller healthier meals and snacks consistently throughout the day to avoid becoming famished, allowing for the potential consumption of a "Thanksgiving meal-size portion." I also commit to exercising whenever I get the chance, structuring my thought process to focus on the goal for a "healthy heart," rather than obsessing over trying to look like a supermodel. Like most working Americans, I have learned from experience that on an empty stomach, an endless work schedule, and a full day of skipped meals, I tend to overindulge and grab for the most convenient goodies, rather than the most nutritionally savvy choices.

As a defense attorney, I spend a majority of my week in a courtroom and often find myself meeting with clients and preparing for afternoon trials during my lunch hour. My work colleagues and I recently collaborated on "Operation Anti-Bowl Full of Jelly" to stock the mini office refrigerator with healthy and quick-energy snacks, including hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, apples, cutie tangerines, carrots, Greek low-fat yogurt, peanut butter, bananas, almonds and pistachios. Additionally as part of the Operation Anti-Bowl Full of Jelly campaign, we all keep a pair of tennis shoes at our desk for a brisk walk about the courthouse during the lunch hour. On the days I do not get the chance to get outside for a walk, I make sure to select a group exercise class at my gym to sweat in before I head home.

? Theresa Koehler, 31, Seal Beach

Not only does overeating expand your waistline, it also throws off your digestion, blood sugar and metabolism. You become fatigued, irritable and moody ? and not just because you can't fit into your jeans.

The trick I use is to pick my treat. If it's pie, it's one normal slice of pie. That's it. Also, remember portion sizes. Just because your 10 family members are gathered around a 10-pound turkey doesn't mean you are obligated to gobble a full pound of bird meat each.

Don't think skipping meals before a big feast gives you license to gorge later. Your body goes through a terrible feast or famine cycle when you skip meals, shutting down non-essential functions like cognition and mood when you're hungry ? and storing more of your food as fat when you eat. My advice: Front-load on healthy fiber-rich snacks during the day, and keep holiday meals portion-sized.

Tempting treats are not limited to the holiday table: Pack your lunch at work and keep plenty of healthy snacks in your desk to avoid the office mates who fill the break room with pumpkin bread and homemade fudge.

? Dr. Valeh Karimhkani, psychiatrist, Hoag Hospital

SWEET TOOTH

Buy a little pack of prunes and put them in your refrigerator. When you want to have a piece of candy or cookie over the holidays, have one or two of (the prunes). They serve the purpose of getting something sweet in your mouth and they're good for you. The way you can avoid snacking ? as soon as you eat a meal, get up and go brush your teeth. I find that helps me around the house.

I ride the exercise bicycle I have in the living room and watch a little TV. I just would rather watch one of the old movies on Turner Movie Classics. I'm sure during the holidays they'll start coming out with a lot of the Christmas movies.

? Jim Boeke, 73, Fountain Valley

I cut back on sugar about two months before the holidays. This way, when I grab for a holiday treat, it tastes so sweet I can't eat it! I also make a veggie drink in my Vitamix (blender) every day, so I get two servings of raw greens into my diet without fail.

? Susan Ruble, 54, Costa Mesa

BURNING CALORIES

Almost anyone can walk; it doesn't take skill like some sports, and it requires very little equipment (maybe some athletic shoes, but flip-flops can even work). Walking isn't as likely to cause injuries as some other sports (think football), and research shows regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.

My suggestions for eating would be:

Eat a salad for either lunch or dinner at least five days a week. It could be a Cobb salad, Asian chicken salad or any other salad, just go easy on the dressing. Avoid fast food if at all possible. Minimize processed foods and eat as many steamed veggies as you'd like.

? Janelle Naess, owner of Laguna Beach Walks

I make sure to have a plan for exercise. I am a runner and I make sure that I run (a certain number of) miles a week, no matter what. I write it down on my calendar each day and add it up weekly/monthly. This holds me accountable.

For food indulgences, I allow myself to enjoy one or two special treats only at an "event." No indulgences in between just because it's in front of me. One or two bites typically is enough to satisfy; any more than that and I feel bad (both physically and emotionally).

Lastly, I buy one or two form-fitting outfits that help remind me to stick to No. 1 & 2 above or they won't fit and flatter me at any holiday functions.

Even at Halloween and then on into the following holidaze, I tell myself that the candy, the treats, are always available year-round, so why is it that this time of year people feel the need to indulge beyond reason? I remind myself of that when I feel weak, and it always snaps me into gear.

? Carolyn Fetters, 47, Huntington Beach

Contact the writer: 714-796-3686 or cperkes@ocregister.com

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/eat-378464-one-exercise.html

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