News You Can Use Distributed 11/30/06
During the holidays, we are all busy and stressed. We are in a hurry, and our regular schedule goes out the window.
As a result, we tend not to take enough time to take care of ourselves as we usually do. At the same time, we indulge in holiday foods.
Festive foods tend to be richer than normal and easy to eat excessively. They are flavorful and packed with tradition. We look forward to them. Who can turn down the creamy, buttery, calorie-laden snacks, casseroles and sweets?
Keeping our physical activity up during the holidays is important, however, emphasizes LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy. Physical activity helps relieve tension and stress. It can help eliminate the excess calories we consume and help us maintain our weight.
If you have not heard about America on the Move, Roy says this is a good time to check it out. You can find it at www.americaonthemove.org. You can register (it’s free), and join the community. Once you have registered, you can take part in all the Web site has to offer. You can search for recipes by calorie level, ingredient, fat grams and preparation time. You can find low-fat and low-calorie recipes that contain pumpkin, cinnamon and cranberries as alternatives for your regular holiday foods. Low-fat and low-calorie recipes are posted on the Web site daily.
You also can find the calorie content of more than 50,000 foods. The site has tip sheets for increasing steps during the day, decreasing caloric intake by 100 a day and improving your environment to make it friendlier for physical activity.
The site also has charts for converting activities to steps. This program can help get you involved and increase physical activity. You can download and print forms to use for recording your steps.
Roy says one of the exciting features of the Web site is a trail map. You can challenge yourself to finish an on-line trail in six weeks by counting steps. You also can share your story or hear about others around the country who are adopting a new lifestyle and incorporating physical activity into their daily lives.
You may be interested in getting challenge buddies, on-line friends who encourage you and help you stay on target and moving more. When you finish a challenge, you can print a certificate at the end. If you sign up, you will receive e-mails on a daily basis.
Roy suggests giving a membership to America on the Move as a gift for the holidays.