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American Heart Association wants you to avoid the holiday “jelly belly”

American Heart AssociationNashville, TN – For many of us, more than half of annual weight gain occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Some studies say the average American puts on up to 5 to 7 pounds in these few weeks.

And it’s no wonder if you count up the cookies, cakes and tasty – but calorie-laden – traditional Southern cooking we just can’t say no to at holiday parties.

While we’re chatting away and filling ourselves with holiday cheer, we’re also filling up with calories, one nibble at a time. Those empty calories add up fast. So before your belly starts shaking like a bowl full of jelly, plan ahead and check out these American Heart Association tips on healthy holiday eating:

  • At holiday parties where tempting foods are often served, eat something healthy beforehand so you’re not likely to overindulge. Interact away from the buffet where it’s easy to graze mindlessly. Serve yourself and move to a different part of the room. Fill up on vegetable or fruit dishes at the buffet that are raw or simply prepared without sauces (like raw vegetables with hummus, steamed squash or baked apples).
  • Eat breakfast. Studies show that if you skip breakfast, you end up consuming more calories throughout the day than those who start off with a bowl of high-fiber cereal.
  • Watch your liquid calories and reach for tall, slender glasses. A Cornell University study showed adults who drank from tall, slender glasses drank about 19 percent less than those who drank from short, wide glasses. Sparkling water helps fill you up and has zero calories. A cup of eggnog, on the other hand, weighs in at a whopping 343 calories.
  • Make your holidays more event-based and less food-based. Go for a long walk before or after your meals and see the holiday decorations in the neighborhood. Have the family gather branches, berries and leaves to build a beautiful fall centerpiece for your table. Hold a family Wii Fit Plus competition, or a touch football game in the yard. Physical activity will keep you moving and keep your metabolism up.
  • Keep your hands, mind and feet busy. People can often get bored during the holidays and turn to food. Plan on reading a novel, taking photos, playing a game, writing in a journal or participating in a fun run.
  • Practice portion control. Bake your favorite cookies or pie, but make the cookies smaller than usual and cut the pie in smaller slices. Take one tiny piece – or just one bite – and WALK AWAY. One slice of pecan pie can be as much as 900 calories.
  • Cook smart when making your delicious holiday recipes. Use a heart-healthy spread instead of butter, add dried fruit and reduce the amount of chocolate chips in cookies, cut your sugar amount by half or use a sugar substitute, and grill vegetables instead of baking the usual casserole or deep-frying them.
  • Give away leftovers by having festive gift containers for everyone to take home samples of their favorite dishes.

For tips on how to live more heart-healthy, visit www.mylifecheck.org.

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