Healthy Holidays

When the holidays are upon us, it's a time for parties, travel, food and family get-togethers. But for many people, the holidays are filled with potential health risks, both mental and physical. Problems can range from simply eating too much at a party, to depression, to allergic reactions. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses" "Allergies") But with planning, you and your family can avoid many of the problems associated with holidays, and enjoy them in good health.

Holiday decorations

Holidays tend to be a time when people display decorations both inside and outside their homes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has these suggestions:

• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
• Avoid candles, or use only with extreme caution. CPSC says that each year there are 11,600 candle-related fires, resulting in 150 deaths, 1200 injuries and $173 million in property loss.
• If using holiday lights, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs. Check them carefully for fraying or loose connections. Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
• If you're planning on a live tree inside the home, make sure it's fresh and keep it well watered. For an artificial tree, look for a label that says it's fire resistant. Never place a tree near a fireplace, nor should you place a tree where it can be easily knocked over by pets or children.
• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

Holiday travel

Holidays often involve travel, which can be stressful for many people. (Read about "Stress") If you will be travelling, make sure you plan, so you don't find yourself without important medications or other items.

If you are flying, current security concerns can make it difficult, if not impossible, to carry some things in your carry-on. You should contact your airline before you even start to pack, so that you are aware of the restrictions and can avoid problems at the airport. To help avoid jet lag, drink plenty of water, during and after the flight to avoid dehydration. (Read about "Dehydration") It's also a good idea to exercise or move around periodically while on the plane to get the blood circulating in your feet and legs. (Read about "Deep Vein Thrombosis") If you are driving a long distance, make sure you take breaks to get out of the car and stretch. Try stretching in your seat as well.

(Read about "Travel and Health")

Healthy eating

According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), one of the keys to good health is variety. A holiday party is no exception. You can offer your guests a wide variety of foods including low-fat and low-sodium choices. (Read about "Low Fat Food Tips") Some ADA suggestions:

• Appetizers - Raw vegetables make for a colorful platter that offers crunch as well as good nutrition. For a low-fat dip, try using salsa; most salsas have just five to ten calories per tablespoon. Plain yogurt (about 10 calories per tablespoon) can substitute for sour cream (about 25 calories per tablespoon) in dips. Pretzels are a good non-fat alternative to chips. You can also slice up some low-fat cheese and serve it with plain crackers.
• Beverages - Make sure you have low-calorie beverages and seltzers on hand, as well as juices. Some guests may enjoy non-alcoholic beer or non-alcoholic wine as well.
• Main dishes - Compared to frying, it's healthier to bake, roast or broil foods, keeping oil or butter to a minimum. Be sure to offer salads and vegetables, preferably with dressings or sauces served on the side. By serving gravy and sauces on the side, you let guests decide how much or little they want with their food.
• Desserts - Fresh fruits and sorbets make healthy alternatives to cake or pies. If you do your baking from scratch, try cutting back on the amount of sugar in the recipe. Or you can substitute ingredients with less fat; for example use two egg whites instead of one whole egg.

Food safety

It's also important to make sure the foods you offer guests are prepared and served with safety in mind. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate food borne infections cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,200 deaths in the United States each year. To help avoid the problems CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have these suggestions:

• Clean - Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and counter tops. (Read about "Microorganisms")
• Separate - Don't cross-contaminate-don't let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution to keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
• Cook - Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
• Chill - Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 40 degrees F and the freezer at 0 degrees F, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer. Use small, shallow containers so food chills quickly.
• Baked goods - FDA advises consumers not to eat uncooked cookie dough, homemade or commercial, or batters made with raw fresh eggs because raw fresh eggs may contain bacteria that can cause an intestinal infection called salmonellosis. (Read about "Salmonella") Thorough cooking kills the bacteria that cause the infection.
• Egg nog - Traditional eggnog made with raw eggs also presents the same risk to consumers - salmonellosis. While cooking can destroy the disease-causing bacteria, consumers can still become ill when the eggnog is left at room temperature for several hours before being consumed. Safe alternatives are pasteurized eggnog beverages sold in grocery dairy cases; these products should be kept refrigerated.
• Apple cider and other juices - Apple cider is often served during the holiday season. Apple cider and most juices are pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Pasteurized juice can be found in the refrigerated or frozen sections of stores. Treated juice is shelf-stable and is normally found in the non-refrigerated juice section of stores. It's packaged in boxes, bottles or cans. Unpasteurized or untreated juice is normally found in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores, health-food stores, cider mills or farm markets. If you can't tell whether a juice has been processed to destroy harmful bacteria, either don't use the product or boil it to kill any harmful bacteria.

• Turkey - Thawing a turkey completely before cooking is important and necessary to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. If a turkey is not properly thawed, the outside of the turkey will be done before the inside, and the inside will not be hot enough to destroy disease-causing bacteria. Allow the correct amount of time to properly thaw and cook a whole turkey. For example, a 20-pound turkey needs two to three days to thaw completely when thawed in the refrigerator at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees F. A stuffed turkey needs 4-and three-quarters to 5-and-a-quarter hours to cook completely.

  For many years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said you should cook your turkey until the meat reached a temperature of 180 degree F. That has changed. The recommendation now from USDA is 165 degrees F. To check a turkey for doneness, insert a food thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey but not touching bone. If the turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing should be 165 degrees F as well. USDA says that the turkey may reach 165 before the stuffing so you may want to cook them separately.

• Oysters and seafood - Be sure to cook oysters thoroughly at home or have them cooked thoroughly when eating out. Buy only fresh seafood that is refrigerated or properly iced. Always cook fish thoroughly. Cooking fish until it is opaque and flaky helps destroy any bacteria that may be present. All consumers should avoid eating raw oysters or shellfish. People with liver disorders (Read about "The Liver") or weakened immune systems (Read about "The Immune System") are especially at risk for getting sick.
• Mail order food gifts - Consumers should be careful with mail-order food gifts, which can include meat, poultry, fish and other perishables like cheese, fruit and cheesecake. The gift giver should alert the recipient to the pending arrival of the food gift; the recipient should open the package immediately to make sure that, if it is labeled "keep refrigerated," the food arrives in a chilled state.

(Read about "Food Safety")

Party going

If you're going to the parties, instead of giving them, there are a number of ways to help you avoid falling off the nutrition bandwagon:

• Don't arrive on an empty stomach; have a light snack at home first so you're less likely to overindulge
• Don't head straight for the buffet table; spend more time socializing and less time eating and drinking
• Limit your portion size; you don't have to skip your favorite foods entirely, just let yourself enjoy smaller servings

Finally, don't be a victim of "all or nothing" thinking. If you do overindulge at one or two meals, don't let that be an excuse to keep overeating for weeks. By going back on your healthy eating and exercise plan, you can avoid those extra holiday pounds - and give yourself the gift of good health.

Allergies

People with allergies or asthma (Read about "Allergies" "Asthma") need to be aware of potential triggers during the holidays, and to be prepared by bringing their medication along while traveling. If you're travelling, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) says to keep the medications in your carry-on luggage or purse rather than stowed with checked baggage, and include a note from your doctor and the prescription label for airport security.

If you have food allergies (Read about "Food Allergies"), AAAI says to carry not one but two Epi-pens for treating a severe allergic reaction. Holiday treats can contain hidden nuts, dairy or other food allergy triggers. Make sure your host knows of any allergies you have.

If you're allergic to pets (Read about "Animal Dander"), and will be visiting a home where pets may be present, tell your host, and perhaps they can make accomodations for you. Make sure you bring your medication as well. Remember too that holiday decorations can be full of dust when they're pulled out of storage. If you have mold allergies (Read about "Mold Allergies"), they can trigger problems.

Mental health

The holidays can be a difficult time for people with depressive illnesses. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses") Even in people without a depressive illness, the holidays can bring up sad memories. Holiday shopping, travel and events can also be a time of stress. (Read about "Stress") There are several ways to help yourself cope.

One thing that can help is to simply be aware of the fact that holidays can trigger stress and depression, and you can't force yourself to be happy. If you've recently lost a loved one, or a job, or if you're unable to be home for the holidays, it's normal to feel grief. Sometimes, if you accept this, you're more likely to take steps to manage the problems.

It's also important to avoid overspending during the holidays. Don't feel everything has to be perfect, as this often leads to disappointing results.

If you are being treated for depression, anxiety (Read about "Anxiety") or other mental health problems, make sure you have a support structure in place. Family, friends, church, community groups can all be sources of help during this time.

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