It is important to know the unhealthy practices that could affect us at the holiday season. Some situations that may occur are:
- Larger than usual portions are consumed; some people also increase or include alcohol intake during holidays.
- Mealtimes and frequency are out of the norm.
- Desserts are present in most celebrations.
- There are “picadera” hors d’oeuvres at most celebrations.
- Many of the gifts given to families and friends tend to be high-calorie desserts or drinks (coquito, tembleque, etc.).
Don’t eat everything at once. Please make a healthy decision-making during these days. Think of the next Christmas menu to remember to moderate portions and save some food for another time of the day.
| Rice with “gandules”- 1/2 cup – 198 calories | Cakes – 1/2 cake – 250 calories |
| Potato salad – 1/2 cup – 196 calories | Bread Rolls – 2 oz – 80 calories |
| “Guineítos en escabeche” – 1/2 cup – 170 calories | “Morcillas” – 2 oz – 145 calories |
| Pork – 3 oz – 395 calories | “Tembleque” – 4 oz – 231 calories |
Example of a typical Christmas menu
This menu adds up to a total of 1,200 to 1,300 calories approximately; this is often the caloric requirement of a full day for some people. Another important fact to know is that 3,500 calories ingested are equivalent to 1 pound increase. What if you had 2-3 meals like this a day at each of your meetings or parties? You could gain a lot of weight, and this would bring serious problems to your health!
Enjoy with your family and friends. Some tips for maintaining health during this season are:
- Sing and dance during the parties as actively as possible.
- Integrate family activities such as games where body movement is heavily involved.
- Play with the youngest members of the family; they will keep you in constant motion.
By: Zamely Millán-Gutiérrez, MPHE, CHES, GCG
