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Bill Klaproth (Host): A little nibble here, a little nibble there; holiday eating can certainly add up and here to talk with us about staying healthy around the holidays is Dr. Donna Sandidge, Medical Director for the Cayuga Center for Healthy Living. Dr. Sandidge thanks for your time. Healthy holiday eating is tough for a lot of people. Is that right?

Donna Sandidge, MD (Guest): Thank you for having me Bill. This is a very real problem for people. Weight gain from the October through January holiday season, because it really does, it sort of starts at Halloween and goes through New Year’s. It is a real challenge. People gain on average a pound which doesn’t sound like much, but if someone is overweight; they are likely to gain five pounds and it’s five pounds that they won’t lose. So, it kind of is a cumulative effect. So, it is a real issue for many, many people.

Host: So, it’s good then to have a plan then approaching the holidays? That’s what it sounds like. Knowing that, what you just said; for people to maintain their weight and stay healthy, good to have a plan. Is that right?

Dr. Sandidge: That is true. If you have an idea before you launch into a season where it’s foods that are often very high in calories, not the healthiest choices and just a change to your usual routine. You have a plan in place to try to stick to the healthier habits that maybe you’ve been cultivating throughout the year, you are more likely to be able to make it through the holidays without gaining those extra pounds. And also, just feeling better and hopefully enjoying the holidays better. You don’t want to come through it feeling guilt or unhealthy about how you approached the holiday season.

Host: So true. So, let’s start with what people encounter during the holidays, parties and get togethers, food buffets. So, let’s talk about that first. You walk in and there’s the appetizers, the finger foods, the dips, the sauces. Do you have any tips for us about those types of foods?

Dr. Sandidge: Sure. And really you could even say it starts before you get there. When you are at home, getting ready to go; start thinking ahead. Are you hungry? Don’t go hungry. Have a little something healthy to eat at home before you go so that when you arrive you are not immediately fixated on the food and also if you kind of know ahead, what the types of faire will be there, what type of food is being served; if there are some holiday things that you really enjoy; be thinking about that. Okay, if I’m going to have a piece of pie then, I’m going to make sure that I’m not overdoing it on some of the other desserts. I’ll just stick with that one or I’ll have just a small sampling of several different types. And with appetizers, as you mentioned. They are usually raw vegetables and some dips that go along with them. Well be careful. Look at what you have out there. Hummus for instance as opposed to a really rich creamy dressing for dipping is going to be a healthier choice. You get some protein with hummus that you wouldn’t necessarily get the same type of bang for your buck if it was just ranch dressing or cheese or some of those things that are going to have a lot more saturated fat in them.

Host: Those are really good tips. Don’t go hungry. Eat at home first and the hummus is a great idea. Is it a good idea to think about bringing your own snacks first, some kind of a protein bar in your pocket or your purse or something?

Dr. Sandidge: So, that’s certainly a possibility. The other thought is if it’s the sort of thing where people are bringing dishes, if it’s a gathering of that type; then you do have some power over what’s going to be there and you could pick something that you really enjoy that’s a healthy appetizer that’s not so laden in unhealthy calories and not only are you providing yourself an opportunity to have a healthy choice; but also everyone else there. And if it’s not all consumed by the time you leave, don’t feel bad about that. At least you made that effort. But those are – having an alternative to foods that you would otherwise maybe not even want to eat. Try to stick with the things that you enjoy and if you do have a food that’s higher in calories and rich, just small amounts, really portion control and then focus on it. Really enjoy it when you eat it. There’s a saying that when you are consuming food, the first bite is great because you are anticipating what it’s going to taste like and the last bite is great because it’s the last bite. It’s done. But everything else is just in the middle and you probably don’t really pay a lot of attention to it. So, being mindful and that way you can probably enjoy a smaller portion of something that you really want to have.

Host: Okay so, pay attention to being mindful. I love that tip. And what about the big dinner out, the big family meal? I know we probably have a tendency to overeat. Any tips for avoiding that?

Dr. Sandidge: So, once again, that principle of thinking of what are the healthy foods that are available here. There’s generally going to be some vegetables and fruit and whole grain type foods available, hopefully. And those are going to have a lot of good nutrition but not as many calories as say a casserole that has a lot of cheese or creamy sauce and those sorts of things added to it. And so, the tactic of number one, if there are various sizes of plates; choosing a smaller plate so that visually what you see on the plate looks like enough food as opposed to trying to have small portions on a very large plate. But still half that plate with those non-starchy vegies, salad, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, all those good colorful foods that have a lot of nutritional value, but when they are prepared in a sort of simple way don’t have a lot of extra calories added to them.

And then go for the lean protein with the traditional turkey, white meat, but without the skin and about the size of a deck of cards is an appropriate portion. That’s about three to four ounces of protein and that’s the appropriate amount for a meal. And then if you are having a starch, that would be the other sort of quarter of the plate if you will and again, trying to choose something that doesn’t have a lot of things added to it in terms of butter, cheese, cream, things like that. Maybe pass up the seconds. Have one plate and then take some time. Don’t immediately go back for seconds. Your body will sense that it has had enough of a meal on board about twenty minutes after you have eaten and so if you kind of go through the food very quickly, immediately go back for seconds because it was so good and there’s more food there. You can often feel satisfied if you wait a little while after the meal.

Host: Good tip and all of these tips then hold true for sweets and desserts as well. Be mindful, small portions, is that correct?

Dr. Sandidge: Absolutely. So, take the time to really enjoy what you are eating in the fullest sense. So, how the food smells, how it looks, how it tastes really be focused on that as opposed to other things where one minute there’s this dessert in front of you and the next minute it’s gone, and you realize that you didn’t really even register what you were eating. Which is a setup to say well I think maybe I’ll have to have a second piece, so I can enjoy it this time.

Host: And Dr. Sandidge before we wrap up, let’s talk about drinks. As you know we can drink in a lot of calories. How about those sugary drinks and coffees that we encounter as well as alcohol? What are your tips there?

Dr. Sandidge: Yes, the pumpkin latte is a real challenge. It sounds good because it says pumpkin, so you are thinking you are getting a vegetable, but it’s really just a lot of sugar and cream. Yeah, there tend to be higher calorie drinks through the holidays and going for water when you are thirsty, because that’s really the best thing to hydrate with and then if you want some other drink; then that should be once again, something where it’s a small amount and something where you are enjoying the taste and the flavor, but not looking at it as a source of hydration, but more as something just to enjoy for the taste in a smaller quantity. And alcohol can be a source of a lot of what we call empty calories. There’s no nutritional value per se and also, there’s a real correlation between alcohol consumption and a tendency to eat more because you are a little less inhibited – you are disinhibited from monitoring how much food is going in if you have had a significant amount of alcohol. Most wine, beer, mixed drinks; they are going to be in the range of 200 calories or more per drink whereas eggnog, that’s going to be 500 calories. So, again, that can really add to that tendency to gain weight if you are drinking the calories.

Host: Absolutely. And lastly, if you could wrap it up for us quickly; any tips for staying on track with your exercise plan?

Dr. Sandidge: So, that’s a really important one because again, you are getting out of your routine and then it’s often hard to get back to it. And so, if you have an exercise routine already; then just work that into the holidays. Even when you are travelling. If you generally take a thirty minute walk each day; then find a way to do that even while you are travelling. The other thing is to work it into the activities that you are doing with friends and family. So, you have this nice meal and then you get everyone to go for a walk together or a hike at a park nearby or if the weather is not so great outside; perhaps it’s putting on some music and dancing. Just something where you are moving. But again, doing it as a group activity; because so much of it does get centered around the food, but family time and fellowship with friends can be done while you are being active as well.

Host: Great tips Dr. Sandidge. Thank you so much for helping us stay healthy this holiday season. And for more information please visit cayugamed.org that’s cayugamed.org. This is Your Health from Cayuga Medical Center. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.