H is for Happy, Healthy Holidays

Simple, Practical, Science-Based Tips for a Long Healthy Life

We hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, whether it was celebrated with friends and family with turkey and all the trimmings, all alone with a turkey leg watching the football games, or a vegan feast with tofurkey!  

There are many headlines that try to make you feel guilty about eating too much, eating “bad” foods, or not exercising enough to burn off the holiday calories. (Hint, guilt has no place in holiday eating!)

One common myth is that the average adult gains 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I don’t know where that number came from, and searching the literature showed that weight gain occurred in some people, but the average weight gain ranges from less than 1 pound up to 2 pounds. That seems insignificant when you consider that weight fluctuates 1 to 2 pounds a day, depending on hydration status (click here for a narrative review of holiday weight gain).

Another common theme is to “healthify” family recipes by eliminating butter, sugar, or fat. I’m all for making substitutions in recipes but during the holidays, why mess with grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe or your mom’s famous stuffing?  During the year I may use prune puree in place of oil in banana bread, but during the holidays, I opt for the OG (original) recipe. Despite my love of the Great British Baking Show, I only bake once or twice a year, so real butter and sugar is in my bakes!

Exercise routines can become disrupted when you are in the midst of the holiday rush, but don’t let it make you feel guilty. “Fitness professionals can exacerbate guilt, in fact in one recent survey, 73% of exercise fitness professionals support clients who work out to ‘earn’ what they eat,“ says JC Lippold, a fitness professional in Minneapolis. “Ignore the headlines that tell you how many minutes you have to workout to burn off the slice of pumpkin pie and simply enjoy the pie!”

I don’t mean you should abandon all your health—promoting routines. Leading the family on a brisk walk with the dogs, enjoying seasonal produce, and drinking more water than alcohol are always good ideas.

In Food & Fitness After 50, the four principles of a healthy eating pattern are:

• Inclusions of all energy-containing nutrients (carbs, protein, and fat)
• A focus on nutrient-rich foods
• A concern for disease risk and management
• Enjoyment of eating and mealtime

This holiday season let’s focus on the last principle! Enjoy the season as 2023 winds down…oh, and do not say “I will start my diet on January 2!” Because we all know where that leads!

Next up is S is for Sharing Tips from Bob Murray and me on how we get and stay healthy as we age.

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