A CalorieLab Holiday Survival Guide

The name of this website being CalorieLab, we usually produce at least one annual post reminding visitors of the nutritional and caloric hazards that confront us during the end-of-year holidays. Sometimes we, meaning I, post this warning in early December, after Thanksgiving has taken place and a considerable amount of the dietary damage has already been done. So, herewith a quick and hopefully timelier review of some of the basic rules and reminders: When there’s a broad selection of food items, you’re not obligated to sample some of each. In that situation, confine yourself to the items you really enjoy, focusing on those you don’t often get at home. Alcohol is calories with the amp turned up to 11, and that’s just one reason to toast the holidays in moderation. Sugary/creamy drinks such as Irish coffee and rum punch and egg nog should particularly be regarded as caloric land mines. The turkey skin, sublime though you may find it, is where the fat is. You might prepare a casserole or other entrees in advance for those times during the holiday rush that you just don’t have time to make dinner, which will spare you from having to resort to fast food. http://www.clevelandstatecc.edu/talkgreen/viewthread/10649/

‘Tis better to give than to receive, and this is especially true when it comes to pastries and other holiday baked goods and sweet treats. Should you find yourself up to here with such edible gifts, it is perfectly alright and nutritionally wise to re-gift some of them to co-workers, neighbors or friends. They will be appreciated, and will not be lying around tempting you. A little gravy goes a long way. Ditto on the dressing. Be wary of veggie side dishes that involve lots of creamy or cheesy or Hollandaise sauce. Many people put out bowls of peanuts or mixed nuts along with the chips and other snacks. The nuts contain fats and are usually salted, but are still among the healthiest snacks you can eat and certainly preferable to processed snacks. Beyond those caveats, the holidays present other, even more literal hazards. This is also the season of home-based accidents, ranging from falls and fires to electrical shocks from deteriorating Christmas lights. A few significant stats: There are, on average, 1,400 house fires each year during the holidays due to accidents with candles alone, peaking on the candle-fire trifecta: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Over 5,800 people will visit emergency rooms during the holidays to receive treatment for falls they took while putting up decorations, and this is not primarily an elderly-linked hazard; over 60 percent of the patients are in the 20-to-50 age range, and men tumble 40 percent more often than women. http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/09/leo/intlblogday/forum/read.php?1,2272

Other than minor contusions from trying out that new bicycle for the first time, the No. 1 threat to kids comes from toys small enough to be swallowed or choked on, but less recognized is the threat from the lithium button battery that powers a lot of those toys or games. Almost 3,500 kids swallow one of these batteries during a typical year, and the problem peaks during the season of new playthings. Button batteries contain seriously nasty chemicals, and if one becomes lodged in a child’s throat, there can be long-term consequences. If you’re going to be a helicopter parent at all, now’s the time. - See more at:http://uchem.berkeley.edu/forum/read.php?26,500628