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| UK Health & Wellness | November 2011 |
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Greetings!
It's that time of year again. Time for holiday festivities and holiday meals! Hopefully, you signed up for the Keep It Off Holiday Challenge to help keep your weight on track during the holiday season. Be sure to check out these tips to "trim" your holiday. And remember: Moderation and movement are the keys. Enjoy your time with family and your delicious holiday feasts! The UK Health & Wellness staff wishes you and your family a safe, healthy, and happy holiday!
Jody Ensman
UK Health & Wellness Program Manager |
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Trimming the Holidays
by Emily Waits, R.D., L.D., Graduate Assistant, UK Health & Wellness
 The Holiday season is approaching quickly. Typically, holidays are filled with family time and food! Maybe this is the year to try new recipes and lighten up the traditions to avoid holiday weight gain. Did you know that average American gains 1-2 pounds during the holiday season? With a little planning, this holiday season will be full of fun and fellowship all while avoiding the unnecessary holiday gain.
 Tip # 1: Set realistic goals during holiday season.
- Change your mind set to weight maintenance rather than weight loss. Losing weight can be stressful, but if you aim to maintain your current weight, you can resume your weight loss plan after the holidays. Keep your normal exercise and healthy eating habits. Enjoy the holiday food, but in smaller quantities.
Tip # 2: Become a picky eater!
- Be picky and decide only a few items that you want to consume for the meal. Choose items that you know you won't get any other time or that are really special to you. Don't waste your calories on foods that are not worth it to you! Enjoy time with family and friends instead of standing around the food.
Tip # 3: Bring a healthy dish
- Bring a new, healthy dish to this holiday. Bring mashed sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole, or pumpkin dip or roasted veggies. If you bring a dish that you know you can splurge on, it will help you stay on your healthy eating plan
Tip #4: Take a holiday walk
- Instead of plopping on the couch after dinner, encourage everyone to take a walk. It will burn a few calories while spending quality time with one another. Aim to keep up your normal physical activity schedule.
Tip # 5: Don't drink your calories
- Punches, eggnog, hot chocolate and cocktail mixers can have up to 500 calories per cup! Aim to have water, diet sodas, coffee, low calorie punches and other low calorie drinks to sip on.
See recipe for making lower calorie eggnog! Check out healthier recipe substitutions here. |
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Upcoming Events
Improve your "Health IQ" and get a FREE book
 Do you know how to treat common ailments at home? Do you know when it is appropriate to call the doctor and when to seek emergency treatment? The "Healthier at Home" book can help you become a wise health consumer. It is the most comprehensive self-care book available, and it can be yours for free. All you have to do is view a 10-minute video, take a brief quiz, and we'll send you a book. That's it! Only UK employees, retirees and their spouses are eligible. Only one book per person. Quantities are limited. Get your free book today.
FREE Fall Lunch & Learn: Healthy Meal Planning
Please join us for this FREE lunch-time session geared toward keeping you healthy and well at work and at home. Feel free to bring your lunch. Next up is "Healthy Meal Planning." Learn how meal planning can help you make healthier choices and get strategies for making meal planning work for you. Join us Weds., Nov. 30, from 12:10-12:50 p.m., 127 Commons, Wethington. Register now.
Couldn't make it to the last Lunch & Learn? Check out PowerPoint presentations for past sessions on the website.
FREE Health Smart Conversation: Spirituality and Health
Spirituality is an important source of strength and an excellent coping resource. Learn about the role of spirituality in physical and mental health and well-being, and how to focus on enhancing positive, healthy living. Join us for "Spirituality and Health," presented by Dr. Tamara Brown, Thurs., Dec. 8, 12:10-12:50 p.m., Hospital Pavilion A, RoomA.00.123. (MAP)Register now.
Couldn't make it to the last Health Smart Conversation? Check out PowerPoint presentations and videos for past sessions on the website.
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Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole
Serves 8
Coconut milk is the unexpected, rich and delicious ingredient in this creamy casserole main dish. Substitute pecans for the walnuts, if desired.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped sage
¾ pound dried elbow macaroni
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup bread crumbs
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add squash, coconut milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in sage and simmer 1 minute more. (This part can be made ahead, up to 1 day in advance.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Transfer squash mixture to bowl with macaroni. Add walnuts, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake until just golden brown and hot throughout, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 430 calories (170 from fat), 19g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 54g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 11g protein
Source: www.wholefoodsmarket.com
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 Health Smart Tips:Three Ways To Overcome Procrastination
Are you putting off exercising, quitting smoking or another healthy habit? You're procrastinating!! Procrastination, the habit of delay, can be a major problem in both your career and your personal life. Missed opportunities, frenzied work hours, stress, overwhelm, resentment, and guilt are just some of the symptoms.
Here are 3 practical tools to overcome it.
1. Replace 'Have To' With 'Want To' First, thinking that you absolutely have to do something is a major reason for procrastination.
When you tell yourself that you have to do something, you're implying that you're being forced to do it, so you'll automatically feel a sense of resentment and rebellion. The solution to this first mental block is to realize and accept that you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Even though there may be serious consequences, you are always free to choose. In each situation the freedom of choice is yours. So if you're putting off starting that new project you feel you 'have to' do this year, realize that you're choosing to do it of your own free will. Procrastination becomes less likely on tasks that you openly and freely choose to undertake.
2. Replace 'Finish It' With 'Begin It' Secondly, thinking of a task as one big whole that you have to complete will virtually ensure that you put it off.
When you focus on the idea of finishing a task where you can't even clearly envision all the steps that will lead to completion, you create a feeling of overwhelm. Replace, 'How am I going to finish this?' with 'What small step can I start on right now?' If you simply start a task enough times, you will eventually finish it. Just focus on what you can do right now. If you do this enough times, you'll eventually be starting on the final piece of the task, and that will lead to finishing.
3. 'Replace Perfectionism With Permission To Be Human' A third type of erroneous thinking that leads to procrastination is perfectionism.
Thinking that you must do the job perfectly the first try will likely prevent you from ever getting started. If you've never even started that project you always wanted to do really well, could perfectionism be holding you back? Give yourself permission to be human!
Adapted from www.kypainrelief.com.
Check out the Health Smart program here. |
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Health Smart Videos
Couldn't make it to the Health Smart Conversation: "Eldercare - Coping with Holiday Stress," presented by Dr. John Ranseen? Check out the PowerPoint presentation here. |
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Editor: Melanie J. Sparks
Please Note: Only University of Kentucky employees, retirees, spouses, and sponsored dependents are eligible for UK Health & Wellness services and programs. |
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