Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry — or to be wary, as health experts are likely to remind all holiday merrymakers. Surely, Christmas is always a convenient excuse to pig out, what with all the parties and reunions one is most likely duty-bound to attend. Fact is, you still have to lose the pounds you’ve packed on (you can hardly fit into your good old jeans — or your trusty Beetle?) last Christmas and now, you have another Christmas — and the sure promise of added weight — to deal with. And with the added stresses that the holidays bring, there are the perils of comfort food binging (but that, of course, has become a habit for the deadline-stressed, sleep-deprived Life Section staffers of this paper, whose lives revolve around food delivery). One smart way to get out of compulsive eating is to rechannel your attention to something else, like maybe answering a phone call (that hopefully will take long enough for you to forget about that thick cheesy pizza wedge on your desk waiting to be devoured).
Pizza and goodwill to all men! Like it or not, Christmas and calories go together. But other than the weight problem, there’s the health/food safety issue that must be addressed. For instance, BellaOnline zeroes in on stomach issues like heartburn. To prevent heartburn, the editors at Bella prescribe avoiding tomatoes, lentils, oranges, strawberries, and grapefruit. Low in acid are bananas (in fact, they’re you’re best bet against heartburn), grapes, peaches, pineapple, raisins, prunes, melons, pears, cantaloupes, apples, coconuts (unsweetened), avocados, mushroom, carrots, corn, spinach, lettuce (but not iceberg lettuce), beets, okra, parsley.
If you do not want a heartburn (but of course, you don’t), stay away from alcohol or drink very little alcohol. And drink plenty of water after drinking alcohol, says BellaOnline. And remember, alcohol and medications don’t mix.
Then, there’s the all-imporant issue of foodborne illness that’s bound to multiply several times over during the holidays. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds consumers to follow the four basic food safety steps:
• Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry, and egg products from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cook. Raw meat, poultry, and egg products need to be cooked thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods have reached a high enough temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.
• Chill. Store leftovers within two hours of cooking.
With our hearts warming up to the sight of overflowing holiday buffet tables, these food safety tips from the USDA may come in handy:
• Keep it small. If you’re throwing a party, keep buffet portions small. Store cold back-up dishes in the fridge and keep hot dishes in the oven (200 to 250ºF) before serving.
• Keep cold foods cold. Keep cold foods at 40ºF or colder until serving time. Bacteria multiply quickly in moist desserts containing dairy products. So, keep cream-filled cakes, pies, and other perishable items refrigerated up until serving time.
• Keep hot foods hot. Cooked hot foods should be kept at 140ºF or warmer.
• Remember the two-hour rule. Don’t leave perishable food out at room temperature longer than two hours unless you are keeping the food hot or cold.
• Eat it hot. Eat food as soon as it is cooked. And put any leftovers directly in the refrigerator.
• Waste no time. Eat reheated food immediately.
• Throw it away. Discard leftovers after two days.
• Keep it fresh. Do not add new food to a serving dish that contains food that may have already been touched or have remained at room temperature for a while. Instead, replace empty or nearly empty platters with freshly filled ones.
• Keep it clean. Sanitize cutting boards after each use.
And, of course, don’t forget to have fun during the holidays!
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Organic is the way to go
This question is being asked for the longest time: Is organic food healthier than conventionally grown food?
And now, the verdict: Yes, organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food, according to findings of a $25-million study into organic food — the largest to date — funded by the European Union. The four-year study has this mouthful to say:
• Organic fruits and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants.
• Organic produce has higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc.
• Milk from organic herds contains up to 90 percent more antioxidants.
For this very absorbing study, researchers grew fruits and vegetables, and raised cattle on adjacent organic and non-organic sites. It was found that organic foods are so much healthier that eating them can even help increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (do you?).
On a sour note, UK’s Food Standards Agency, which said there was no difference between organic and non-organic produce, is reviewing the research findings.
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More bright ideas for the holidays
Last week, Philips shared some enlightening tips on energy consumption during the holidays. For more bright ideas, which we can certainly use in these tough times that try our resources — and resourcefulness — log on to www.asimpleswitch.com.
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