Tips
to Avoid Overeating This
Holiday
Season
x
Whether
you are currently on a diet or not, ove reating is a common
holiday-related problem. With an abundance of food and drink available at
parties, family gatherings, and at the office, we often overeat.
Overeating can be a double threat,
as many people
overeat as a way of coping with the increased stress or feelings of
depression during this time of the year.
There’s no
need to deprive yourself this time of year—after all the food is part of
the fun. If you employ a few smart strategies, indulging in holiday
goodies does not have to mean a lot of excess guilt and weight. Here are
some tips:
o
On the day of
a party, don’t skip breakfast and/or lunch in order to "save up" for the
party. You’ll wind up consuming way more than if you had eaten normal
meals throughout the day. A light, nutritious meal just before the party
will also ward off the tendency to overindulge.
o
By all means,
sample all of the foods you like—just keep portions under control. The
smaller your portions, the more variety you get to enjoy.
o
Remember,
parties are for enjoying the company of friends and family, and good food
enhance enhances that atmosphere—not the other way around.
o
Pay attention
to what you’re drinking. Alcoholic calories add up fast, especially with
eggnog. Have ice water every other drink.
o
Have a polite
"no, thank you" ready when dinner party hosts insist on
seconds.
o
Be conscious
of the "little" opportunities for overeating, such as the office cookies.
If this is a weakness for you, add an extra 10 minutes to your workouts to
compensate.
Breastfeeding Prevents
Obesity
Pittsburgh researchers say
breastfeeding babies exclusively for their first four months reduces their
risk of obesity when they reach preschool age.
When formula
supplements are added, the breastfeeding must continue for six months for
the same anti-obesity benefit, researchers at Mathematica Policy Research
Inc. and the Children's
Hospital of
Pittsburgh said.
The researchers studied
73,000 low-income children and found the risk of obesity was reduced in 30
percent to 45 percent of breastfed children. The benefit was seen in white
children born to mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy. Only 10
percent of the children studied were breastfed for the required time
period.
The results appear in
the latest issue of Obesity Research, a journal published by the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity.
Drinking Sodas Can Harm
Teeth
Popular soft drinks --
especially non-cola drinks and canned ice tea -- can harm tooth enamel,
U.S. researchers said.
Researchers at the
Academy of
General
Dentistry found that, over time,
exposing dental enamel to carbonated beverages and non-carbonated canned
ice tea weakens and permanently destroys enamel.
Researchers exposed
healthy dental enamel to a variety of popular beverages over a period of
14 days. They found non-colas and canned iced tea were especially harmful.
The drinks contain flavor additives, such as malic, tartaric and other
organic acids, which are more aggressive at eroding teeth, they said. Root
beer, which contains the least amount of flavor additives, was found to be
the "safest soft drink to safeguard dental enamel."
About 27 percent of the
beverages consumed by Americans are soft drinks, the researchers noted.
Overall, soft drink consumption has steadily increased over the years, and
remains on the rise, contributing to an increase in oral health problems
in the form of cavities, they said.
In 1977, children ages
12 to 19 drank, on average, 16 ounces of soda a day. In 1996, the same age
group consumed an average of 28 ounces a day.
© 2004 – ARA
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All rights reserved
Girls Benefit
from Family Meals
Minnesota researchers say frequency
and quality of family meals have a great deal to do with preventing eating
disorders in girls.
A
University of
Minnesota team has found the
importance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals may help steer
adolescent girls from eating disorders.
Girls who ate regular
family meals in a structured and positive environment were less likely to
exhibit extreme weight control behaviors, such as diet pill use, vomiting
and chronic dieting.
The meal itself
provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it
also gives parents the chance to talk with their children, said study
author Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, an epidemiologist.
She found that:
1.
Girls who ate three to four
family meals per week were at about 1/3 the risk for extreme weight
control practices.
2.
Girls who ate five family
meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk for extreme weight
control practices.
3.
Boys also benefit from
family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.
The study is summarized in
this month's issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
© 2004 –
Article
City
All rights reserved
Computer
Protection for High Speed Internet Users
x
If you
use a high-speed connection such as DSL or a cable modem to access the
Internet you are at special risk to hackers and viruses, since your
connection is "always on." Here are some tips to beef up protection and
help you to stay safe online:
Use
anti-virus software. A virus can result in lost data or require costly
repairs to your system. You can avoid these risks by installing and using
software that scans your computer and your incoming email for viruses, and
then deletes them. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current
viruses, as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage;
and that updates automatically.
Install a
firewall. A firewall is software or hardware designed to block hackers
from accessing your computer. A firewall helps make you invisible on the
Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized
sources.
Don't open
email from unknown sources. Most viruses won't damage your computer unless
you open the email attachment that includes the virus. Don't open an email
attachment - even if it appears to be from a friend or coworker - unless
you are expecting it or know what it contains. If you send an email with
an attached file, include a text message explaining what it
is.
If your
computer is infected, take action immediately. Scan your entire computer
with fully updated anti-virus software and update your
firewall.
Use strong
passwords. Use passwords that have at least eight characters and include
numerals or symbols. Don't use your personal information, your login name
or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords.
Take
advantage of your software's security features. Check the "Tools" or
"Options" menus for built-in security features included with your browser
or email software. You probably have several choices for what types of
files you want to accept from other computers. If you don't understand
your choices, check them out using your "Help" function.
Turn off
software features that you don't use. You may want to turn "off" some
software features - instant messaging, printer-sharing or file-sharing -
that typically are "on" when a computer is shipped. If you're not using
your computer for an extended period, you can turn it off or unplug it
from the phone or cable line. When it's off, the computer doesn't send or
receive information from the Internet and isn't vulnerable to
hackers.
Back up
important files. No system is completely secure. If you have important
files stored on your computer, copy them onto removable discs and store
them in a safe place.
© 2004
eContentMatters.com All rights
reserved
