Health Tips for December 12

Health Tip: Avoid Holiday Overeating

It's especially easy to overeat during the holiday season.

Here are suggestions on how to avoid overindulging in food, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

* Eat just an appetizer for your meal, as portion sizes usually are smaller than entrees.
* If you order an entrée at a restaurant or are served a meal at someone's home, try splitting the portion with someone else.
* When you get your meal, immediately set aside half of it to take home and eat later.
* Don't feel like you have to eat everything in front of you -- when you start to get full, stop.

Health Tip: Eating Fast Food?

Fast food is so popular because it is just that -- fast. And it's easy and tastes good.

But fast food often is laden with fat, calories and sodium, and can take a toll on your health when eaten frequently.

Here are suggestions from the U.S. National Library of Medicine on making healthier fast-food choices:

* Order pizza with less cheese, and add veggie toppings.
* Order child-sized or a half sandwich, with lean meats and lots of vegetables, whole grain bread, and without mayonnaise and other sauces.
* A hamburger with a plain beef patty plus lettuce and tomato is a healthier choice. Skip the cheese and sauces, and don't get a side of fries.
* Try salads with light or fat-free dressings or lemon juice -- skip the bacon and creamy dressings.
* As a general rule, stay away from heavily breaded or fried dishes, as well as creams, dressings and sauces.