Date: Fri 04-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

healthy-eating-Farfaglia

Full Text:

Lighten Up For The Holidays: Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

(with photo)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

When she goes to a holiday party, Pat Farfaglia never tells anyone that she is

a registered dietitian.

"Dietitians are not the food police," she insists. "But it seems to be a real

turn-off at a party if someone I am talking to finds out that I am a

dietitian."

Food is an important part of the holidays, but too much food is eaten on the

run and is not memorable, Ms Farfaglia told the audience who attended her

talk, "Lightening Up For the Holidays," sponsored by the St Rose Church Parish

Nurse Program last week in the Monsignor Conroy Room at St Rose School.

"If you are distracted while you are eating, you will be hungry again later,"

Ms Farfaglia said. "You need a scheduled food event -- sit, talk, do not watch

television or read. You won't eat as much. Never eat a food you can't describe

-- you're just inhaling it."

Not All Fat Is Bad

Despite America's fat phobia, not all fat is bad, she insisted. Most people

need approximately 40 t0 60 grams of fat in their daily diet; low fat is

anything with less than four fat grams per serving.

All vegetable oils are cholesterol-free but not necessarily free of saturated

fats, she said. Safflower is the most polyunsaturated; olive oil is a good

monounsaturated fat. Even so, the body needs saturated fats to make some

hormones and to prevent constipation, she said.

Be wary of commercially made baked goods, such can be high in saturated fats,

and fried foods. To reduce fat in fried foods, cook them in a microwave oven

first, then fry in a minimal amount of oil.

Most people have difficulty losing weight because eating is a behavior which

masks feelings, she said.

"Find out what is triggering your eating. Keep a dairy of everything you eat,

when you eat, and what you are feeling at the time," she said. "Then replace

the behavior. Instead of eating, go for a walk if you are angry, or clean out

a closet."

Learn to plan menus, learn to like crunchy raw vegetables that take time to

eat and give a feeling of fullness. Learn to skip a meal if you are not hungry

and the food isn't appealing.

Get exercise. Learn to like walking and weight lifting, even small weights, Ms

Farfaglia said. Calcium is very important for both men and women to prevent

osteoporosis.

Drink Water

"Drinking a lot of water -- at least two liters a day for adults, three liters

if you are exercising -- helps promote calcium reabsorption in the body. If

you're going to live into your 70s, you must have calcium. Don't eat too much

protein -- not more than 50 to 80 grams a day. A consequence of too much

protein is osteoporosis," she said.

Losing weight may be good for your health, or it may have serious consequences

such as anorexia or other illnesses. "Women who are thin will have a higher

risk of osteoporosis," Ms Farfaglia pointed out.

Everyone needs about 20 minutes of sunshine a day to get enough vitamin D for

good health. If you don't get it through sunlight in the winter, use a

supplement, she said.

One reason why people find it difficult to lose weight is because our bodies

are programmed to store calories. "People throughout the ages have survived a

lot of starvation," Ms Farfaglia said. "We are meant to withstand famine. We

are now out of sync with our environment."

To be satisfied with less food, make sure that it is tasty. Spicy foods are

more satisfying and memorable, she said.

In general, food is too complex a subject for absolutes, which is why fads and

diets come and go. "Have a good relationship with food," Ms Farfaglia said.

"Chop it, mash it, beat it up, and share it with your family."

As part of the program, Ms Farfaglia revised favorite traditional recipes from

their high-fat, high-sodium originals to reduce the amounts of saturated fat,

sodium, cholesterol, and calories. The recipes were prepared by parishioners

for a tasting that followed her talk.

Anyone who is looking for good information about nutrition can contact the

American Dietetic Association, the Mayo Clinic's virtual clinic on the

Internet, or any of the American Diabetes Association cookbooks, Ms Farfaglia

said.