HealtHy livingmontHly

your Healthy living tipDrink Enough Water

Do you count your 8 glasses per day, or is getting enough water the furthest thing from your mind? every individual has different hydration needs, depending on body weight, exercise level, and on the climate and other factors. even in the winter months, getting enough water should be a priority. try to keep a water bottle with you at all times.

Source: MayoClinic.com

Doctor’s ordersGet Results From Your New Year’s Resolutionsby Christopher Coulter, m.D., m.P.H.

Many of us start the year off with personal reflection and goal setting, often by making new year’s resolutions. and many of those resolutions are broken by the end of January. it’s not that we lack good intentions, or that we’re short of ideas on how to improve ourselves. most people fail for three reasons: inappropriate goals, unrealistic expectations, and poor planning.

Set the Right goals: most resolutions are too ambitious. Setting a goal to “lose 10 pounds in 2011” is realistic and achievable; vowing to lose 100 pounds is not. “get back into shape” is beyond someone who hasn’t been active in 10 years, but “exercise for 30 minutes, three times a week” is something that anyone can do. It is infinitely better to set and achieve a modest goal than to fail miserably at achieving a huge goal.

limit yourself to no more than Five goals: People who make long lists of resolutions are unlikely to keep any of them. even if you are only able to achieve two of five important goals, you’ve accomplished something important and you are better off.

Pick goals that are important: one way is to look at the major aspects of your life, and pick the best achievable thing you could do in each: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, and financial.

Keep your goal SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Timely.(continued)

Doctor’s orders: Get Results From Your New Year’s Resolutions

your Healthy living tip

Have a Healthy Holiday Season

Recipe of the month

In thIs edItIon:

DeCembeR2010

Recipe of the monthMaple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Have a Healthy Holiday Season‘tis the season of temptation – and evidence suggests most of us give in. a study in the new england Journal of medicine shows the average person puts on a pound during the holidays and never loses it. this adds up to

serious weight gain over the years. Here are some tips to keep your holiday calories at a reasonable level:

Cut back on butter, cream, and other fattening side dish additives. try low-fat or skim milk, reduced calorie sour cream, or vegetable broth for mashed potatoes. For broccoli, carrots, or brussels sprouts, try simply steaming them, add a little salt & pepper, and see if you can forgo the butter altogether.

Don’t eat the turkey skin. the skin of turkey and chicken is loaded with saturated fat. Per gram, saturated fats are higher in calories than protein or carbs, and they

contribute to high cholesterol. another no-no is the dark meat, which has more fat per bite than white meat.

Choose reduced fat egg nog - a single cup of egg nog typically contains about 340 calories and 19 grams of fat.

Knowing which foods are naughty is only half the battle. Help yourself resist temptation by engaging in conversation to slow the pace of eating. at parties, sit far from the buffet table. also, excuse yourself from the dinner table once you’ve had enough to eat.

Source: WebMD

this recipe takes advantage of the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes by using just a skosh of maple syrup as an enhancement. it also goes easy on the butter, making it a healthy alternative to sweet potato casserole.

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 8 cups) 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. arrange sweet potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Combine maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes; toss to coat. Cover and bake the sweet potatoes

for 15 minutes. Uncover, stir and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until tender and starting to brown, 45 to 50 minutes more. makes 12 servings.

make ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Just before serving, reheat at 350°F until hot, about 15 minutes. Per serving: 96 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 118 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.

Source: EatingWell.com

get Healthy: one of the best steps you can take is to improve your health – you’ll feel better, live longer, be happier, and be there to enjoy the friends and family you’ve been working so hard for. For most people, the top five ways to improve their health are:

Stop smoking• maintain a healthy body weight• be physically active• eat a healthy diet• limit alcohol intake•

Starting from the top, pick the item that is an issue for your health and set a realistic goal for next year. Keep trying until you succeed; any worthwhile goal is a challenge, and achieving it deserves reward. next December, when you look back at your 2011 resolutions and how well you accomplished them, it will also be a great time to celebrate your successes. Plan on it.