Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 12-18-20

Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, to include how to deal with holidays. Traditional holiday feasts with family and friends may require some modifications to keep every- one safe yet make the event as close to "normal" as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommendations for hosting and attending gatherings in order to help the spread of COVID-19 including: encour- aging social distancing, wear- ing face coverings, washing hands often, limiting people
handling food, limiting con- tact with commonly touched and shared surfaces, and re- minding people to stay home if they're sick.
If your family is separated this year, set up a virtual call with your family and prepare the meal together. You can learn to cook grandma's fa- vorite recipe with everyone else at the same time. It could be an on-line cooking class with your family.
Or, host a virtual call for the holiday meal with your family and friends. It can be the same family traditions
with conversations and eating – just in different locations. It is important to keep cherished traditions and try some new traditions with a healthy twist. The CDC offers other ideas for safe holiday celebrations.
Maintain Optimal Health and Wellbeing this Holiday Season
Other health-related tips for the holiday season include: keeping healthy with sleep op- timization, physical activity and healthy nutrition strate- gies. The magic happens with synergy of the Performance Triad during this busy season. Here are some creative ideas to help!
Sleep
Keep your normal bedtime to ensure 7-8 hours of sleep to be energized for the rest of the weekend.
Activity
Start your holiday get to-
gethers with physical activity. Is there a virtual turkey trot or a jingle bell jog you can partic- ipate with your family? Or, go outside and play outside games before the big meal. After dinner get your immedi- ate family to go on a walk around the neighborhood. Try to maintain your activity regi- men during the holidays.
Nutrition
- Order your groceries on- line with pick-up and delivery service.
- Eat breakfast so you are not starving before the big meal.
- Remember to hydrate and drink water or a calorie free beverage throughout the
day.
- Add a new healthy, cre-
ative recipe to the menu along with the traditional favorites.
- Build a healthy plate for the holiday meal with half of the plate with vegetables.
- Try winter fruits and veg- etables in new recipes. Try in- corporating winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, broc- coli, Brussel sprouts, and cau- liflower into different dishes.
- Winter fruits in season are grapefruit, kiwifruit, kumquats, mandarin oranges, oranges, persimmons and pomelos. Try a mixed fruit salad.
- Select plain vegetables instead of casserole-type dishes.
- Don't add extra butter or gravy.
- Go easy on the alcohol.
- Choose small portions, savor every bite and try to eat slowly.
- You don't have to clean your plate!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 13-B