Health Talkin' with Welcome to "Health Talkin' with Doc Griggs". In conjunction with the Xavier School of Pharmacy Health and Wellness Center, we will discuss topics that we find most relevant in our community. Our shared goal is to help you "Get Checked. Get Fit. Get Moving! ™" This month we tackle... Laissez les bon temps rouler! Authors: Griggs Eric, MD; Kirchain, William, PharmD; Michael Tran; Xiang Jiang; Emmanuel Kouagou Every major holiday comes with a party. Whether the holiday is Christmas or Mardi Gras, the foods that are presented might be a bit overwhelming if you are looking to stay on the healthier side of the plate. There are several ways that you can cut out all the unhealthy items and still throw a great party that everyone would remember years down the future. First of all, let’s think of the drinks that you will be serving: soda, juice, alcohol, and other holiday-themed drinks. Sodas and juices are full of sugar. Just one 12 oz. can of Coke or orange juice contains about 39 g of sugar. And let's face it, you won't be happy with just one can. A replacement could be to get a pitcher of cold water and place in it pieces of fruits, such as peaches, watermelon or oranges and let those flavor the water. That way, you can have a fruity drink, without all the added sugar. Other items that are likely to be at your party are chips and dips. Most chips are fried and covered with salt. A serving of tortilla chips contains more than 110 mg of salt and 7 g of fat, and that’s only 7 chips per serving. Now mix that with some salsa or cheese dips. One serving of dips and salsa is 2 tablespoons. Just those 2 spoonsful contain over 280 mg of salt and 40 calories per serving. If you were to substitute it with some baked chips or some vegetable chips, you can reduce the amount of fat and salt content drastically. You can make your own salsa with chopped tomatoes, onions and some herbs such as cilantro, parsley, and basil for spices. By substituting store-bought salsa with ones that you can make yourself would eliminate the additional sugar, preservatives and other unnecessary additives. The main food dishes at parties are usually whole fried chicken or turkey, on special occasions. Frying foods can add lots of needless calories and fat into a dish. By baking the chicken or turkey, you can reduce the fat contents as well as avoiding adding excess amounts of oil into the dish. Additional steps can involve skinning the meats and removing the fat before baking it. This will further increase the healthiness of the dish. Eating too much fats and oils can lead to high cholesterol. This can lead to the buildup of plaques and blockages of your arteries and eventually lead to stroke and other heart problems. Let’s not forget the final piece for most parties, the desserts. You can serve cakes or ice cream or even pies. Some individuals like to bake with fruits and vegetables, thinking that it must be a healthy alternative from sugar and fat. However, by baking fruits and vegetables for a long time in an oven, you are essentially turning the healthy fibers and starch into nothing more than sugar to your body. When you consume too much sugar, it will increase your blood sugar levels and overwork your body. At some point in time, your body may become so overworked that you can develop what we call diabetes. This is when your body can't use the sugar that you eat and start craving for more food as fuel. This can lead to weight gain, excess thirst and frequent urination. By eating fruits and vegetables the way that they are supposed to be eaten, raw or with minimal cooking, you can preserve its natural fiber content and increase your overall health. Overall, by following these simple steps, you can provide your guests with healthy alternative snacks and dishes without going away from your preferred meal: • Using fruits and water instead of soft drinks and juice • Baked chips instead of fried chips with dips • Homemade salsa instead of storebought • Baked, skinless chicken instead of fried chicken Get Checked. Get Fit. Get Moving! ™ References "Cholesterol.", MedlinePlus. 22 Oct. 1998. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. "Diabetes." MedlinePlus. 22 Oct. 1998. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. "Dietary Fiber." MedlinePlus. 09 Jan. 2003. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. "Nutrition and Healthy Eating." MayoClinic. 22 Sept. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. ���������������������������������� JANUARY / F E B R UARY 2 0 1 7 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 27
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