LOVE

LivingBy Mona Chawla in collaboration with Molly Kimball, RD, CSSDWell:with Ochsner Health System’s Elmwood Fitness CentersSanta’s Checkin’ his list….are you?A Few Simple Ways to Stay Healthy during this Holiday SeasonPhoto by: Lucinda DeGrangeWHILE SOME of your holiday plans and todosmay earn you namesakes of Dancer and Prancerfrom Santa’s Camp, keep the vision of being theparty’s Vixen by staying the course with your healthfulhabits throughout the season.Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, with ElmwoodFitness Center, a service of Ochsner Health System,offers us some simple tips and reminders for planningahead and on the go!While strong cravings may feel very primal,researchers are finding that they’re actually influencedby our environment and our experiences.Certain places, sights, sounds, smells, even memoriesor the time of day can prompt us to crave somethingwithout even fully realizing it. Before we knowit, we want it. Really want it and the holidays arefilled with many of those triggers: sights, sounds,smells, memories and people — Mama’s baked macaroniand cheese and Grandma’s warm apple pie!“Going long periods of time without eating canactually worsen cravings,” Molly says.When our blood sugar levels drop, we oftenreach for high-calorie foods, instinctively lookingfor a quick boost of energy. Eating a small meal orsnack every three or four hours will maximize yourmetabolism and energy levels and can help preventovereating later.continued on page 34www.jlno.org 33