Consider holiday gifts that promote good health this season
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<p class="p1">When you’re shopping for holiday gifts this year, think about planning celebrations and choosing presents that will promote better health, a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator advises.</p><p class="p1">“When you make your holiday list, think about the long-term effects of your gifts and celebrations. Remember, small changes accumulate and turn into big results over time,” Mary Liz Wright said.</p><p class="p1">Why give a gift that promotes good health? Because you want your friends and relatives to live long, productive lives. Who would benefit from a healthy gift? Just about anyone, she said.</p><p class="p1">“To be frank, we are a nation on the verge of a health disaster,” said Wright. </p><p class="p1">“Sixty-one percent of Illinoisans are overweight or obese, and 8.5 percent have diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in our state.”</p><p class="p1">If you have young children on your list, consider an outdoor active game instead of the usual electronic gadget. For teens, consider a fitness tracker app or wearable device, she said. And, for those on your list who are a little more mature, there are many healthful gift options, including a yoga app or DVD or a healthy recipe cookbook, she added.</p><p class="p1">“At your holiday gathering, include some sort of activity on the agenda. It could be as elaborate as a digital scavenger hunt in which teams have to run around taking pictures of items on a list to something as simple as charades, with its active miming. How about organizing a competition with a few ‘Minute to Win It’ challenges? Really, anything is better than napping on the couch,” she said.</p><p class="p1">And for those holiday celebrations: do you really need five kinds of dessert? Could you substitute a fruit salad for one of the more traditional fat-laden items? Could you alter one of your dessert recipes to make it just a bit healthier?</p><p class="p1">“Remember, you can usually substitute fat-free dairy and reduce both salt and sugar by a third without anyone noticing the difference,” Wright said. </p><p class="p1"> </p>