Munch On Calorie Bargains

So many choices. So many calories.

There's some disagreement about how much weight Americans typically gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but anyone who's ever tugged on a holiday outfit that fit just fine last year can verify that the pounds creep on.

This year, of course, will be different. You'll munch on bell pepper strips and skip the dip. Sip sparkling water instead of champagne. Eat before going to a cocktail party so you won't nibble from the buffet table.

Right.

All those bargains with yourself, all those resolutions ignored when temptation beckons. What about looking for a calorie bargain instead, indulging in some goodies without blowing out a zipper?

A new book from Charles Stuart Platkin, who writes the syndicated Diet Detective nutrition column, aims to tip off nibblers to the best choices. "The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible" (Fireside, $13) offers a more palatable take on the holidays by tipping readers off to wiser indulgences.

Here's a quiz to help you spot the calorie bargains at a party.

Which has the fewest calories?

1. A 5-ounce serving of baked country ham, turkey or prime rib

2. Dumplings, mini egg rolls or mini pizzas?

3. Guinness Draft, Sam Adams Light or Michelob Light?

4. Chicken wings with blue cheese or stuffed-crust pepperoni pizza?

5. Carrots and French onion dip or chips and salsa?

Answers:

1. Turkey, at 193 calories. Country ham has 340; prime rib, 450.

2. Mini pizzas, at 35 to 55 calories each. Dumplings are 50 to 200, depending on size, and egg rolls are 40 to 50.

3. Each contains about 125 calories for 12 ounces.

4. One slice of pizza, at 370 calories. Five wings with hot sauce and three tablespoons of blue cheese dressing are 599 calories.

5. The carrots, with 1/4-cup dip, squeak it out at 146 calories. A cup of tortilla chips and 1/2-cup of salsa are 165 calories.

Cox News Service

To Eat, Perchance To Dream

Going to bed hungry interferes with sleep - hunger pangs simply wake you up - and some evidence suggests that people trying to lose weight may wake up frequently, says Peter Hauri, PhD, a professor emeritus at the Mayo Clinic and author of "No More Sleepless Nights."

Hauri suggests saving some of your calories for a high-protein bedtime snack, such as a small serving of cheese or a hard-boiled egg. Protein produces greater satiety than carbohydrates and fat.

Prevention.com

Belly Up To The Juice Bar

Trendy smoothie ingredients come and go faster than American Idol contestants and can range just as wildly in quality (from Daughtry good to Sanjaya bad). Women's Health magazine polled celeb trainers and juice-bar gurus and found out what really belongs in your blender.

So Last Year

Fruit: Blueberries

Base: Soy Milk

Good Fat: Peanut Butter

Hot Right Now

Fruit: Pomegranates

Base: Kefir

Good Fat: Avocado

Next Big Thing

Fruit: Cherries

Base: Bio-K+

Good Fat: Açai pulp (ah-sah-EE)

Womenshealthmag.com

Keep Heartburn Off Menu

Christmas dinner favorites such as turkey, dressing (as long as it is cooked outside the turkey), green beans, and sweet potatoes by themselves will not cause heartburn because they are not high in acid or fat, says Gilchy Ergun, a gastroenterologist with The Methodist Hospital in Houston. "It's the high fat items we put on them such as gravy, butter, sour cream, and a variety of cheeses that cause the problem."

Heartburn is a burning pain behind the breastbone. A person might also experience an acid or burning taste in their throat, and in some cases feel like food is coming up, especially when bending over or lying down. About 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. The biggest cause is the consumption of fatty and acidic foods.

"When a person eats these foods, two things happen to the body: One, it takes longer for the stomach to empty, and two it releases a hormone that causes the sphincter, the barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, to drop," Ergun says. "This combination increases the possibility that stomach acid and food will make its way up to the chest and cause heartburn."

Because eating fatty foods in moderation, or not at all during the holidays, is not something most of us will do, there are other ways to try and avoid heartburn.

• Try not to lie down right after eating or within two to three hours of bedtime. If your sphincter is not working like it should, and you lie down after a big meal, the food has a clear path by which to travel all the way up to your chest and cause heartburn.

•Take an over-the-counter antacid (Zantac, Pepcid, etc.) before your meal.

•Avoid alcohol and cigarettes (both stimulate acid production), mint products (peppermint or spearmint), chocolate, cranberry sauce, relish, tomato sauce, ketchup, pepper, mustard, and vinegar.

•Avoid carbonated beverages, and citrus and fruit juices.

•Pecan pie is high in fat. Apple or pumpkin pies are better choices.

Newswise