Nov. 30, 2018
By Yaren Ozbay
Staff Writer
Staying healthy can be challenging during this time of year. It involves dieting, working out and understanding what the term “healthy” means.
With the holidays approaching, algebra teacher Mrs. Granieri—who eats healthy year-round—said it is important to make good eating choices.
“When you say the word ‘diet,’ you just think of restrictions, limiting, maybe eating terrible food, [drinking] water and a little meal, but really you could eat so much and consume a lot of something if you are eating the right something,” Granieri said.
She said there are five tips she recommends people follow to get through the holidays without packing on the extra pounds. The first is to have a healthy snack before you go to a holiday party because if you are very hungry, you will be more likely to overeat.
Second, Granieri said it is good to ask about the menu ahead of time to mentally plan out your meal.
Third, she said to make a conscious decision about which foods to indulge in.
Fourth, Granieri said to limit the quantity of food eaten and, her final tip, instead take home leftovers for the next day rather than overeating at the party.
She said it is best to maintain a healthy diet during the holiday season rather than trying to lose all of the weight afterwards.
“I think it’s very risky when we say something like, ‘I’m gonna start a diet after the holidays,’” Granieri said.
For Senior Raina Rendzia, who intends to become a physical education teacher, Christmas Eve is the holiday she is most looking forward to. Unlike Granieri, Rendzia said to fully enjoy the holidays, people should eat what they want and then focus on losing the weight in January.
She said there is no ideal diet for everyone.
“Working out is different for everyone depending on what their end goal is,” Rendzia said.
She recommends using the health and fitness app Thenx because it concentrates on strength and is convenient because it is located on smartphones.
Rendzia said one simple way to work exercise into one’s daily routine is to cut out 15 to 30 minutes of television and substitute it with a workout. She said other options are waking up early to exercise, dancing to music around the house, using stairs and helping with chores such as cooking or cleaning.
Physics teacher Mr. Collins said he loves all the holidays in November and December, but his favorite holiday is his wedding anniversary on Dec. 3. He said he celebrates this occasion by going out to a restaurant followed by a concert.
Collins said “healthy” is an ambiguous term because it reflects a variety of factors.
“When a person decides to create daily habits that optimize their diet, exercise, sleep and stress, they have more energy, are more productive and more positively interact with other people,” Collins said.
He said those four areas are interconnected, and losing sight of one can easily influence the others.
Collins said those striving to be healthy should avoid eating junk food, maintain a consistent exercise routine and get a good night’s sleep.
“For those who might say, ‘I don’t have time to sleep’ because of schoolwork, homework, jobs, sports, et cetera, I would say, ‘Find the time.’ You will be surprised how much better you feel and how much more productive you will be during your waking hours, “ Collins said.
He said he tries to eat wholesome, nutritious and unprocessed food. Along with exercising regularly, he walks or hikes with his dog, practices Brazilian jiu jitsu and does yoga.
“Unhealthy choices and behaviors, over time, can lead to an increased risk of diseases and medical problems,” said Collins.
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