Winter hazard: Putting on pounds
Celia Topping, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator

Our habits change with the season. During the shorter days of winter, we tend to be less active and more content to hibernate with the TV, a favorite video, or book. The temptation to snack, however, is never far away. Cold-weather foods-roasts, gravies, mashed potatoes and rich desserts-are comforting on chilly days and help us feel warmer. But these foods are often heavier and calorie-filled.

Compare this to bright summer days when we work in the yard, bike, play tennis, or swim. Often, it seems too hot to eat large meals, and we tend to choose lighter foods, such as salads, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Winter vegetables are as hardy as the season. Potatoes are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. Nutritious sweet potatoes, carrots and cabbage-family vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage) are in peak season. So are winter squash-that orange or red color is the color of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. This month's recipe feature includes many of these foods associated with winter.

A healthy goal this winter season will be to control, not gain weight. Some tips for the cold months:

• Sign up for an exercise class. Check the list of Preferred Care wellness classes. Pick one or several to keep active. Click Here for a list of current classes.

For Preferred Care Gold and GoldAnywhere members, the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program lets you enjoy all the benefits of a fitness center membership, including use of the pool, sauna and exercise equipment. Click Here for more information.

• Walk indoors. Visit your favorite mall 3-4 times a week. Click Here for mall walking information.
• Keep busy. During the winter months, keep active indoors with painting, cleaning, and other chores.
• Eat hot food. Soups, one-dish meals, hot drinks, herbal teas, and hot milk drinks can warm and fill you up.
• Snack wisely. Choose pretzels, air-popped popcorn, and vegetables with low-fat dip. As a distraction from too much snacking, occupy your hands and mind with hobbies, writing letters, sewing, or handiwork projects.
• Weigh yourself regularly.

Taming Food Cravings

If you're always fighting food cravings to avoid weight gain:

• Avoid skipping meals
• Identify your trigger food, like potato chips, peanuts or sweets
• Cut back gradually on your trigger food-10 chips or a handful of peanuts
• Take a walk, make a phone call, or drink water until the urge to snack passes
• Substitute healthier alternatives

Sweet Potato Apple Stew with Turkey

Recipe from American Institute for Cancer Research at www.aicr.org

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, cut in 3/4-inch slices
1 rib celery, cut in 3/4-inch slices
1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 Crispin or Red Delicious apples, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut in *-inch half-moon slices
2 cups diced cooked turkey breast
1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In small Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion. Sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery and rutabaga. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes. Add broth and bay leaf. Cover.

Transfer stew to oven. Bake 10 minutes. Add apples and sweet potatoes, turkey, cranberries and thyme. Cover and bake until vegetables are tender and turkey is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve over brown rice or noodles.