This is RTS for Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007
IT’S TODAY: Snow and cold weather are bad enough. The most
annoying part of winter, however, is when it gets dark so early in
the day.
Well, that’s all about to change today – if only by the smallest
of increments.
Today is the first “official” day of winter. Besides the whole
astronomical aspect of the date (winter solstice etc.) this is the
shortest day of the year. After today, slowly but surely we add a
bit of daylight to the clock, and lift a bit of the seasonal
doldrums.
So take heart, ye fellow SAD sufferers. (SAD is “Seasonal
Affective Disorder” better known as “Cabin Fever.)
THINK!: Before you scarf up those Christmas cookies, you might
want to take this information into consideration.
We receive a column called, Nutrition Wise, written by Karen
Collins of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
A question posed to her was, “How long would I have to walk to
burn off the calories in holiday treats?”
You are not going to like this answer.
She writes: “The answer, of course, depends on how intensely you
walk and exactly what you’ve indulged in. Most people find that it
takes more time to burn off holiday goodies than they realize.
“Holiday cookies, for example, often contain from 60 to 120
calories each. Sweet desserts, like apple pie, may contain from 200
to 400 calories or more.
“At a moderate three miles per hours, someone weighing 180
pounds might walk almost 20 minutes to burn the calories in just
one cookie and at least 40 minutes to well over an hour for other
energy-dense desserts.
“Because it takes less energy to move a lighter body than a
heavier one, someone who weighs 150 pounds would need to walk
longer to burn the same calories, about 23 minutes per cookie or 50
to 100 minutes for a typical dessert. Picking up the pace and
walking at a brisk four miles an hour could reduce the time needed
to burn those calories by 25 percent. In most cases, adding extra
exercise to offset overeating doesn’t work as a long-term
solution.”
Our advice? Look long and hard at that cookie before
indulging.
