Health Buzz: Hanukkah and Christmas

Health news from around the news for December 22, 2011.

Hanukkah is here and Christmas is just around the corner, so we're bringing you an episode of Health Buzz that's dedicated to these two holidays. We have recipe ideas, stress-busters and of course, your weekly round of Ask Mary.

Healthy Hanukkah

Looking for a healthier oil? Consider using grapeseed or olive oil. This story has lots of inspiration for lighter Hanukkah dishes, plus some good tips for earth-friendly decorations. The list of recipes include chickpea cakes with beet horseradish salad, sweet potato kugel, potato and kale casserole, and matzoh ball soup.

Source: Yahoo Shine

Worst Christmas Foods

While Christmas is a day to indulge, the real problem is that most people start indulging weeks before the actual holiday. This list of the highest calorie foods may help you reconsider what you're going to eat at the next holiday party. The top of the list? Eggnog, which can have as many calories as a meal when topped with whipped cream and spiked with liqueur.

Source: SheKnows.com

Ask Mary: Can Sugar Cause Diabetes?

In this week's Ask Mary, registered dietitian Mary Hartley addresses a common misconception about diabetes. Although diabetes impacts the way the body metabolizes sugar, sugar does not in fact cause diabetes directly. However, being overweight does increase your risk of becoming diabetic, so if eating sugary foods has contributed to weight gain, this could be an indirect factor.

Holly Mosier's Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

Holly Mosier, the author of Stress Less, Weigh Less, talks with DietsInReview's mental health counselor about how to manage holiday stress. Holly's message is that managing stress is an important part of weight loss, because stress keeps hunger hormones fired up, leading us to eat whatever unhealthy thing is on hand.

Source: DietsInReview.com

Sweet Potato Latkes

We get pretty excited about sweet potatoes, because they're full of nutrients AND they taste great. This recipe from Aviva of The Six O'Clock Scramble for sweet potato latkes makes a great addition to your Hanukkah table. If you want a little bit of a spicy kick, this recipe suggests adding a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Source: The Scramble