HOLIDAY OVEREATING? NO PROBLEM How does one avoid feeling guilty about overeating over the holidays? In the words of one Michigan State University expert: Don't worry about it.
"We've got to understand that the sharing of food is a social experience," says food nutrition specialist Carol Wruble. "We want to keep it as pleasant and as guilt-free as possible."
She says it's important to keep the "big picture" in mind - that this is only one short period of time out of an entire year. If one must be concerned with matters of nutrition, Wruble says, it's wise to take smaller portions, eat slowly and, when you feel full, stop eating.
MAKING THE HOLIDAYS 'ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY' Yes, you can celebrate the holidays in fine fashion and still be kind to Mother Earth.
"There are many things we all can do to help make the holiday season a little more environmentally friendly," says Pete Pasterz, who heads up Michigan State University's Office of Recycling and Waste Management. "Most of these things are quite simple, could cost less money and some are even fun."
He says one of the first things people can do is change their attitudes, especially about gift giving.
"I think it's important to de-emphasize material consumption," he says. "Instead of buying a bunch of stuff that will too quickly become solid waste, consider giving gifts of time, such as babysitting, or of an event, such as concert tickets."
When celebrating the holidays, Pasterz suggests using reusable plates, glassware and flatware at parties. Other ideas: take photos with a digital camera (not a disposable), make holiday ornaments and buy fresh, unpackaged food whenever possible.
SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE CHRISTMAS STARThe Christmas Star, that heavenly light the Magi followed, gets only one brief mention in the Bible, yet it continues to be at the center of major holiday traditions. What exactly was this guiding light?
David Batch, director of Michigan State University's Abrams Planetarium, says astronomers are pretty sure it WASN'T a comet, meteor or nova. In fact, it probably wasn't even a star, but rather a planet.
"The more popular theories are a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, during which Jupiter passed Saturn three times," he says. "Or it could have been an occultation of Jupiter by the moon, in which the moon passes in front of Jupiter. Or it could have been an especially close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter."
Batch says all of these phenomena occurred around the time Jesus was born. "The Magi searched for heavenly signs that they could interpret," he says. "They were attuned to arrangements of planets that most people would never have noticed."
A PERFECT GIFT FOR THE GARDENERAh, December: For the gardener, that means it's too late for fall planting, but too early to enjoy spring crocuses. The perfect holiday gift for the gardener could be a gift subscription to the Horticulture Gardening Institute Web site, which offers tips, learning opportunities and ideas in an easy-to-use online format.
To order, log on to the Michigan State University Horticulture Gardening Institute site at www.gardeninginstitute.com/ and register for the Container Gardening Program, using your name, address, credit card information and e-mail address. As soon as you have registered, send an e-mail to [email protected] indicating that you have just registered for the Container Gardening Program and would like to designate the subscription as a gift - including the name, address and e-mail address of the person who will receive the gift subscription.
The gift recipient will be registered for the Container Gardening Program, plus a one-year subscription to the Horticulture Gardening Institute Web site. You will receive an e-mail confirmation that your gift has been recorded.
Subscriptions must be ordered by Thursday, Dec. 19, to be processed for holiday gift-giving. The person receiving the gift will get an electronic gift subscription notification.
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