2019-12-01_Good_Housekeeping

STRESS FACTOR

sugar

overload

Most of us already eat too

much sugar, and during

the holidays cookies and

cakes are everywhere.

Excess sweet stuff can

lead to fluctuation of

blood sugar and energy

levels, which places

stress on the body.

STRESS FACTOR

Friend and Family Drama

We love them — truly, we do! — but some of our near and dear raise our tension

levels and just plain take a lot out of us at this time of year, especially with

multiple holiday events and that old feud a cousin just can’t let go of!

Mini quiz: Think of a particular loved one

and give yourself a 1 for each statement

below that you agree with, a 2 for each you’re

on the fence about and a 3 for any you fully

disagree with. Then add up your score.

A When I see his or her number on my

phone, I feel psyched and can’t wait to talk.

B When we hang out, it’s easy peasy and

I come home feeling calm.

C I don’t have to put on my game face

or always be my best self with this person.

D He or she makes time to see me and meets

me halfway, and I do the same for him or her.

Recharge your battery

If you answered A or B, start

counting sugar grams. You

want to take in fewer than

6 tsp (25 g) of added sugar a

day, according to the

American Heart Association.

This doesn’t include sugar

that occurs naturally in, say,

fruit or milk — just the stuff

added to food to sweeten it

up. Added sugars are in most

packaged foods, and it’s a

good idea to limit foods with

sugar (by any name) in their

top three ingredients.

Mini quiz: How much

sugar do you eat? (No

sugarcoating the facts!)

A Honestly, I eat a fair

amount — sugar makes life

worth living. Candy,

cookies, cake: It’s all

good! And that’s on top

of the sugar in unex-

pected items like sauces

and salad dressings.

B I’m more of a salt gal,

so I steer clear of dessert.

But I do eat things like

cereal and bread,

sweetened yogurt and

barbecue sauce on ribs.

C Nope — I am a label

sleuth, and if a food lists

any of the other names

sugar goes by (malto-

dextrin, honey, corn

syrup), I pass it up.

recharge your battery If you answered:

4–6 This friend or family member is a keeper for

sure! He or she leaves you restored rather than

increasing your stress.

7–10 Depending on what’s going on in his or her

life and yours, spending time with this friend can

pump you up or grind you down. If you’re feeling

low-energy, meet up just for coffee or lunch

instead of staying at his or her house.

11 or more Seeing some of the people who drain

our spark is inevitable at this time of year, but do

your best to minimize contact with this particular

problematic one if you can.

Health more er y,  str s

52 GH DECEMBER 2019

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