Burning Holiday Calories

It’s that time of the year. You know what I’m talking about. That stretch of days that run from the calorie-hoarding period of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday through Christmas and into the New Year. Wait. Don’t forget the extended college football season that runs through the first week of January. While we’re at it, let’s include the NFL playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl, which occurs the first week in February. Yes, that is over two months of food consumption. It’s time to cook. It’s time to bake. It’s time to eat. It’s time to hold a party. It’s time to over-consume calories.

I will admit it is a great time of the year: holidays with the family and championship football. Amen, sister! But why do we hoard calories during this time? For some reason food consumption goes hand-in-hand with the holiday celebrations and post-season football. The chips and dip, chicken wings, guacamole and cheese dips, beer, other high-calorie drinks, apple pies, cookies, and casseroles. Those options - coupled with the main course menu - can create a mega-calorie intake. Similar to an all-you-can-eat buffet, it’s the perfect recipe for calorie hoarding.

Let’s take a look at seasonal food intake, their calorie content, and amount of exercise required to expunge them. Using one of my favorite web sites, calorieking.com, I’m going to reveal to you the ugly truth of this two-month holiday food consumption period.