This document is the December 2013 newsletter from the Abilene ISD Student Nutrition Department. It provides tips to stay active and maintain a healthy diet during the holiday season. It suggests exercising during TV show commercial breaks or while cooking. It also includes an article on the benefits of Vitamin D, how to obtain it during winter, and factors that affect vitamin D production. Finally, it shares a recipe for Hungry Girl's Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup.

1. NUTRITION NEWSAbilene ISD Student Nutrition Department
M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R
Volume 1, Issue 4
December 2013
FEUGIAT MAECENAS
Page 1
Get Moving Abilene!
Find out some new fun ways to keep
exercising even when it’s freezing cold
outside
Page 2
Vitamin D: The New Super Vitamin?
Learn about Vitamin D, and how you can
get all you need even in the winter!
Page 3
Recipe of the Month
Hungry Girl’s Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup
Inside This Issue:
CHRISTMAS EDITION
From us to you, we wish you a very happy, healthy,
and safe holiday!
ne of the best things about the holidays is getting to sit down together
with friends and family and just relax. If your family is anything like
mine, you spend a lot of time around the TV for movies like Miracle
on 34th Street or the 24 hour marathon of The Christmas Story. As well,
you’ve probably got a cup of hot chocolate or piece of grandma’s pie to join
you for the show. This is a recipe for becoming one big couch potato! Try
following some of these simple and easy tips to help you keep your exercise
up and your weight gain down during this holiday season.
O
-­‐Use commercial breaks to your advantage by doing a different set of exercises each time your show breaks for
commercials. 25 sit ups this round, 20 laps around the couch the next time, and 5 sets of lunges across the living
room for the next! By time your show or movie is over, you will have gotten a great workout.
-Are you the cook this holiday season? If so, you probably have a few cans of green beans, corn, and pumpkin ready
for use. With one can in each hand, try using them as weights and do 15 bicep curls before you open them up and
start cooking!
-Be the host. Think I’m crazy? Cleaning house burns about 100 calories every 30 minutes. Spend a few hours
getting the house ready for guests and you don’t have to worry about that extra piece of pie!

2. Age: The older you are, the less Vitamin
D your body naturally produces. This is
why the recommended daily intakes are
different for children and adults.
Glass: Being behind glass blocks UVB
rays. So, rolling up your sleeves for your
afternoon drive will only be beneficial if
you opt to roll your windows down.
Clouds: Clouds reduce the amount of
sunlight that reach our skin, causing less
UVB exposure and ultimately less
vitamin D production.
Supplements: Always talk to your
doctor before taking any type of
supplements, including vitamin D
Although sunscreen prevents your body from absorbing UVB rays to
produce vitamin D, it is an important factor to keeping your skin
healthy in both summer and winter. The Vitamin D council
recommends either lathering up the sunscreen or getting out of the sun
after being exposed for half the time it takes to burn. So, if you usually
notice your skin turning pink after about 20 minutes of sun exposure,
after about 10 minutes in the sun you need to either put on the
sunscreen or go inside. Also remember that children have even more
sensitive skin, and should have very limited sun exposure without
sunscreen. Concerning infants, sunscreen should always be used when
being exposed to the sun.
A Note on Sunscreen
itamin D is a fat-soluble
vitamin that supports a
multitude of functions in our
body (see column on the right for a list
of vitamin D benefits). Although
supplements are available, the most
natural way to get vitamin D is by
getting sun exposure. Our skin
naturally produces vitamin D when
exposed to ultraviolet B rays produced by the sun. In the summer, this
happens very quickly! Your skin can produce all the vitamin D you need in
about half the time it takes for your skin to become pink and begin to
burn. For someone with fair skin, this could take only 10-15 minutes in the
summer months. For someone with darker skin, this could take a few
hours. However in the winter months, the different angle of the sun can
prevent UVB rays from reaching our skin. Here are some tips to make
sure your body is still producing enough vitamin D to last you all winter.
V
-Try to expose as much of your body to the sunlight that is comfortable.
Even in Abilene, it can get quite chilly! But on the days that the sun warms
the air up, try taking off your jacket, rolling up your sleeves, and going for a
walk.
-Aim to get your vitamin D exposure around noon to midday. During the
winter months, this is the optimal time to absorb Vitamin D from the sun
due to the angle of the UVB rays. Try going for a walk around the block on
your lunch break or take your kids to the park after lunch!
-Although dietary sources cannot provide the full amount of Vitamin D that
is needed each day, they are especially helpful during the winter to
supplement the diminished sun exposure to help keep your Vitamin D
levels up. Try eating more:
Fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified milk and orange juice, and fortified cereals
Vitamin D: The New Super Vitamin?
Benefits of Vitamin D
Information provided by the vitamin D council
Bones: Vitamin D plays an essential
role in the absorption and regulation of
both calcium and phosphorus, making it
essential to good bone health
Immune Function: Adequate vitamin D
helps your immune system function
properly, helping ward off infections
Disease Prevention: Along with its role
in immune function, adequate vitamin
D has been shown to reduce the risk of
diabetes, hypertension, certain
cardiovascular diseases, and cancer
Brain Development: Vitamin D plays
an essential role in brain development
and balancing of hormones in the brain
A Few Things to Keep in
Mind

3. On the First Day of Christmas, My Dietitian Said to Me.....
1. Spray a medium-size pot with
nonstick spray and bring to medium
heat on the stove.
2. Place garlic in the pot. Stir and cook
for 1 minute. Add broth and spices,
and bring to a simmer.
3. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add the
remaining ingredients, stir, and bring
the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low
and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Top each cup with any of the
optional ingredients before serving.
Ingredients
Hungry Girl’s Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup
1 wheat roll at dinner
Cut back on extra calories and lots of carbohydrates by limiting yourself to 1 dinner roll. Make them wheat because
choosing whole grains can help lower cholesterol and keep you fuller longer, preventing grazing later on.
2 sweetened beverages
Maybe it’s hot cocoa, sweet tea, or eggnog. Either way, limit your sugar sweetened beverages to cut empty calories
and extra sugar. By switching to diet or using artificial sweeteners like Splenda, you can cut the calories and sugar
while keeping the same great taste!
3 yummy cookies
Enjoy yourself, but don’t overdo it! Baked goodies are packed with saturated and trans fats (the bad kind).
4 small green olives
Although low in calories, they are PACKED with sodium!
5 fruits and vegetables
Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day helps prevent against diseases like obesity, heart disease, and
cancer. MyPlate recommends making half your plate at each meal fruits and vegetables.
6 feet from the buffet
Prevent mindless eating by moving away from food to converse and spend time with family.
7 days of exercise
It is recommended to get 30 minutes of exercise daily, even during the holidays!
8 glasses of water
Staying hydrated helps prevent overeating.
9 ounces of protein
3oz. serving of lean protein at each meal makes 9oz for the day!
10 pounds you won’t gain!
Limit your portion sizes, refrain from mindless eating, and exercise regularly to prevent the holiday weight gain.
11 mg of zinc each day
Make sure you’re meeting your daily needs for zinc, a mineral needed for immune function to ward off winter colds!
12 new choices
Start a new tradition by introducing 1 new food a month. Make a fun night out of it for the family to enjoy! Eating
a variety of foods helps decrease food boredom and expands vitamin and mineral intake.
Adapted
from
Patty
Minta,
RD,
LD
• 4C fat free broth
(chicken or vegetable)
• 1 15oz. can pure pumpkin
• 1 15oz. can black beans
drained and rinsed
• 1C canned sweet corn kernels
• ¾ C Salsa
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• Optional toppings: shredded
low-fat cheese, fat-free sour
cream or chopped scallions
Directions
Recipe !om www.hungry-girl.com