Is it safe to party when swine flu threatens to crash your bash?

It’s a question many revelers may be asking this year as the holiday party season coincides with an anxiety-provoking flu season.

The good news is that while it is true that mingling over punch and canapes can help spread the H1N1 virus, health and entertaining experts say it’s possible to throw a holiday party without making everyone wear surgical masks and hazmat suits.

It’s a question of managing risk.

“Party. Party cautiously,” advises Dr. Stephen Morse, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. That means keep things clean, be careful with finger food, forget the punch bowl and maybe even reconsider the mistletoe.

And remember to have fun.

“Just like we say with terrorists, you really don’t want to let the flu win,” said Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

Swine flu is spread mainly through coughing or sneezing, though people also can be infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. So basic common-sense rules apply for parties.

Do not throw a party or attend a party if you have a fever, cough or other flu symptoms. Keep your hands clean. Cough and sneeze into your elbow. Take steps to make sure guests do the same. Party planners suggest placing bottles of hand sanitizer and tissues in plain view to send a subtle signal.

“Obviously, the nature of parties is all about mixing and mingling, and that’s about the opposite of what people tell you to do as far as the flu season,” said Jennifer Sbranti, founder and editor-in-chief of hostesswiththemostess.com. “But it’s really all about taking some precautions.”

For party food, think single servings.

Avoid offering chips, candies, nuts or any food in big, open bowls that people could reach their potentially contaminated hands into.

“A hand going into a bowl is not a good thing,” said Doron.

Instead, consider serving individual portions of hors d’oeuvres such as peanuts or cheese cubes on little pleated paper cups or small appetizer plates, said Denise Vivaldo, author of The Entertaining Encyclopedia: Essential Tips for Hosting the Perfect Party.

Sbranti suggests serving crudite in little glass votive candle holders, salads in tiny Chinese food-style takeout containers or even french fries in paper snow cone cups. Culinarymedianetwork.com chief executive officer Jennifer Iannolo said soup can be served in espresso cups and desserts in ramekins.

“I would recommend having fun with it,” said Iannolo.

Covered food is better. Sbranti said hosts might want to plate and serve the food instead of laying out a buffet.

Either way, consider leaving the punch bowl in the china closet. Dipping used cups into a communal bowl is never a great idea, flu season or no. Ladles lessen risk, but punch bowls still offer a large surface area for germs to land on.

Doron suggests serving drinks from narrow-necked bottles. Sbranti recommends beverage dispensers with lids and side spouts.

Make sure your guests can keep track of their drink glasses. Party supply stores offer everything from wine charms to hook around glass stems to stretchable colored bands that fit around beer bottles.

And don’t expect miracles. Being in proximity to people—on a bus, in the office, at a party—simply has inherent risks.

“Probably the greater danger is people getting together when they talk to each other,” Morse said. “If someone has the flu, they will undoubtedly through close contact give it to others far more than food. Though you obviously want to be careful.”

Maybe the hardest party trick for a host during flu season is simultaneously taking health precautions and making guests feel welcome.

Potential problems start at hello.

Doron suggests avoiding handshakes and maybe opting for a friendly elbow bump instead. Anna Post, an etiquette expert at the Emily Post Institute, said that guests who are leery of shaking hands can offer polite words instead, something like: “Excuse me for not shaking hands, but it’s great to meet you.” The same approach can be taken to avoid a peck on the cheek.

As for mistletoe, a kiss on the lips likely presents a higher risk for virus transmission than mere cheek kissing. Though Morse notes, “I think someone you’re willing to kiss on the lips is someone you’re willing to take a chance with the flu.”

Hosts could head off some problems by adding a sentence to invitations asking that people exhibiting signs of being contagious to refrain from attending, says Doron. But Post looks at it differently, saying people should trust their guests to make the right decisions.

“If you’re really that concerned about being sick,” Post said, “you probably shouldn’t be throwing a party.”

It was the last exercise in a women’s self-defense class hosted by the Schererville Police Department. I lay on my back and Detective Patrick Rosado crouched over me and pinned my wrists to the ground. It was awkward. But my desire to free myself trumped that awkward feeling. I slipped my feet under his, lifted my hips and rolled, flipping him on his back and gaining myself the upper hand.

It was empowering. Even in such a vulnerable position, I could get away.

An attacker cannot hinder all of your limbs and movement at the same time, said Schererville Detective Cmdr. Peggi Calderaro, who taught the three-hour class to a group of about 50 women.

Use your feet to kick and stomp. Use your head to head-butt the attacker.

“All you’re looking for is that window of escape,” Calderaro said.

We learned to be assertive and act rudely to people you suspect are creeps. Use foul language or talk to yourself and appear crazy if your instincts tell you you’re in a bad situation. Be aware of your surroundings and find points of escape if you think you’re being followed. Bad guys are afraid of crowds and witnesses.

If the attacker wants your purse or grandma’s wedding ring, let him have it. It’s not worth risking your life for objects. If your life is in danger, fight back. Even if you’re injured, you’re alive. Women can tell attackers they’re pregnant or that they have an STD, which will sometimes scare away a bad guy, Calderaro said.

For the physical portion of the class, she enlisted the help of Rosado, Detective William Bednar and Cpl. Joe Uzubell.

Women young and old lined up to make a fist—thumb on the side, not under or over curled fingers—and swing at the officers, who were holding padded shields. Then we used our forearm to whack the padding even harder.

We kneed our attacker in the groin, putting our hands on his shoulders for balance and to pull him close for a deeper infliction of pain. We kicked with our feet, and then with our legs. We used our dominant limbs and then weaker ones. We learned how to break free when an attacker grabs your wrists. You pull away in the direction of the “weakest link,” which is where the bad guy’s thumb and index finger meet around your wrist.

The key is to have all of these moves in your arsenal. If your legs are restrained, use your upper body and limbs to get away. If your arms are immobilized, use your feet and legs.

It’s important to have a plan, Calderaro said. It could save your life.

Vanessa Renderman covers Tri-Town for The Times. The opinions expressed are solely hers.You can e-mail her at vanessa.renderman@nwi.com.

Read about fitness, healthy eating, local health care news and events in this week’s Get Healthy newsletter. Not a subscriber? Check out Get Healthy’s weekly newsletter online or click here to subscribe and get the latest health news delivered weekly, straight to your inbox.

From the Get Healthy Inbox—We’re committed to keeping you informed on health care news and ideas throughout the region and nation. Here’s today’s recommendation, submitted by the American Institute of Healthcare & Fitness:

A new study released this week estimates that if obesity trends continue on their current path, more than 40 percent of adults in the US will be obese by 2018, quadrupling the epidemic to a 344 billion dollar problem. The study, issued by the United Health Foundation, Partnership for Prevention, and American Public Health Association, estimates that 21 percent of all money spent on health care will go towards obesity in 2018, up 9 percent from today.

These alarming statistics, coupled with millions of Americans trying to save money and cut costs during this difficult economy, only exacerbates the problem. With the luring temptation of dollar menus and fast food drive-throughs, many Americans are trying to save money by eating as cheaply as possible–which often means super-sizing, five dollar foot longs, and other unhealthy bargain deals.

If this is the case, how can we reconcile the economic crisis and cutting back on spending with the surging rates of obesity? One instrumental component in working towards a solution for this problem is education. Learning how to eat healthy while on a budget will be absolutely crucial in this epidemic, notes John Rowley, Director of Fitness & Wellness at The American Institute of Healthcare & Fitness.

John offers tips for consumers looking to eat healthy while also maintaining their budget:

1. Use a pre-planned grocery list. Plan ahead for how you will maneuver the grocery aisles by bringing along a list of all the foods you need to support your lifestyle. This will prevent you from buying on impulse by sticking to the list you made ahead of time. You can even get grocery lists for your phone now that you can save and use to compare prices of certain products in competing stores. This also makes putting your list together a snap.

2. Buy in bulk. You can buy tons of great food in bulk that can be stored in your pantry or freezer. Tuna, Nuts, Olive Oil, Beans, and other healthy items can be bought in bulk to save money and can go right into your pantry. Frozen chicken breasts, turkey breast, lean beef, fish, etc. can go into your freezer, saving you a ton of money and preparing for months ahead. A full pantry and freezer loaded with the essentials—healthy items—is a must.

3. Buy generic. Shop for value. Brand loyalties are a thing of the past, as many store brand items are just as good as the highly marketed name brand foods, just less expensive. This goes for some of your nutritional supplements as well.

4. Fruits and veggies are important. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain more vitamins, minerals and fiber than processed foods and are a healthy and economical staple for a healthy diet. While they can be expensive, get friendly with your local produce expert at your local grocery store and ask for the best deals. Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season, so the prices are cheaper during that time. In addition, frozen fruits, veggies and meats like chicken breast and fish can often be less expensive than the fresh alternative. The fruits and veggies are picked at the height of ripeness and flash frozen so the flavor and nutrients are preserved. Meats are also great to keep stocked in your freezer for meals that are easy to whip up.

5. Shop the perimeter. What’s located around the perimeter of the store? Most likely this is where you’ll find your dairy, meats, vegetables, fruit, and fresh fish…all of which are essentials of a healthy diet. Processed and “junk” foods are mainly found in the middle aisles so stick to the outer perimeter as much as possible and you will be eating healthy.

6. Pack healthy snacks when on the go. Nothing can ruin your budget faster than being so hungry that the drive-through lures you in. Once your blood sugar drops, so does your willpower. Items such as homemade trail mix with nuts and seeds and other foods will help with this. One great way to prepare snacks for the week is planning ahead at the beginning of the week. Cook up a batch of food in the beginning of the week and the divide it into ziplock bags. When you are getting ready to leave the house you simply grab a zip lock bag or two and you have all your meals for the day. The crock pot is also an incredible tool for those wanting to eat healthy on a budget and save time. Simply put chicken in the crock pot in the morning and then when you get home at night add some veggies and you have a meal. Take the leftovers and use them for meals later in the week by using the ziplock bag trick.

(Photograph by Jodi Davis.)

Even at the early age of 10, Jodi Davis knew she was overweight. Her family members were all thin, except for one aunt, who would be the person Jodi long blamed for her weight issues. The verbal jabs from Jodi’s grandfather regarding her weight didn’t help, either. “I ended up eating more to try to ease my pain,” she says.

Throughout her teen years, Jodi continued to gain weight, despite repeated attempts at several diets. Later, she married and had three kids. Being a stay-at-home mom took a toll on her waistline. Every night, after the kids went to bed, Jodi felt the need to treat herself to something indulgent and would take to snacking, particularly enjoying chips and dip.

“I ended up weighing close to 300 pounds,” Jodi says. Around that time, her husband’s cousin—who was only in her early 40s—died of obesity-related heart issues. That’s when the reality of obesity struck a chord with Jodi. “When I saw her 17-year-old son crying over her casket, it hit me,” she says. “I kept thinking, ‘She has no second chance.’ I thought of my three kids crying over my casket and thought, ‘Nope. No way.’” And that’s when her journey toward weight loss began.

“I knew how to eat better but this time I was going to do it the right way,” Jodi says. “No more diets.”

Jodi’s Sample Menu

Breakfast: Two pieces whole-wheat toast with low-fat peanut butter and no-sugar blueberry preserves; coffee with artificial sweetener and skim milk

Morning Snack: Low-fat oatmeal raisin granola bar

Lunch: Salad with many fresh vegetables (tomatoes, green peppers, sliced mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) and a few sunflower seeds; ranch dressing on the side (Don’t pour directly on salad.); slice of flaxseed bread (no butter) and iced tea with fresh lemon

Afternoon Snack: A dozen low-fat pretzel sticks and green tea on ice

Dinner: Skinless chicken breast (prepared in slow-cooker) with onions, potatoes, celery, and baby carrots; spray butter and low-fat sour cream on potato for a little flavor at mealtime; ice water or green tea with dinner

Evening Snack: Low-fat microwave popcorn with tall glass of water with fresh lemon

Jodi’s plan was plain and simple. She ate three healthy meals a day, which totaled about 1,200 calories. “I didn’t journal, I didn’t count every single calorie. I just ate what was smart.” She included snacks throughout her day too, but healthy ones. “I went from chips and dip to low-fat microwave popcorn . . . I had to have something before bed every night because that was my weakness. So I have low-fat pretzels dipped in mustard.”

But the main factor in Jodi’s weight loss was walking. “You know, in 25 years of dieting, I never focused on exercise,” she says. “When you’re 300 pounds, the thought of exercise is not appealing. Plus, I couldn’t afford to join a gym. But I needed to be there for my kids, needed to put them before food. So I started walking because it was free, fun, and I could do it anywhere, anytime.”

Every single day, Jodi walked a mile and a half, which took only 22 minutes, but she did walk briskly. “I used to pretend my house was burning and my kids were inside,” she says. “I know that sounds weird but my kids were my life.” That was all the motivation she needed to keep walking, usually along Paw Paw Lake in Coloma, Michigan, on the pier of Silver Beach in St. Joseph, or up the dunes.

After 16 months, Jodi lost 162 pounds. “And it cost me nothing.”

That’s what Jodi wishes people will learn from her story, that there is no excuse to keep one from getting fit.

Can’t afford a gym? Walking is free. Snowing outside? Jodi has a treadmill now, but before that she would “crank up the music, put on my pedometer, dance, run around the room, and play with my kids. I just kept moving, kept my flow” until she walked as many steps as she would have if she had gone outside. “If it’s raining, use an umbrella. If it’s cold, put on a sweater.”

Jodi is now a walking advocate for Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Michigan, who sponsors her website, walkytalk.com. She helped one man lose 230 pounds, and she has been a guest on the Today show and Oprah. People are attracted to her simple, no-frills weight-loss plan that has clear and visible results.

“My motto is: walking works. It took me 22 minutes a day. That’s less time than a sitcom. When you have that determined feeling on the inside, it makes you walk faster.”

LeeAnn Schreiner, left, Jean Jannasch and Pam Uhrina are co-owners of Nature’s Remedies in Valparaiso. The business opened Sept. 15, six weeks after the closing of the former health food store in the same location. (Photograph by John L. Hendricks/The Times.)

Organic foods, herbal supplements and natural vitamins are among the products stocking the shelves of store whose name explains its function. Nature’s Remedies opened Sept. 15, six weeks after the closing of the former health food store in the same location. The new shop is owned and operated by Pam Uhrina, Jean Jannasch and Leeann Schreiner.

“We took over the location, but not the business,” Uhrina said. “It’s a brand new everything.” The three Valparaiso residents worked in the closed health food store and now help staff Nature‘s Remedies.

“We share the stress, and that’s the good thing,” Uhrina said.

The store also employs three women who worked at the previous shop. Together, the six have more than nine decades of experience in the health food business. The three owners say they all are well-versed in the value of nutrition and nutritional foods, and they are able to offer customers advise on healthy diet and healthy living, not just products to promote them.

“The three of us love doing this,” said Uhrina, who is enrolled in college classes on nutrition. “We love the alternative healing thing. We study it and have been studying it and going to seminars for years.”

Jannasch is a massage therapist while Schreiner, who is a former science and physical education teacher, is a nutrition consultant with certification with the American Association of Nutritional Consultants.

The three pooled savings to open and stock the store, which is located in the same shopping center as Blythe’s Sports Shop. They hope to recoup their investment in about a year, Uhrina said.

“We’re getting small salary, but not getting fully paid,” she said. “We’re putting the money back into inventory.”

Putting the business together was hard because they had to start from scratch, but now they’re having a blast, Uhrina said.

“It was very stressful,” she said. “Now that people really like it and the way it looks, it’s becoming fun because we’re doing what we like to do and helping people.”

Julian Coleman, a sophomore at Gary Comer College Prep in Chicago, eats a meal of low-fat macaroni, baked chicken, and salad Sunday at the U-Cook program in Merrillville. The program focused on the importance of healthy eating.
(Photograph courtesy of Kyle Telechan/The Times.)

A couple of healthy dishes, nine interested students and one positive role model proved the perfect recipe last Sunday.

Chef Glennard Brooks spent the afternoon talking to students from Chicago’s Gary Comer College Prep, a charter high school, about healthy eating habits and how he became executive chef at the Hilton Garden Inn in Merrillville.

“He talked about what I want to go to school to learn how to do,” said Jamani Jones-O’Bryant, 15, a sophomore who said he watches cooking shows and cooks at home.

The U-Cook program was a partnership among the Chicago school; Black Men Sharing & Caring, a mentoring group based on Chicago’s Southeast Side; and Catalyst Sports Performance in Dyer. Catalyst owner Tony Czapla brought the groups together as part of We Can!, a federal program geared toward reducing childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.

Orlandus Thomas, a physical education and health teacher at Gary Comer College Prep, said a key goal of the day was to show the students how to cook food that is a part of the student’s culture but also healthy.

With that in mind, Brooks said he used recipes for the lunch from the American Heart Association in two cookbooks that focus on traditional African-American and Latin-American cooking.

The skinless chicken rolled in cornflakes and oven-fried proved to be the biggest hit, he said.

“It was very educational for me as well. I didn’t realize my sodium intake,” said Brooks, who said he was asked more questions about how he became a chef than healthy cooking and eating habits.

The lengthy menu of group fitness programs at most gyms can be overwhelming. Here is advice from personal trainers on finding one suited for you:

Observe it first. Ask the instructor if you can stand in the back of the room and watch a class in action. You also can talk to some participants afterward and, if you like what you hear, get a few tips on tackling the first day.

Talk to the instructor. Find out the usual pace of a class and its fitness goals, whether it’s overall toning, weight loss or working on specific body parts. A program also may be more or less intense on certain days of the week.

Determine your “impact” level. Aerobics classes usually are divided into low, medium and high impact. If you haven’t exercised regularly and get out of breath fairly easily, start out low and aim to move up over time.

Consider your personality. An introvert may not fit into a loud, upbeat aerobics class as much as an extrovert. At the same time, going against your personality may be just what you need—for instance, a peaceful yoga class for a hard-charging type.

Don’t be afraid to branch out. Many classes that seem intimidating—such as belly dancing, yoga or spinning are organized so people of all fitness levels can enjoy them. You may be surprised by what you like (and remember: you don’t have to go back).

Look for more than one class. Switching up your routine throughout the week will increase your body’s fat-burning rate.

Bring a friend. Checking out a new class can be intimidating. Get a pal to join you—preferably another beginner.

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The holiday season’s busy pace and easy access to unhealthy food can make these merry times dreary for diabetics.

“Sometimes you have to attend parties and gatherings, and you find food that you are not supposed to eat. You end up taking a little of everything and then soon enough your sugar level gets too high,” said Roberto Moldonedo, 68, of Highland Park, who has battled diabetes since his youth.

Lewis Landsberg, dean emeritus at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said that to get through the next months diabetics will “require a little more discipline.” He added that “the holidays are hard for everybody, but it’s harder for people who need to stay on an appropriate eating regiment.”

For people with diabetes, the most important thing is weight control and carbohydrate restriction, Landsberg said.

However, the words “control” and “restriction” seem to disappear with the first sight of pecan pie.

This is why Kelly Devine, a registered dietitian and founder of the Chicago nutritional consulting firm, Devine Nutrition, stressed the importance of planning ahead.

“In the holiday season people are on the run and stressed out even more. They pick up quick, easy foods that are low in fiber, but big on carbohydrates and high in sugar,” she said.

Devine explained that all carbohydrates eventually turn into sugar, however, foods low in fiber are digested faster. This is why it is better to have whole wheat bread loaded with fiber that will slow down digestion than white bread that will be quickly turned into sugar, subsequently raising glucose levels.

Fast food restaurants and holiday parties tend to only offer refined carbs that can be “detrimental to a diabetics diet,” Devine said. “If you are diabetic and you are not picking up the right foods it will lead to an increase in weight gain and blood sugars.”

She suggested that throughout the holidays it is important for diabetics to bring healthy snacks while running errands or attending a holiday concert. Ideally this involves pairing a fruit with a protein, such as nuts, light yogurt or low-fat cheeses.

Instead of three large meals, Devine said opting for five to six small meals of fiber and lean protein because diabetics will not overeat at the holiday meal. She said this is also great advice to follow if you are interested in losing weight.

But when it comes to that big holiday meal, substitution is the key word. She recommended:

• Make candied sweet potatoes a diabetic friendly dish by using zero calorie sweeteners, such as Splenda or Stevia, instead of sugar.

• Switch white bread rolls for wheat rolls.

• Use Sprite Zero in your holiday punch instead of Sprite.

Dessert can taste all that much sweeter when sinking your teeth in a 150-calorie dessert vs. the typical 500-calorie splurge. You can make a pumpkin pie using Splenda (see recipe), or if you are strapped for time, head to a local Bakers Square where you can buy a sugar-free apple pie for $10.49 before tax.

On your holiday table, there should be at least one low-calorie vegetable dish, which can be a salad, or steamed broccoli seasoned with black pepper. Steaming or using Smart Balance butter in your vegetable dishes, instead of using real butter is a sure way to win against the battle of the bulge and maintain a stable sugar level.

Finally, make sure you are compensating your holiday meals by exercising. “It will offset the calories diabetics take on in the holiday meal,” Devine said. “Exercise is integral for diabetics; actually ‘mandatory’ is what I tell my patients.”

Exercise burns off excess sugar in the body and if a diabetic exercises constantly it will typically lower blood sugars.

This is especially important if a diabetic is overweight, because “weight loss relieves insulin resistance,” said Landsberg, who is also director of the Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity, and has studied the spike in obesity and the correlating increase in Type 2 diabetes.

Devine suggested working out at least four to six days a week usually for 30 minutes to an hour. However, she stressed the importance of keeping active during the remainder of the day. Keeping a pedometer is helpful for tracking the number of miles a person tallies, which should be four to five miles, or 10,000 steps per day.

Moldonedo has been ramping up his exercise, which consists of 18 holes of golf and time on the elliptical trainer, in preparation for the holidays. His biggest challenge this season will be at the holiday table, where he shares he will “load up on the turkey and watch the carbohydrates.”

A 33-year cancer survivor, Ann Peters recalls finding a malignant lump in her breast herself. Now 66, Peters was shocked Monday to hear a government task force is advising not only that women wait until age 50 to get mammograms but that breast self-exams are of no value.

“I can’t imagine not doing it,” Peters said. “I don’t know a woman who wouldn’t share my thoughts.” Peters is president of the Pink Ribbon Society, which provides services to scores of breast cancer patients and their families throughout Northwest Indiana.

The new guidelines were issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, whose stance influences coverage of screening tests by Medicare and many insurance companies. The panel recommends getting a mammogram every other year after age 50. The advice is a major reversal that conflicts with the American Cancer Society’s long-standing recommendation of annual screening starting at 40.

The government panel of doctors and scientists concluded that getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often is harmful, causing too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving women’s odds of surviving the disease.

“The benefits are less and the harms are greater when screening starts in the 40s,” said Dr. Diana Petitti, vice chair of the panel.

Experts expect the revisions to be hotly debated, and to cause confusion for women and their doctors.

“Our concern is that as a result of that confusion, women may elect not to get screened at all. And that, to me, would be a serious problem,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the cancer society’s deputy chief medical officer.

Rebecca Grove, manager of the Burrell Cancer Institute and Breast Care Center at St. Anthony Medical Center in Crown Point, said the institute follows the guidelines of the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology.

“In our personal practice, women who are diagnosed earlier seem to have better survival rates,” Grove said. “In reference to the breast self-exam, we see women regularly who on their own have found a lump that resulted in finding breast cancer.”

Dr. Mary Nicholson, medical director of the Women’s Diagnostic Center at Community Healthcare Center in Munster, said data she’s familiar with shows mammograms are beneficial starting at age 40. Cancerous masses as small as a grain of sand can be detected by a mammogram, in some cases catching them while the cancer still is curable, Nicholson said.

As for breast self-exams, “the physical exam expert is the woman herself,” Nicholson said.

“Why are you going to discredit something that is scientifically sound and that doesn’t cost anybody any money?” Nicholson said. “It’s disempowering women.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.