On Your Couch or in the Stands, Tips for Staying Warm, Safe, and Healthy on Game Day

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, an Official Health Services Provider for the Super Bowl, Offers Advice on Dealing with the Cold and Healthy Game Day Snacking

Jan 27, 2014

NEW YORK

Game Day is almost here, and whether you're watching the Broncos play the Seahawks from the comfort of your own home or in the brisk open air at the stadium, or attending one of the many events in New York City, a bit of preparation can help ensure a comfortable spectator experience.

As one of the Official Health Services Providers for the 2014 Super Bowl, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is ramping up efforts to deploy emergency medical services personnel and equipment throughout New York City to provide medical care and transport, if necessary, to the many visitors, volunteers, staff, and fans who are participating in Super Bowl-related activities.

But a bit of preparation can help keep you from needing medical care on game day and beyond. Medical experts from the hospital give the following health and wellness tips.

Beyond Bundling Up: Tips to Stay Safe When Out in the Cold

  • Cold temperatures can cause skin disorders or frostbite in some people. See a doctor immediately if you develop color changes in your hands or feet accompanied by pain or ulceration. If you develop extreme pain followed by loss of sensation in a finger or toe, you may have frostbite.
  • The winter sun can be dangerous to the skin. Even in the winter months you should use a sunscreen with a sun-protection factor of 15 or greater if you will be outdoors for prolonged periods. Overexposure to sunlight can lead to premature aging of the skin and skin cancer.
  • Wear a hat and cover your ears. It's a myth that your head loses 50 percent of your body heat, but it can lose as much as 10 percent. Always wear a scarf over your mouth and nose to warm the air before you breathe in, and dress in layers. Layering clothes underneath a windproof and waterproof outer shell helps maintain body heat.
  • Move around — hopefully your team will give you something to stand up and cheer about.
  • Drink warm drinks and avoid alcohol. Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, causing you to lose heat.
  • Wear mittens instead of gloves to keep your fingers warmer. Also consider using portable hand or feet warmers.

Hosting a Healthy Super Bowl Party: Easy Tips to Help Reduce and Manage the Calories of Favorite Super Bowl Foods.

  • Nacho Layer Dip: Replace with a seven-layer dip for a festive, tasty alternative. Layer avocado, low-fat Greek yogurt, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce and cheddar cheese for a dip that's high in fiber and low in fat. Serve with baked pita chips to save even more calories. You save: 900 calories and 60 grams of fat.
  • Baked Chicken Fingers: Instead of fried, bake your own at home. Bread chicken breast tenders in crushed cornflakes and then bake until crispy. Save calories by making an easy honey-mustard using honey and spicy mustard instead of store bought. You save: 400 calories and 15 grams of fat.
  • Kale chips instead of potato chips: Kale is all the rage right now, as are the chips made from its leaves. Kale chips are simple to make — tear the leaves into small pieces, rub with olive oil, sprinkle on some sea salt and spices, and toss in the oven. Not only will you save calories and fat, you'll also get your fill of nutrients such as Vitamins A and C, potassium and calcium. You save: 340 calories and 25 grams of fat.
  • Turkey Chili: With just a few simple substitutions, you can cut over half of the total fat as well as unhealthy saturated fat, without losing any of the beloved flavors. Replace ground beef with lean ground turkey or lean ground sirloin to lower the saturated fat. Top with reduced-fat cheese to further reduce cut the calories. You save: 100 calories and 8 grams of fat.
  • Pizza: Instead of delivery, make your own at home! Use a pre-packaged thin crust or a whole wheat tortilla, top with tomato sauce and a mix of full fat and reduced fat cheese to save in both calories and fat. If you still are craving your favorite delivery, choose a thin crust style and cut the slices in half. You save: 100-150 calories and 5 grams of fat.
  • Light Beer: Light beer saves about 40 calories per bottle. A good rule of thumb is for every drink you consume, drink a glass of water. This will help to pace yourself — an important element, because light beer or not — those calories add up! You save: 40 calories per bottle.

Smart Snacking for a Sound Stomach: Tips for Those Who Suffer from Digestive Issues Including Heartburn, Acid Reflux and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

  • Avoid spicy foods. Spicy foods can help trigger conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion and acid reflux. It is best to avoid spicy foods — replace wings, nachos and chili with items like pitas, hummus and yogurt. For a chili alternative, try making chili with chicken, and add zucchini and carrots. Reduce the amount of spices and beans.
  • Reduce dairy intake. Lactose can be a problem for many. Instead of eating foods like mac and cheese, ice cream and nachos, consider an alternative for that dairy fix. Try cheeses that are low in lactose, including brie, parmesan and aged cheddar.
  • Beans are challenging to digest. Humans don't have the enzymes to digest beans efficiently. Anyone who overindulges can endure gas and indigestion. Limit your intake of beans, and watch your portion size.
  • Reduce intake of fat. Fat takes longer to digest. Ingesting a lot of fatty foods at one time can lead to indigestion. Prevent this by substituting fried wings with grilled chicken skewers. Or, consider making potato skins with low-fat cheese and turkey bacon bits. Make an effort to bake, not fry, food.
  • Healthy substitution ideas. Overall, make sure you provide your guests with nutritional options. Some examples include: yogurt dip, nuts, fruits (especially berries), multigrain or whole-grain crackers and chips, non-spicy guacamole, baked (not fried) chicken or fish, salads, fresh vegetables and water with lemon or citrus garnishes.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive hospitals, with some 2,600 beds. In 2012, the Hospital had nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits, including 12,758 deliveries and 275,592 visits to its emergency departments. NewYork-Presbyterian's 6,144 affiliated physicians and 20,154 staff provide state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at six major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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