MORRIS COUNTY — The football teams taking the field on Thanksgiving will bring shrewd strategies and meticulous game plans to make sure they finish the day healthy and successful.

As we tackle one of the year’s biggest feasts, should we do the same?

On the one hand, it’s just one day.

“If you spend the rest of the year eating well and making sure your physically active then I think on Thanksgiving you can give yourself a break,” said Mandy Enright, the FOOD + MOVEMENT® Dietitian, author, and volunteer, American Heart Association. “Don’t be crazy in your choices, but everybody deserves a day off.”

On the other hand, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday eating season, which can have significant ramifications on body weight – and health – for the entire year.

“Between Thanksgiving and News Year’s Day, it’s not uncommon to see weight gain occur if they aren’t careful,” said Enright. “We need to recognize the risks of the holiday season and be thoughtful.”

The Calorie Control Council, a food and beverage industry group, calculates one Thanksgiving meal can total 4,500 calories. That’s more than twice the recommended number of 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for a woman.

A 2016 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the average American gains 1.3 pounds during the holiday season, while a 2000 study in Nutrition Reviews concluded that what’s packed on during the holidays accounts for half of weight gain for the year.

“Even if the average weight gain is only a kilogram (2.2 pounds) each year, over a lifetime it adds up if changes aren’t made to combat the increase in weight,” adds Enright.

This year may not be typical, as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts the usual stream of holiday gatherings and office parties. But the lessons for curbing the dietary impact of Thanksgiving dinner remain the same. Here are some tips:

• Prepare. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, be a bit more vigilant about your food intake. Maybe lose a couple of pounds so you’ll wind up with a net-zero after the holidays.

• Tweak recipes. You can treat yourself to special foods but also have control over how they’re made. Search the internet for a healthier version of a favorite recipe or a substitute for an unhealthy ingredient.

• There’s no quick fix for overeating. You can’t exercise your way out of gorging at the holiday table. Exercise is great, but it’s more about eating less food. It’s calories in, calories out.

• Don’t come hungry. Have a healthy breakfast or lunch. Some people try to avoid weight gain by eating very little before the big feast or a party, but that ends up backfiring because they’re so hungry they’re not able to control themselves.

• It’s not just about eating. Alcohol has calories too and the more you drink, the less you care – not just about the alcohol but the rest of the meal as well.

• Pace yourself. It takes time for the brain to realize you’re getting full. Eating slowly and waiting a few minutes before you go for seconds, or thirds can be very helpful.

• Beware of leftovers. The holiday table may be full of the most calorically dense foods people eat all year. If there’s more leftover, you may be the one suffering the consequences. Sooner or later, those pumpkin pies do get eaten.

As sound as the advice may be, the culinary temptations this time of year are hard to resist.

“Holiday season can be the time when people just let go,” concludes Enright. “When there are so many opportunities to eat and so much exposure to high-caloric foods, it’s very difficult unless people are incorporating more mindfulness into their days and food choices.”

MORRIS COUNTY — On Tuesday, November 23 at 6:00 p.m., Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) will hold a telephone town hall meeting.

Sherrill will be joined by a panel of experts, including special guest Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration Amit Bose.

The panel will help answer questions directly from residents on topics such as the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the continued efforts to combat the pandemic, and a number of other key issues. The town hall will be held virtually to allow for as many residents as possible to participate.

Residents are invited to register to call in to the telephone town hall at sherrill.house.gov/live.

The town hall will also stream live at 6:00 p.m. directly on Representative Sherrill’s website.

To submit a question ahead of the event, please click here.

DETAILS:

WHAT: Representative Sherrill Telephone Town Hall
WHEN: Tuesday, November 23, 2021
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: sherrill.house.gov/live

MORRIS COUNTY — Registration is now taking place at County College of Morris (CCM) for the Winter and Spring semesters and there is no better time than now to apply and enroll for classes at CCM. By registering early, students have the best chance of obtaining the classes that best fit their schedules. At CCM students can explore degree options and careers, all while graduating with little to no debt and more financial freedom.

Winterim classes are offered in an online condensed four-week format. These classes are a convenient way to earn some extra credit and stay on track to graduate. Two Winterim sessions are offered at CCM, a four-week session that begins Wednesday, December 22, and a two-week session that begins January 3.

The Spring Semester consists of seven different sessions, providing students with maximum flexibility to move forward with their higher education. The regular 15-week session begins Wednesday, January 19. Several mini-term sessions follow that date. You can find those dates by clicking here.

Along with a wide range of degree options, CCM also provides numerous non-credit certificate programs and professional development courses to fast-track a career. To view, those programs click here.

The first step for all new students who want to take credit courses, whether degree-seeking at CCM or visiting from another college, is to submit an online application by clicking here.

The Admissions office also can be reached at [email protected] or (973) 328-5100. Walk-ins also are welcomed. The Admissions office is located in the Student Community Center, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph. Once your application is completed, you will be notified by email on how to register for classes. Also, be sure to apply for Financial Aid to see if you might be able to attend college for free.

Winterim and Spring Semester class schedules are available online through Titans Direct by clicking here. Titans Direct is frequently updated and offers the most up-to-date course information.

Don’t delay. Get started today on becoming part of a nationally ranked community college committed to your success.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling pays respect and tribute to America’s veterans and their families, as we honor them this Veterans Day, November 11.

“These brave men and women have served us without hesitation. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave because of their service; for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude on this Veterans Day and always” Darling said.

Surrogate Darling also wishes the United States Marine Corps a Happy 246th Birthday, Oorah! God Bless America and God Bless our Veterans.

MORRIS COUNTY — Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck announced that an attorney was sentenced for her role in a scheme involving the illegal use of straw donors to conceal campaign contributions and secure lucrative government contracts for her law firm.

Elizabeth Valandingham, 49, of Morristown, was sentenced to three years’ probation and 324 hours of community service by Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna in Morris County. The state recommended that Valandingham be sentenced to 364 days in the county jail pursuant to the plea agreement, but the court did not impose that sentence. She pleaded guilty on April 13, 2021, to an accusation charging her with third-degree tampering with public records or information. Under the plea agreement, she forfeited her law license and was ordered to pay a $75,000 public corruption profiteering penalty. She also is debarred from any public contracts for a period of 10 years.

Deputy Attorneys General John A. Nicodemo, Eric Cohen, and Michelle McBrian represented the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) at the sentencing hearing. She was charged with an investigation by the OPIA Corruption Bureau.

In pleading guilty, Valandingham admitted that she submitted fraudulent proposals for government contracts for the law firm where she worked, O’Donnell McCord, P.C., in which she failed to disclose political contributions that were illegally made using straw donors. She further admitted that she submitted false reports to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on behalf of the law firm in which she failed to report such illegal contributions. Valandingham was initially charged by complaint-summons on June 17, 2020.

“Those who engage in illegal schemes to evade our campaign finance and pay-to-play laws will be held accountable,” said Acting Attorney General Bruck. “We cannot tolerate any attempt to undermine fair and open elections and public contracts in New Jersey.”

“OPIA is working to enforce a culture of integrity in state and local government in New Jersey, and that includes safeguarding our election process and public contracting from criminal behavior,” said OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher. “This case reflects our commitment to prosecute dishonest operators who seek to profit at the expense of good government.”

Valandingham was charged in connection with conduct that occurred between 2012 and 2017. One of her duties at the law firm was to prepare and submit annual proposals to municipalities for the law firm to garner public contracts for legal services.