Your health

Hold the eggnog

The average holiday weight gain is only about a pound, but over time, that adds up. The Illinois Department of Public Health offers some strategies for healthy eating that won't leave a lasting impact on your waistline:

• Schedule your holiday feast at regular meal times.

• Eat a healthy snack before your holiday celebration. If you have a choice, eat from a small plate rather than a big one.

• Start your meal with salad (but watch the dressing and "extras" such as cheese) or soup.

• Watch what you drink. Punch - even the nonalcoholic kind - and sweet mixed drinks are all high in calories. If you must, a single glass of champagne is a good alternative. After the toast, switch to sparkling water.

Improving your odds

A new study shows colonoscopy isn't nearly as effective at preventing deaths from cancer that arises on the right side of the colon. The bowel cleansing patients do before the test doesn't work as well on the right side. And to compound the problem, lesions on the right tend to be flat and easier to miss.

So, what can you do to get the best exam possible? For starters, follow those bowel prep instructions exactly, as unpleasant as that may be. "A proper bowel prep allows the physician to clearly see the colon," said Dr. John L. Petrini, president of the Oak Brook-based American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the organization for specialists in colorectal cancer screening.

A thorough exam should take six minutes or longer, not that you'll be counting while sedated. But it's something to ask about before the test.

Visit asge.org to find a doctor and a list of other questions to ask before undergoing the procedure.