Holidays are funny. You spend all year waiting for them to arrive and once they're here, you look forward to them leaving. If the cause isn't the stress of squeezing in holiday shopping or squabbling over which family to spend Thanksgiving with, it's the added weight we undoubtedly accrue-five to 10 pounds on average. Those added pounds can make us feel sluggish, and how we feel affects how we work. That's the premise behind the Health Awareness Program. "If employees are happier and healthier, they're going to be more productive," says program coordinator Kay Nelson. "Our goal is to encourage and assist employees to understand, adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle." To that end, the program sponsored Low-fat Holiday Recipes and Tastings this week to show people that low-fat food can actually taste good and to give a few tips on healthy eating this season. Jill Burns, a registered dietitian with the medical center (and a former UC Davis women's soccer player), provided not only a short list of low-fat recipes, but also a run-down on how a typical Thanksgiving meal might add up in terms of calories. For example, four to five ladles of gravy can equal 1,000 calories, 10 crackers with cheese is about 700 calories and two pieces of pie may set you back 800 big ones. Yikes, and you haven't even tasted the turkey or Grandma's famous fudge yet. By Burns' estimate, a holiday meal can quickly add up to 8,000 calories or more. Since an excess of 3,500 calories generates one pound of body fat, it's easy to see how a person can gain five pounds after just a few of these meals. (We won't talk about the effect on your cholesterol count.) Beside the fat and calorie content of food we consume during these months, Burns suggests looking at other factors that can affect the quality and the quantity of what we're eating-emotions, stress, parties and busy schedules. If you want to avoid making that annual New Year's resolution in a few months about losing holiday baggage (some of us are still carrying around last year's), here are a few tips and recipes to keep your spirits and your health up this season: * Eat breakfast to avoid high-fat snack attacks later in the day; * Drink lots of water or herbal teas and choose fewer alcoholic drinks that are high in calories; * Sit down and slow down when eating-it takes about 20 minutes for your body to register that it is full; * Keep healthy snacks handy to avoid a second slice of pecan pie that well-meaning co-worker brought in; * Don't give up healthy habits but stay away from "perfect" eating-you'll likely go off the wagon; * Eat what you like-in moderation. Load up on fruits and vegetables first. Take small portions of meat, cheese and other rich foods. At dessert, choose one or two favorites and remember that pumpkin and apple pie are more nutritious and lower in fat than pecan pie; * Exercise (wading through paperwork or running through ideas doesn't count). Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of a good workout before a big office party or holiday meal. Play a game of Frisbee or tag-football with the kids; and * Reward yourself with a massage, manicure or something else that makes you happy when you've reached a goal. Sweet Potato-Jalapeño Soup 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 med. leeks, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 3 lbs. yams (or about 6 med. reddish brown sweet potatoes), peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces 6-7 cups chicken stock 1 small jalapeño chile (or more as desired), seeded and finely chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. white pepper 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 tsp. dark brown sugar (optional) 1 cup (11-oz. can vacuum-packed) corn (preferably shoepeg), reserve 1/2 cup for garnish Tomatillo Cream and Garnish 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 2 tbsp. tomatillo salsa (green salsa) 3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup corn (from above) 8 tsp. fresh lime juice Heat the oil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium-high heat, add the leeks and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cumin, lower the heat and cook for another minute. Add the yams, 6 cups stock, jalapeño, salt and pepper, and simmer covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until yams are very tender. Puree the soup in the pan with a hand beater, a food processor or blender. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock if the soup is too thick. Return the soup to the pot if necessary and bring it to a simmer. Add the lime juice, brown sugar (if desired) and corn kernels. Cook the soup for 3 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. To make the tomatillo cream, combine in a small bowl the yogurt, salsa, 1 tbsp. of the cilantro and salt. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a tablespoon of tomatillo cream, a sprinkling of the corn kernels, the remaining chopped cilantro and a bit of the fresh lime juice. Makes 8 cups. Count each cup as 3 vegetable servings. Each cup provides about 275 calories, 9 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and 7 grams of fiber. A hit at any holiday potluck, you can prepare this soup up to 3 days ahead, but the tomatillo cream and garnish need to be prepared within an hour or so of serving. Recipe from The California Cook by Diane Rossen Worthington Garlic Mashed Potatoes 7 cups peeled, cubed baking potato (Yukon golds work well.) 6 garlic cloves, peeled 1/2 cup 2 percent low-fat milk 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper Place potatoes and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes and drain. Return potatoes and garlic to pan. Add milk, Parmesan cheese, margarine, salt and pepper; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Makes 8 3/4 cup servings. Recipe from Cooking Light magazine Cranberry Salsa Dip with Nonfat Cream Cheese 3 cups fresh cranberries rinsed, drained 4 green onions, minced (1/2 cup) 2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (about 2 tbsp.) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 8-oz. package fat-free cream cheese A few fresh cranberries (for garnish) Sprigs of cilantro (for garnish) Rinse, drain and pick over the cranberries, discarding all that are soft or bruised. Place them in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not mushy. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in green onions, jalapeños, sugar, cilantro, ginger and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to blend and develop. If you taste this dip immediately after making it, you will find the flavor too sharp and tart; it mellows and sweetens over time. To serve, arrange the salsa around the cream cheese. Garnish the top of the cream cheese with a few sprigs of cilantro and reserved cranberry for color. This beautifully-colored dip is refreshingly delicious with a surprising mixture of flavors. Makes 2 cups or 32 portions (each with 1 tbsp. salsa and 1/2 tbsp. cream cheese). Count each portion as 1/4 fruit serving. Each portion provides about 25 calories, 1 gram of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 0.5 grams of fiber. Recipe from the UC Davis Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study-December 1996 cooking class