The Worst Things You Can Do to Your Body on St. Paddy’s Day (BESIDES Drinking)

Irish or not, people typically like to spend St. Paddy’s Day drinking beer with friends. But that’s not the only way you can wreck your body on March 17. Before donning your favorite kelly-green “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirt, here are some things you should avoid—and healthier alternatives that won’t make you feel gross the next day.

1. Swigging green beer at the bar. There’s no telling what the corner bar is using to color its tap beer. So you’re better off doing it yourself to avoid artificial coloring. Megan Madden, R.D., a New York City nutritionist, recommends using wheatgrass powder to do the trick instead. “It will act as a natural dye and concentrated source of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals, including magnesium, iron, and manganese,” she says. “Choose a light beer to both save calories and easily turn its pale color the perfect shade of green.”

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2. Wearing your hottest heels to a parade. This is not the time to wear your sky-high stilettos. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Minnesota, says women should keep heels to a maximum of two inches. That’s because with all the pushing and shoving that goes on around parades and crowded bars, you’re more likely to sprain an ankle if you’re in unstable shoes, says Sinicropi.

Still craving height? Wedges or platforms are safer options since they’re more stable. And don’t think that flip-flops are fine. Broken glass can be littered throughout streets and bars, so you want to keep your feet covered up.

3. Bingeing on soda bread. Your family’s recipe may not have a ton of sugar in it, but it’s probably loaded with unhealthy white flour. New York City-based registered dietitian Alexandra Oppenheimer, R.D., recommends replacing half of it with white-whole-wheat flour to up the fiber content. This way, you’ll feel fuller from eating less.

Another easy switch is using non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or buttermilk. “Replacing 16 ounces of sour cream with 16 ounces of non-fat Greek yogurt can cut nearly 640 calories, 75 grams of fat, and 52 grams of saturated fat out of the entire loaf while adding nearly 30 grams of protein,” she says.

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4. Loading up on corned beef. Keep your portion of the salt-cured beef to no more than three ounces (the size of a deck of cards). Oppenheimer suggests making the meal wholesome by steaming the usual sides of cabbage and carrots and dedicating half of your plate to veggies. “You can also replace the potato with brown rice or quinoa to include a whole grain,” she says.

5. Digging into sweets. Potato candy may sound like a relatively harmless Irish treat, but Madden warns us not to be fooled by its name. The popular St. Paddy’s Day dessert is made with mashed potatos, peanut butter, and sugar. “This dessert is mostly sugar,” she says. “Just a few small pieces pack several hundred calories. Be sure to indulge in just one or two thin slices.”

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