Holiday Eating Tips

We all know there are lots of bullets to dodge in December. Christmas isn’t just about food and drinking. This year try to channel your energies and activities to more giving to others and doing activities that affect your health and fitness – what a great Christmas present to yourself. Let us know how we can help! Here are your tips for the month:

1. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily, including one glass before every meal.
2. Avoid emotional eating. The next time you reach for that cookie, ask yourself whether you're being prompted by stress, hurt, depression, boredom, or even joy. The purpose of eating is to fuel your body, not temper your feelings.
3. Always have breakfast. It provides energy to your body and brain and keeps you from going into starvation mode and binge-eating later.
4. Schedule time to eat. Plan on three meals and two fruit or veggie snacks every day. Look at your schedule for the day and block out windows of time to eat; "not enough time" is not an excuse.
5. Count to your age before you "cheat." Anytime you find you are about to eat something that's not healthy, count to your age. If you still want a bit after your countdown, feel free; you've made a conscious decision to indulge.
6. Ditch the defeatist attitude. Everyone falls off the wagon sometimes. The important thing is to get back on. So when you succumb to that late-night bowl of ice cream, don't think "Well, I've already been bad, so I might as well finish the rest of the carton." Instead, enjoy the occasional indulgence and then return to your resolve.
7. Get off the couch. A daily exercise routine would be ideal. But even walking up a few flights of stairs for a face-to-face conversation is better than text messaging.
8. Avoid processed snacks. Always try to have a piece of fruit rather than processed snack foods, especially late at night. If fruit alone doesn't cut it, try adding some peanut butter. If you need a sugar fix, nuke a handful of dark chocolate chips in the microwave for a few seconds and dip your fruit into that.
Tips are from Daphne Oz (yes, the daughter of Dr. Oz, Oprah health expert and RealAge medical adviser)