The holiday season is upon us, filled with temptations and opportunities to overeat and drink around every corner. Before you cower in the corner, canceling all of your holiday plans in fear of sabotaging your healthy lifestyle, or worse throwing your hands up in defeat promising to start again in the New Year, ask yourself one thing. What exactly is a healthy lifestyle? A healthy lifestyle means knowing that it is possible to enjoy these special occasions AND remain healthy. It’s about balancing the fun while taking care of yourself. 
Instead of telling you all the things you should NOT be doing this season, here are your 6 Do’s for the holiday season:
- DO MOVE. Yes move. It’s even harder now with the sun going down before you get home from work or school and the temperature dropping but make movement a priority. If you know you are normally too exhausted at the end of the day to exercise then set your alarm and get up early. Can’t make it to the gym? You can now access all types of workouts via such sites as Netflix and Youtube. Not a morning person but can’t seem to motivate in teh evening? Then sign up for a class. C24 is packed with classes from cycling, to kickboxin, to yoga and everything in between. Don’t be shy – just walk in and introduce yourself to the instructor.
- DO PLAN AHEAD. Make a grocery list and stick with it. Walk into any grocery store right now and you are immediately bombarded with holiday displays filled with peppermint bark, hot chocolate, apple cider, fruit pies – you name it. So having a plan before you walk into the store is key to reducing those impulse buys. Over the weekend think about your week ahead – what nights will you be free to cook? What nights are you busy? Plan your meals around your personal timeline and make it realistic. The internet is a huge asset for meal planning and recipe searching even if you are a novice in the kitchen. Try www.cookinglight.com or www. eatingwell.com.
- DO READ NUTRITION LABELS, especially on those holiday drinks. Ahh Starbucks, the queen of holiday promotions with cute holiday cups, delicious sounding drinks, and cozy decorations. But beware, the drinks are notoriously filled with excess calories and sugar. For example, the Grande non-fat Pumpkin Spice Latte provides 260 calories and 48 g of sugar. Luckily most coffee shops are very flexible when it comes to your drink order. Love the flavored drinks? Ask for 1/2 the pumps to reduce the sugar and the calories. Try non-fat drinks. And if you decide to go for the drink without making any changes, just make adjustments to the rest of your daily intake by cutting something else out.
- DO ENJOY COMFORT FOOD- LIGHTENED. When it’s cold, our bodies crave different food than when the temperature is warm. If you are someone who craves “comfort” food, listen to your body but make some adjustments. Try these recipes that have been made-over to be healthier versions.
- DO ATTEND HOLIDAY PARTIES. Just follow these three basic rules: eat before you arrive, watch your alcohol intake (empty calories), and try to fill your plate with 3/4 vegetables and 1/4 treats.
- DO MAKE YOURSELF A PRIORITY. The mentality that you have to wait until the New Year to take care of yourself is old news. Sure you probably aren’t going to cut out sweets two days before Christmas, but don’t throw your health out the window just because it is the holidays. Have an especially indulgent evening? Fine. Just get right back on track the next day – drink a lot of water, eat whole foods and don’t beat yourself up with the all or nothing mentality. Remember to enjoy yourself and also take care of yourself.