Stay Healthy During the Holidays

So this post isn't exactly about volunteering, or doing good for others... but it is about doing good for yourself. 'Tis the season for weight gain. We're talking the annual "freshman 15" from all the booze, fruitcake, and rich foods you'll be eating this season, combined with the occasional pizza or Indian food takeout. It's not good for your figure, nor for your heart.

No worries, I'm not one to play Grinch of Holiday Yumminess. However, there are a few things I'm going to do this season that I thought you might want to do too:

1. Before going out to eat (or maybe at the table on my iPhone), I'm going to check out this handy dandy Eating Out Guide from the American Heart Association. It doesn't just tell you "order the chicken fillet instead of the burger," it includes "ethnic" foods, which are my favorites! You can still eat Indian food, but do so in a more healthy way.

2. Eggnog fan? Try a glass of half eggnog, half 1% milk, splash of whatever alcohol it is you put in eggnog. And make it a small glass while you're at it.

3. Try a little bit (like a bite) of all the desserts, and then stop. No really. Stop.

4. Go for a walk at lunch. Not only will this get your heart pumping, but the sunlight and vitamin D will help stave off seasonal affective disorder (read: winter makes me sad).

5. Go to the gym with a friend. Ok maybe some of you doobies out there actually go to the gym the required number of times per week, but I'm not one of them. I don't even belong to one right now. Too boring. But add a friend? I'm hoping for magic, or at the very least, discipline.

Any tips for staying healthy through the holidays? Please share.

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Image courtesy of the NY Times.