Here they come! The holidays. A mixture of excitement, joy, overwhelm and reckless abandon. It creeps up on you every year, doesn't it? And yet you can see it coming.

Thanksgiving is first. The old standards come out, there's so much emphasis on the food... you actually try not to eat and then you get hungry and there are so many treats around... you're socializing while you're eating and then all of a sudden, you're stuffed! But it's the holidays and you're so "good" most of the time. You're SUPPOSED to indulge at this time of year!

Right?

Does it work well for you? Maybe it's worth it. You know? Maybe you'll just work it off in January again.

But maybe its possible to hit the holiday season so physically "dialed in" that you can have your cake and eat it too! Have you ever experienced a sweet treat that you USED to love, but just tastes gross to you now? That is evidence of your body changing. The composition of your blood literally changes-- and therefore so does your palette. The cleaner your system is, the less you are drawn to the really gnarly treats (the ones that give you a food hangover.)

So what does it take to get dialed in physically? If you had a super important music recital, or you were acting in a play, or you had the vacation of a lifetime coming up... what would you do to prepare yourself? The holidays are a time to lighten up and loosen up, but if we do that in the same way that we did it when we were kids, the consequences get more annoying, frankly. Hangovers, weight gain, disrupted sleep, more painful periods, winter depression, seasonal affective disorder, moodiness. Lord help our coworkers by late February, that's all!

Do we really have to lose our equilibrium to "celebrate?"

Here's my Top 5 ways to Savor the Holidays without gaining even ONE pound.

1) Sleep-- Get eight hours or more. Did you know that your body needs SLEEP in order to lose weight? Studies show that lack of sleep can disrupt hormones, increase hunger and cause weight gain! So any commitment to weight loss should also be a commitment to sleeping more. The average American slept 9 hours a night before 1900. Now the average is only 6.5.

2) Exercise-- Add one workout a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It seems like a lot to fit in when you're stressed out about getting everything done for the holidays, but precisely because of the stress, it's worth doing. If you don't exercise at all, get out for a walk on the weekend. If you exercise 3 times a week, add a fourth, and so on. This trick is crucial to you getting "extra balanced" before the holidays arrive, so your equilibrium is rock solid. It helps your body process the indulgences with grace.

3) Gourmet Health Food-- Bring your own food to the party! The way to make sure it's something that will make you feel good AND you won't get the "what the hell kind of food are you eating THIS time" from your relatives. You make it so fancy and delicious that they are stunned into admiration. Like these: Butternut Squash Latkes , Chestnuts with Brussel Sprouts or Sesame Truffles from Elanaspantry.com

4) Vegetables- These are the antidote to transgressions. If you get yourself a food hangover, a regular old hangover or are generally strung out, have yourself absurdly large plates of vegetables for 2 or three of your meals for a whole day. It presses the reset button on your metabolism. I mean eat a platter of green beans (with a sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar and herbamare dressing) or a large zucchini sautéed with a whole fresh tomato in extra virgin olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and herbamare. It seems like a lot on your plate, but it doesn't feel like a lot in your tum. It just makes you feel good.

5) Hot Water Bottle- This is a secret weapon to making it through the holidays. Go to bed with a hot water bottle next to your tummy. Not only does this help you fall asleep more quickly and help you digest your food, it conveys a primal message to your body that you are loved. The warmth can create a blissful feeling (without the chocolate!) that can actually help us avert some of the emotional cravings we often feel around the holidays.

Want more? Sign up for my free teleclass on this topic!

How to Make it Through the Holidays without Losing Your Equilibrium or Gaining Even One Pound!

This teleclass is FREE on December 1st, 8pm EST. (If you can’t make the 8pm EST live call, you’ll have access to the recording, but only if you sign up.) Click here to Register for this Teleclass.

I give away free products and services and offer deep discounts on my programs, but only when you show up to my teleclasses and workshops.

Til then! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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