Help Keep the Holiday Pounds Off During the Season...

No Grazing Allowed: It might look like a buffet, but you don't have to treat the holiday meal like one. There's a difference between enjoying a variety of foods and heaping plate after plate with calorie- and fat-laden fare that's sure to weigh you down. Fill your plate, leave some room for dessert and a few "second tasters" of things you liked the first time around, but then call it a meal and move on. Just because the food's still on the table doesn't mean you're obligated to eat it. Think it terms of normal meals and you'll avoid endless grazing that adds up to an overstuffed belly and scale!

Until Monday - Keep thinking veggies and protein!

All Natural Detox Foods... 

After this holiday season many people make their New Year's resolutions based on weight loss and their nutrition. In order to get your body back on track after the numerous holiday sugar-laden feasts you will need to first look to incorporating some foods into your diet that can help you detox first.

Detoxing the body can be done naturally by simply incorporating certain foods that can help your system get rid of toxins and excess. Let's take a look at a few:

• Fruit
  Fruits are high in fiber such and contain antioxidants, nutrients and important vitamins that can help your body get rid of excess. Have an apple or a pear next time to get your detox process started.

• Green Vegetables
  Fill up on green vegetables and detox your body naturally. By incorporating veggies such as kale, arugula and spinach you can help your digestive system with some chlorophyll which helps the body get rid of harmful environmental toxins from smog, heavy metals, herbicides, cleaning products and pesticides. They also aid the liver in detoxification.

• Lemons
  A good way to start the day is by sprinkling some lemon into your water. This fruit can help you flush out toxins and help your liver with the cleaning process of your internal organs.

• Spices
  Try some garlic or red cayenne pepper as new spices for your diet. Both can help boost your metabolism and help you detoxify where you need it.

Try getting back on track with these foods after the holidays and start the new year refreshed!

Don't forget - water, water, water.....

Work Out Without Lifting a Finger...

Who says it takes all kinds of effort to stay in shape? Sometimes the best exercises are so simple they don't even require you to lift a finger. Actually, we're talking about great lower-body exercises that tone, tighten and keep your hips, glutes, hamstrings and calves looking great using only your body weight (no fingers / hands required) as resistance. 

Jumps: Plyometric exercises involve quick bursts of explosive power. Jumps are one example of a plyometric exercise, and you might expect, they're easy to do. With feet shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, back straight, lower into a squat position and then power up immediately, using arm swing to help maintain balance and increase the height of your jump. Jumps can be performed from ground to air or from the ground to a stable surface, such as a metal box or wall. Build to 10-20 repetitions, 2-3 sets.  

Ward Off Colds With Yogurt...

Another reason to love yogurt!  Start bolstering your immune system for fall and winter by downing a cup of probiotic-rich yogurt every day. Those good bacteria strengthen your immunity and have been associated with a 42 percent lower risk of getting upper respiratory infections, such as colds. The strains of probiotics are found in fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir. And don’t forget while you're downing those, lay off the excess sugar, antibiotics, and stress, all of which can kill good bacteria in your gut and make you more susceptible to cold-weather ailments.

Eat Asparagus, Prevent a Hangover...

With the Holiday season upon us with all the socializing - I thought this was really interesting!  And, another great excuse to eat more asparagus!  The leaves and shoots of this super-veggie contain enzymes that break down alcohol after heavy drinking, preventing a hangover, and even eating it the day after can tame one that is already making you miserable, according to Korean scientists. The best way to prevent a hangover, of course, is to avoid overindulging. Munch on some stalks before you head out or during your bar visit, though, and not only will you get the beneficial enzymes but your stomach will be full of food, which slows down your body's absorption of alcohol in the first place.