Most people fall in to two categories when it comes to the holidays.  They are either Buddy the Elf (I just love smiling. Smiling’s the best) or you are Ebenezer Scrooge (or the Grinch… your choice).  And there are a few people who fall into that middle category that are just lukewarm about all the festivities.  Sure the lights and cookies are nice but they aren’t that thrilling when you really think about it.  Me? I am Buddy the Elf to the 10th power.    I love everything that comes with Christmas.  The lights, the songs, the family, the movies and shows, the food….

Oh the food.  We all know that this time of year is when we tend to over indulge.  There are big family meals and office Christmas parties.  I already talked about the holiday overeating in a post a few weeks back so I won’t beat a dead horse.  You know that this time of year is a calorie-laden war zone, and we all handle the extra food grenades that are thrown at us in different ways.

For me, it is easiest to make healthier versions of all the food available this time of year.  In fact this weekend I made “clean” versions of eggnog and hot chocolate as well as some pumpkin bars and a loaf of ginger-cocoa bread.  They were all delicious and tasted just as fabulous as any Christmas goody.  Now, just because these are clean and healthy doesn’t mean that I can eat as much of them as I want.  Calories are still calories and you just can’t gorge yourself on healthy food and expect to not gain weight.

It is so easy to make small concessions when it comes to eating this time of year.  All those small concessions add up to one big regret later and compromised health.  In my last post I talked a little about the history of the RDA  and while I do disagree with some of the aspects of the RDA, it does have at its base a very important message.  We all need to get a certain amount of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.  While it might not be the same amount or the same type for every person, it is vital that you fuel your body properly.  It will help especially this time of year when temptations are lurking behind every Christmas tree.  A well fed body will function better and be able to handle all those little temptations.  When your body has all the proper nutrients, it is more satisfied and less likely to gorge Christmas treats!

In the next posts I am going to break down the different parts of the RDA and help you sort through what you need to know to feed your body properly!  In the mean time enjoy your holidays and don’t fret over every single piece of food that you eat this season.  A few cookies will NOT kill you!