The end is near but so is a new beginning! As we celebrate 2011 and welcome 2012, many of us will be contemplating this past year and thinking about how we’d like this next year to be different – and with good reason. I’d like to share my main 2012 resolution intention and hear about yours!

When you plan a trip, if you don’t have a destination in mind, you simply go where the wind takes you. (Actually, who really does this?)

This approach may make for an exciting, mysterious adventure, but then there are it’s drawbacks: you allow the fates decide for you, and where would you start? What would you pack? How could you possibly comfortable not knowing anything about your trip?

My belief is we co-create our life. While there is fate and a greater Power which has ultimate control, we also have an enormous amount power to create the lives we love. Most of the time our plans don’t work out as we’d like, neither in our time nor on our terms, and often we end up getting exactly what we need rather than exactly what we want.

The holiday season can be a bitter-sweet time. But there’s just SO much to be grateful for right now. Like tasty cookies, nutritious food, the warm feelings of giving and receiving (presents!) and, of course, the one thing you can never buy or replace: loved ones in your life right now.

Leading up to today, I attended a few holiday parties. They were fun, each in their own way, and often served as a pleasant distraction from any feelings of sadness or loss for holidays-past. But it hit me soon after I came home from my family dinner…

My holiday celebrations were intensely more fulfilling when I spent them those who I love and who love me unconditionally. There was a palatable difference, a warmth, from these special people and it was very easy to be in the moment with them.

When I did slip, as we are all very human and while it’s more than OK to feel whatever we feel especially when something triggers us, I quickly realized I was dishonouring these wonderful, beautiful people by allowing any thoughts to linger on the past (if they caused any pain).

So for those of you out there that are experiencing a bitter-sweet holiday season, remember you have incredible people in your life right now who love and appreciate you for who you are. The greatest gift you can give them is to be present (pun intended) when you’re in their presence.

May your holidays be filled with joy and blessings for you and your loved ones.  

 

Happy Halloween! In the past we’ve shared a Halloween poem & pumpkin soup recipe, satisfying healthy candy alternatives and a smokey roasted pumpkin seed recipe for this spooky holiday. This year we help you maintain a healthy relationship with your family with guest blogger, Carol Montrose, as she shares a few ideas for family movies you can enjoy tonight on All Hallow’s Eve!

When the streets are dark and your kids are done collecting candy for the evening, it’s time to wash their faces, put them into pajamas, and try to calm them down enough from the excitements of the evening to actually get them to bed.

So give them glasses of warm milk or room-temperature water to temper the abundance of candy in their little bellies and pop in a Halloween movie that won’t scare them too badly. Here are just a few that both parents and kids will enjoy:

1. Coraline (2009). This stop-motion movie comes complete with a colorful world of imagination that will engage the minds of children. Of course, the story is nothing to sniff at, as an imaginative girl enters an alternate world where everyone loves her. There is a catch, but will it be enough to send Coraline back to her old life? Watch and find out.
2. Monsters, Inc. (2001). Anyone who has seen this Pixar masterpiece is no doubt in love with the furry, blue monster called Sully, who accidentally brings a little girl back to his home city of Monstropolis after hiding in her closet to scare her. Despite the fact that he’s more frightened of her than she is of him, he vows to return her to her own room before the other monsters get wind of her presence. Of course, it’s never that simple. But this is definitely one that even young kids can watch, and parents will no doubt love the in-depth storytelling that has come to characterize Pixar creations.
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Tim Burton’s yarn, spun in Halloweentown, became an instant classic revered by both kids and adults. Jack Skellington’s desire to do something great and break from the restraints of his world speaks to the adventurer in all of us, despite his misguided attempts to hijack Christmas. But it all comes out right in the end and kids will revel in the fun characters (including a pumpkin-nosed Rudolph-stand-in named Zero), the stop-motion animation, and a creepy-cool world that comes straight from the depths of Burton’s macabre mind.
4. Ghostbusters (1984). Here’s a classic from your own youth that your kids are likely to enjoy (although some of the ghosts may be a bit much for young tots – the dogs, in particular). But older kids will quickly get on board with the silly characters like poor Louis (Rick Moranis), who’s always locking himself out, and Venkman (Bill Murray), who treats scientific study more like frat party. Throw in some great one-liners (“Get her, Ray?”) and a 50-foot-tall marshmallow man and you’ve got some serious entertainment potential. So who you gonna call on Halloween?
5. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). This classic may date back to the time when your own parents were kids, but thanks to older movies finally getting sent out for DVD manufacturing service (order via Amazon) you can pass it on to a whole new generation. Although it is a tale of a newspaper man (crazy-eyed Don Knotts did the wild and wacky way before Seinfeld’s Kramer made it popular again) trying to solve a mysterious murder by staking out a haunted house, kids will likely find it tame by today’s movie-watching standards. It’s suitable even for younger, school-aged kids and the hilarious physical comedy of Knotts is sure to make them laugh more than scream.

About the Author

Carol Montrose is a movie buff and freelance writer. She is currently working with DVDduplication.net to provide helpful content for their blog.

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving here in Canada. Whether you’re Canadian or not, feeling thankful EVERY DAY is beneficial to our health, and research in gratitude backs this up. In this post, I’d love to publicly give my thanks for my blessings in hopes that it triggers your gratitude.

Live Lighter Blessings

In Life Happens: Sporadic Posting Notice, you’ll know that I’m on a new adventure in a new apartment and haven’t had time in the last month or so to write posts for you. I’d like to take the time right now to thank all my guest bloggers who submitted interesting and informative articles to keep this blog running in my absence. This blog would have been stagnant and boring without your assistance. Thank you!

Next, a BIG thank you to all you readers out there who read Live Lighter posts, pass them on to your friends and who keep coming back for more. And an even bigger thanks to all you courageous readers who take the time to comment. I love you! It means SO MUCH to me to know you receive value from visiting Live Lighter. Every reader contributes something special to this blog – thank you for keeping it alive!

Personal Blessings

On an even more personal note, I feel SO blessed for all my loving friends and family who’ve supported me during my recent life event and spiritual kick-in-the-ass. I’m still pleasantly wheeling and overjoyed with the realization just how much I’m loved. Thank you all for your offers to assist me in this life transition.

To all those who I accepted help from: thank you for listening to me, being a shoulder to cry on, helping me find my apartment, offering your home to me temporarily in case I didn’t find a place in time for my move date, moving me and keeping me as emotionally stable as possible by reminding me of all the good things in my life. I cannot express in words my gratitude for you. You’re angels and I will ALWAYS remember your kindness, unselfishness and friendship.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to my new housemates and very gracious landlord. You’ve all helped greatly in my transition, made me feel welcomed and cared for – even though you’ve only just met me! I’m both surprised and humbled what you’ve all done to help me feel comfortable here. I’m looking forward to creating strong and mutually beneficial relationships with you – I will heal very soon and regain the energy to provide you selfless acts of kindness, too.

Thanks to SHAPE Readers – A Live Lighter Special Announcement!

With all these thank yous, I’d be remiss to neglect all the SHAPE readers who nominated Live Lighter for the SHAPE Blogger Awards in their overall healthy living category! Yes, that’s right Live Lighter readers, this week a SHAPE magazine representative informed me that this little blog is in the running to win an award!

What an honour – thank you to all those who nominated Live Lighter as a blog “that keeps us happy and sane!” You can view all the nominees in each of the 6 different categories here.

And if you think Live Lighter deserves this blogger award, you can vote for it on this page.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone I’ve mentioned in this post and all those I’ve unintentionally forgot – though, I think I covered everyone. So, dear Readers, I’d love to hear everything YOU’RE grateful for in your life. Please share a list as long as you like!

Between all the candies, chocolate and celebrations for today, the day of Love, set aside some time to love yourself. There are many ways to do this but in today’s post, I share with you a video that will allow you to open your heart to yourself and break free from self-judgement.

Bruce Lipton is a cellular biologist who’s discovered through his studies a wealth of applicable knowledge to the field of personal development. I’ve blogged about Bruce before in The Science of Change and shared with you a video of one of his presentations. Today I’d like to share with you a video of Bruce in an engaging interview format.

In this 38 minute video, Bruce discusses quantum mechanics and how this powerful science explains why many people’s lives don’t reflect what they really want. At the end, he also explains how some techniques (focusing on one) work within this framework to reprogram the subconscious for more desirable outcomes.

So if you’re always beating yourself up because you have the best intentions but poor follow-through, then check out this video:

This video is currently being used to promote the 2011 Tapping World Summit – a free online audio event starting February 21st. For those of you who don’t know, “tapping” is the friendly term used to describe the Emotional Freedom Technique which we blogged about in What is EFT?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this information, and especially if it helps you forgive yourself for (so far) being unable to make all the positive changes you want to in your life.

Editor’s Note: With Valentine’s Day coming up this Monday, you may be worried about your 2011 health plan and the extra calories and sugar. Don’t be! On Monday we posted Bindu’s 3 healthy stress-free recipes and today Louis Ryder shares with us a few options for low-cal V-Day sweets.

Valentine’s Day, while meant to inspire feelings of love, can instead lead to self-loathing with multi-course meals at fancy restaurants, high-calorie alcoholic beverages, and of course, the cornucopia of sweets and treats that accompany this sugar-laden holiday.

How are you supposed to enjoy yourself when you either have to find a way to avoid all the delicious confections confronting you at every turn, or else give in and face the aftermath of added pounds down the road?

Whoever created this dieting helliday certainly didn’t have the concerns of the modern woman in mind, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use your smarts to find a way around the conundrum.

And guilt-free treats are your best bet. Here are a few you might want to try:

1. Chocolate covered strawberries. As my mom always said, no one ever got fat eating fruit. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s probably safer than a tray of cupcakes. To cut the fat even further on this tasty treat, select semi-sweet or dark chocolate to melt. Both contain less sugar and milk-fat than milk chocolate options.
2. Pudge-free brownies. There is actually a line of products that bear the brand name No Pudge! They are fat-free and 120 calories per serving when you use fat-free yogurt (instead of oil and eggs) to make them. And if you’re not down with the lactose, you can substitute in some applesauce instead (which makes the brownies deliciously cake-like). They come in a variety of flavors and best of all: they have single-serving microwavable options.
3. Jelly Belly Valentine’s Day mix. If you’re a grazer, you can’t go wrong with a bag of holiday-themed Jelly Belly’s. The flavors included in this mix are coconut, cotton candy, bubble gum, strawberry cheesecake, and very cherry (all in holiday hues). And each bean is only one calorie (with zero grams of fat). Make yourself a pouch of about a hundred for a tasty afternoon snack that will dispel your sweet tooth and help you refrain from going postal in the treat-packed break room.
4. Conversation hearts. This throwback to elementary school is a good choice for those who want a treat that also imparts sweet nothings (be mine, love you, and so on). One box clocks in at 110 calories (for the whole box) and zero grams of fat. Plus, if you suck on a few of these, you’re going to get over your sugar craving pretty quickly.
5. Layered pudding parfaits. This easy recipe is delicious, low-fat, and comes with a definite “wow” factor. You’re going to need some fat-free chocolate pudding (make your own or pick up some pudding cups), fat-free Cool Whip, skim milk and peanut butter. Put 1 cup Cool Whip in a mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of skim milk and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Whip until creamy. Then layer the pudding and peanut butter whip in a tall dessert dish (do as many layers as you want), topping with a dollop of Cool Whip. You’ll end up with a gorgeous dessert that tastes great, has less fat, and leads your loved one to believe you spent a lot more time in the kitchen than you did!

About the Author

Louis Ryder is a writer for Internet Inc., the leader in job search websites where you can find the perfect job to suit your individual needs.

The layered parfait sounds delectable! Another “pudge-free” brownie option (if you don’t like the idea of packaged foods), is this black bean & prune brownie recipe (tastes even better than traditional brownies). And remember, moderation is key – these treats still have sugar in them!

Editor’s Note: Our special “love” day is coming up – what do you have planned? If you want to stick to your resolutions/health plan, consider cooking a healthy meal at home to celebrate. Today Bindu Grandhi shares a poem and 3 of her flexitarian recipes with us!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Whether you’re spending it with your sweetheart, dear friends or family, resolve to eat a home-cooked meal with your loved ones. If it’s a romantic dinner for two, spend time preparing it together or if you’re hanging with friends and family make the meal pot-luck style.

The key is to choose a simple menu: an easy salad, a one-pan dish to be made the day of the dinner and a scrumptious dessert to be made the day before. And be sure to have a bottle of champagne chilling or select your preferred red or white wine beforehand.

I’m a huge proponent of home-cooked meals because they’re prepared by the people you know best. Even New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman agrees with this sentiment. Keep in mind that home-cooked foods contain, on average, 31.5% of calories from fat compared to an average of 37.6% of calories for restaurant foods.

That’s because you control the ingredients and the cooking process. Select locally sourced meats and seafood, locally grown produce and try locally produced wine and beer – the quality is comparable to well-known national brands.

So stay in, whip up a great meal and enjoy the company – Happy Valentine’s day!

Healthy Valentine’s Day Poem

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue,
Here’s a Valentine’s Day
Dinner menu for you.
It’s sure to be seductive
And stress-free.
There’s colorful beets and basmati rice,
Accompanied by a snappy salad and
Strawberry Ice cream delight.

Cheers!

Chickpea, Cucumber, and Bell Pepper Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas
• 3 kirby cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thick
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing:

• ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. white pepper

In a sieve, drain the chickpeas; rinse under cold water and drain again. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumbers, bell peppers, scallions, and cilantro. Chill.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cottage cheese, salt and white pepper. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing on the salad and toss.

Spicy Beets and Rice

Go to www.flexcook.com for recipe and demo.

Strawberry Kulfi

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: Overnight
Serves: 12

• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 12 oz. evaporated milk
• 12 medium strawberries, stems removed
• 1/8 cup sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
• 8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Garnish: fresh sliced strawberries and fresh mint sprigs

Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste for sugar. Depending on the taste of the strawberries, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar. Transfer into a large freezer-proof serving dish, and level with the back of a spoon. Cover and freeze overnight. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries and mint sprigs. Serve in bowls or ice cream cones.

About the Author

Author of Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is passionate about healthy and flavourful cooking, especially when it’s flexitarian. She shares her health knowledge with the world by providing practical, healthy and tasty recipes as The Flex Cook.

Yum! Thanks, Bindu! Do you have any recipes that would go perfectly with a Valentine’s Day dinner?

It’s officially 2011 – Happy New Year! Have you made a resolution? I spent much of yesterday contemplating how I’d like 2011 to look for me and came up with a few ideas. I’d love to share my resolution, health plan and goals with you, and hear about yours!

First, I’d just like to say I find my subconscious extremely funny. Yesterday morning I was all gung-ho in my 2011 preparations but as the day progressed, I found myself procrastinating in writing this post. A headache developed and I greeted January 1, 2011, with a soft, painful thumping in my left temple. Boo.

Thankfully it’s gone now (Whoo Hoo!) and I’m guessing it was all a physical manifestation of fear, anxiety and guilt. How so? Well, my vision isn’t as clear this year as previous years and I’m a little short on confidence these days (both of which are most likely due to my current health status).

By publishing my intentions for all to read, I’m opening myself up to judgement and a level of accountability that’s currently uncomfortable for me. The anxiety is probably coming from the resistance my ego is kicking up in response to the upcoming lifestyle changes. And the guilt is easy to identify: I said in Confessions of a Fallen Health Nut that I’d publish my health plan yesterday and since I didn’t, my integrity is shot (once again). Damn.

But I’m not letting any of this stop me! I’m moving forward and will do my utmost best every day to fulfill my plans for 2011 because I know I have strength and power to do it. So here’s what I’m doing this year and a little on how I arrived at it all (please take anything you find useful):

2011 Vision

For me, it all starts with a clear vision of what I’d like my year to look like. I meditate on it and experience all the upcoming goodness and emotions as it’s happening in my mind. Then I journal it, making certain to phrase it all in present tense.

If this vision is clear enough, the rest of the planning is a cinch. In addition, priorities become more apparent. Everything is a choice so when your vision is crystal clear and your ready to fully embrace it, you know what to say yes to (everything aligned with your vision) and what to say no to on a daily basis.

Update: if you’re curious about my vision, you’ll find it in Why Being Healthy Is Worth the Effort.

2011 Resolution

Normally I stick to goals and a plan rather than break resolutions but this year I was inspired by The Five-Percent Rule written by Wendy Strgar. It’s well worth the 2 minute-read but basically it’s about committing to a process rather than an outcome, realistic expectations and striving to improve just a touch more than yesterday.

My 2011 resolution then is to raise my consciousness level by at least 5%. If you’re confused as to what I mean, check out Steve Pavlina’s post where he covers the levels of consciousness in David Hawkins’ Power vs. Force (an awesome book!).

I’m aiming for Love. Although I’m already a very loving person, I recognize there’s a huge difference between `being loving’ and `being Love.’ When you’re living in the state of Love, you are at peace. You fully and completely accept yourself and others. You live compassionately and forgive easily. You transcend ego.

2011 Health Plan

When living in the state of Love, I see it as treating myself, others and the planet with love and respect. Basically, healthy, balanced living!

When I choose to smoke, drink too much alcohol, eat junk food, overeat in general, etc., and because I know what it does to my body, it’s almost as if I’m punishing myself. Although, it’s a little more complicated than that because I’m pampering (feeling sorry for) myself with instant gratification that ultimately packs a latent punch.

So resolving to be in the state of Love starts with treating myself with more respect this year. While I’m still working out the details and coming up with dates, here’s my 2011 health plan so far:

1. Develop a healthy routine. (sleep & exercise) Knowing how much our bodies love and respond to a routine and since I work from home, this is my first step to becoming healthier this year. Back in September I started with a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily. I’ll continue this and have devised an exercise routine that includes stretching, weight-resistance and cardio (starting small & progressing – my M2 will help here). In addition, since the day begins and ends with sleep, my first healthy habit of 2011 is to consistently retire between 10-11pm and rise between 6-7am.
2. The Hormone Diet. (nutrition) I had such fantastic success with Dr. Natasha Turner’s program and it’s so easy to follow that I’ve decided to do it again. It takes 21 days to develop a habit so while I’m working on my healthy sleep habit in January, I’ll reread the book and procure the supplies to be ready to start the Hormone Diet in February.
3. Stop smoking. (body) This is a biggie and I plan on a spring date because it’s a great time for a new beginning. Plus, it’ll give me a few months to prepare by reducing my intake, working on a healthy routine and practicing healthy stress-management techniques.
4. Practice cycling. (mind) You may remember me introducing you to Bill Bengston or to his work in my list of 20+ gifts for health nuts. Cycling is his hands-on healing technique and while it’s more of a personal goal rather than a healthy habit, it promises benefits like strengthening my mind and manifesting my desires!
5. Practice emotional alchemy. (soul/emotions) For those of you who missed it in my interview with Sandra Ingerman, emotional alchemy is the talent of transforming emotional states. Sandra teaches us a few of her tricks in transforming negative to positive emotions in her book How to Thrive in Changing Times.

All of these healthy habits, except for #4, tie in with my resolution for treating myself better. Most of it focuses on self-care so even if I increase my self-care efforts by even 5%, I’ll consider 2011 a success!

2011 Goals

Health is just one area of life so I’ve also devised plans & goals for the other parts of my life:

• Relationships
• Blog
• Business
• Home

This is a health blog so I haven’t gone in detail here but I have anywhere from 1-8 goals for each of these life areas. Since the first part of the year will be focused on my health (which will give me the energy I need to accomplish my other goals), I’ll be scheduling start and due dates for these closer to the summer and later in the year.

Hopefully this post helps you in some way in creating a plan for 2011. If not, Resolutions for All 7 Chakras and What’s on Your Stop-Doing List? may have something useful for you.

Thank you for reading this post and witnessing my 2011 intentions (as well as my struggles). Although it’s scary, I’ve heard that it helps to make your goals public so with that in mind, I’d love to hear what you want your 2011 to look like!

Do you have a New Year’s resolution, health plan or goal(s) you’d like to share?

It’s Christmas! As I write this post I’m doing some last minute baking but needed to take a break between all the sampling. Actually, all the sugar, bloating and sprinkles have inspired me to create a Christmas Smoothie! Here’s the recipe (if you dare) and holiday wishes from Live Lighter.

It’s weird, hard to layer (as you can tell by the photo below) but, surprisingly, tastes better than a sugar cookie! Actually, because I used vanilla protein powder and vanilla-flavoured almond milk, it tastes more like a vanilla cookie. But I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Before we get into the recipe…

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, whatever you’re doing, I’d like to wish you and yours a healthy, safe and (fairly) balanced holiday. :)

Are you ready for this smoothie recipe made from pomegranate seeds and spinach? I know, it sounds and looks not-so-hot but come on, you’ll thank me when it cleans you out from all the abundance of the seasonal festivities!

Christmas Smoothie

Makes: approximately 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pomegranate, seeds only
• 1.5 cups, packed fresh spinach, washed
• 1 apple, cored and de-seeded
• 1 cup almond milk, vanilla-flavoured
• 2 scoops protein powder, vanilla-flavoured
• 0.5 cup filtered water

Garnish: small candy cane

Preparation

1. Blend pomegranate seeds with a little water and pour into glass.
2. Pulse gently milk and protein powder. Pour into glass slowly, along the side of the glass to attempt layered effect.
3. Blend spinach, apple and a bit of water so that it’s somewhat smooth and thick but thin enough to pour. Gently pour into glass like you did the milk.
4. Enjoy!

Tip: For an easy way to de-seed the pomegranate, roll it on a counter several times. Use some pressure. You should hear the seeds pop as they give away from the rind.

Nutritional Information

Calories 287.8

Total Fat 4.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 234.3 mg
Potassium 1,362.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 41.7 g
Dietary Fiber 6.2 g
Sugars 25.7 g
Protein 26.7 g

Vitamin A 98.4 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 15.4 %
Vitamin C 42.7 %
Vitamin D 25.0 %
Vitamin E 59.4 %
Calcium 30.4 %
Copper 32.3 %
Folate 37.1 %
Iron 34.8 %
Magnesium 17.6 %
Manganese 42.8 %
Niacin 6.2 %
Pantothenic Acid     10.0 %
Phosphorus     29.9 %
Riboflavin 9.9 %
Selenium 2.6 %
Thiamin 9.5 %
Zinc 10.6 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Christmas is 2 days away and if you’re anything like me, you’ve already been celebrating the holiday season all month! As a great follow up post to How to Lose Weight Over the Holidays, guest blogger Michael Lewis gives us a list of the most calorie-laden foods this time of year.

Have you always wanted a Santa belly (as in, it jiggles when you laugh, like a bowlful of jelly)? Well, now’s your chance.

Not that you can’t stuff yourself with food every day of the year, but the holidays are well known as the time when people abandon all reason and inhale a gallery of consumable items that are brimming with fats, sugars, and everything we love.

Here are the top ten to help you expand your girth if such is your wont this holiday season (or to avoid if you’re looking for the opposite effect):

1. Artichoke dip. With a roster of ingredients that includes mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, you can bet that this sinfully delicious appetizer packs a wallop of fat and calories. But don’t worry; the cries of protest from your overtaxed arteries will be drowned out by your moans of pleasure.
2. Eggnog. Just one serving of eggnog contains over 300 calories and about 20 grams each of fat and sugar. Ouch. My heart hurts just thinking about it.
3. Alcohol. Yes, we all know that alcohol is high in calories (although red wine has been known to feature some heart-healthy benefits when consumed in moderation). The real trouble starts when you add alcohol to your favorite winter drinks. Peppermint (Schnapps) hot chocolate, hot buttered rum, and Ben and Jerry’s are all tasty, but they will do nothing to help your figure.
4. Deep fried turkey. Whoever invented this southern holiday classic should have just injected himself with fryer grease and saved the world a lot of heartache (literally). If you’ve never heard of it, it’s just what it sounds like. Are you shaking your head in disbelief? Do a search for “deep fried turkey explosion” and you’ll see just how much damage this crispy bird can do.
5. Turducken. This enhanced bird features three times the legs and three times the stuffing. If you’re wondering what the side effects of a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey (with attending layers of stuffing) could be, then take a long, hard look at John Madden. Bam!
6. Roast goose. While some people prefer this turkey alternative, it is laden with calories and fat. With over 700 calories per serving (almost 500 of which are attributed to fat), you’ll be feeling festively plump in no time.
7. Green bean casserole. It’s really not fair that a vegetable dish could be so heavy in fat, sodium and calories, but apparently, adding all that cream is bad for you. Luckily, there are plenty of substitutions that will make this side dish a little lighter.
8. Mashed potatoes. The real killer in this classic side dish comes in the form of added fat from butter, cream and gravy. Consider substitutions to take down the calorie count or opt for sweet potatoes instead. They have a similar amount of fat and calories, but way more nutrients to add balance to your diet. Just skip the sweet potato pie and its attendant butter and marshmallows.
9. Apple pie. Weighing in with about 500 calories per slice, this seemingly innocuous dessert is like a sucker punch to the gut (that keeps on giving). If you’re craving some cinnamon and apples, try baking them in the oven without the sugar and flaky pastry crust and cut the calories by a large margin.
10. Other desserts. The trouble with the cookies, cakes and candies that abound this season is not that they’re full of fat and sugar; it’s that you can’t eat just one! The abundance of treats tests your willpower day and night, and when you finally fall off the wagon, you might need a forklift to get back up again.

About the Author

Michael Lewis writes for tshirtprinting.net where you can design your own custom clothing at affordable prices.

I’d like to add ham as it’s about 300 calories per 6oz slice, high in cholesterol and very high in sodium. (Check out this cool holiday dinner calculator to help you manage your intake.) What fattening holiday food would you add to this list?