Food is an important part of many holidays, celebrations, and family and cultural traditions. In fact, special occasions often center around food. As a result, many people gain a little (or a lot of) weight between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
   What’s to blame? Perhaps it’s all the tempting treats available during the holiday season or the pressure from family, friends and co-workers to overeat. Maybe it’s the increased emotional eating (whether it be from holiday stress or holiday joy) or the extreme laxity with eating and physical activity regimens in anticipation for the strict “new diet and exercise plan” you’re going to start Jan. 1.
   Regardless of the reasons, it is not necessary to avoid holiday festivities in an attempt to maintain your weight. Consider these 10 tips for fully enjoying the holiday season without gaining weight!
1. Focus on weight maintenance vs. weight loss during the holidays. If you are currently over...

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Kids are more likely to gain weight during the summer. And this is especially true for children who are already overweight.
Kids have less structure during the summer, often staying up late and sleeping in, and don’t have regular mealtimes during the day. Staying up later means having more opportunities for snacking, and sleeping later in the day means losing opportunities to be active.
Without structure, kids can easily get bored and make extra trips to the refrigerator or freezer between meals. Being at home most of the day provides greater availability of snacks and more time to spend online, gaming, watching movies and other sedentary behaviors.
• Provide structured meal and snack times to prevent constant snacking.
• Keep in mind that summertime favorites such as hot dogs, ice cream, popsicles and the like should be eaten in moderation, not frequently throughout the week.
Provide structured activities to keep kids busy, such as:
• Art projects, ...

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In this hard economy we are all counting our pennies and trying to make sure we put them to good use.  That being said, there is no greater investment than your health and that comes with some pretty important questions that we all should be prepared to ask.  Whether you decide to invest in a trainer (which in and of itself is a serious decision) or decide to join a gym, you have every right to make sure you are getting your money’s worth while protecting your own safety in that decision.  
Here are the most important questions and suggested answers that you should consider.
1. What are your trainer’s/instructor’s qualifications? Every trainer should have a nationally accredited certification and CPR/First Aid and for gyms AED training.  If you are hiring privately, this information should be made available to you upon contract agreement. If you are signing up at a gym, this information should be publicly available and you definitely should check this o...

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American Council on Exercise (ACE) announced its research results for the top fitness trends for 2009 on Dec. 9.  While many of them are variations on old ideas, some of them are a reflection of society’s need for variety in fitness.
I bring to you the top fitness trends and a little explanation of each.  The overall theme for all of these activities seems to be getting the most out of your exercise time and/or getting the most out of your money.
 • Boot Camp-Style Workouts: This kind of workout remains popular because of its multi-functional design.  You not only get cardiovascular benefits, but you get the added component of strength training all while having fun doing a variety of exercises.  Your typical boot-camp class can burn up to 600 calories and sometimes more depending on the intensity level and design of the format.  Additionally, this kind of workout can be modified for a variety of fitness levels, so it appeals ...

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Every year the same thing takes place right around Jan. 1.  New Year’s resolutions are made and the gym is packed for about four weeks and then suddenly the numbers begin to dwindle and as January turns to February many of those “fitness resolutions” have been broken.  
I know many of you have already decided that “getting in shape” is your goal for 2009.  But have you really taken the time to reflect on what that means to you?  Deciding to “get in shape” is a great idea, but without specifics, then the goal is often blurry.  I would like to believe that for all of us there is a steppingstone to overall fitness. By this I mean a starting block, a hurdle to leap, a line to cross — you see where I am going with this?  Whatever has kept you from becoming the person you see in your mind’s eye should be taken care of first.  
If the last time you went to the doctor was in a prior decade, that is your steppingstone, GO and you will surely find ...

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Many of us have seen the old Food Guide Pyramid that takes you on a journey through eating that is sometimes difficult to follow. Many people simply don’t want to spend a lot of time measuring out their food based on ounces and whether or not it fits into the palm of their hand.  
The new food guidance system based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans by the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (2005) introduces us all to a new way to individualize programs and emphasizes weight control and the importance of physical activity.
Unlike the old Food Guide Pyramid, new recommendations are tailored to individual needs.  Introduced as “My Pyramid,” it has six major components:
1. Be Active.  The updated guidelines recommend physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week.  For weight maintenance 30-60 minutes per day is recommended, and for weight loss that number jumps to 60-90 minutes per day.
2. ...

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Getting motivated and staying motivated to exercise can be challenging for everyone from the average exerciser to the competitive athlete.  Since most people fall into the latter category, it seems that motivation is blocked by any number of excuses.  
After much exhaustive research (I asked some people at the gym), I heard the same thing over and over again: “I’m just not motivated.”  Furthermore, lack of motivation is encouraged as we create our own excuses to avoid physical activity.  “I can’t possibly exercise when my closet is such a mess!”
So where do we find that motivation?  We have all heard “dig deep” in reference to motivation, or set a goal, or find a friend to work out with, etc., and these are all wonderful ways to find motivation.  
But, what do you do when you are still more inclined to be sedentary than to be active?  I reference the tortoise in this circumstance, “slow and steady wins the race,” but this is a race t...

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