• November Issue - International Travel. A Risk to your Health?

• How To Prepare a Healthy Christmas Dinner
• Relieving Stress during the Holidays
• Make Your Holiday a Healthy Holiday

There is an incredible range of holiday foods for you to enjoy, however it is important not to over indulge on the that are treats available during the holiday season. Eating junk food every once in a while isn’t a terrible thing, but there are alternative goods for Christmas that taste great and aren’t as bad for you. Eating healthy doesn't have to mean you have to skip desert and stuff yourself full with Brussels sprouts, it just means you need to make a few small adjustments to stay healthy while you enjoy your holidays. Here are some quick holiday tips:

1. Plenty of people like to have goose or duck for Christmas dinner; however, these have a much higher fat content than the traditional turkey. Roast your turkey on a rack so it doesn't bathe in fat as it cooks.

2. Cook your stuffing on a dish, not inside the bird. When buying stuffing mixes, make sure you check the ingredients. Some brands have unhealthy hydrogenated vegetable oils. Another way to go is to make your own stuffing; be sure to use smaller quantities of healthier fats in your recipes.

3. When you make gravy, be sure to skim off as much fat as possible from the juices in the pan. The best low fat Christmas dinner is slices of turkey breast meat only, without the skin. Dark meat is higher in fat and calories.

4. Make your bread sauce with skimmed milk and just add a small amount of butter to finish it off.

5. PUDDING! Who doesn’t love Christmas pudding? Make your pudding with healthier ingredients. It’s usually so rich that you can’t eat a lot of it at one time anyways. Be sure not to indulge too much in this Christmas delight, it may be one of the least healthy foods on your dinner menu.

6. Try to serve a healthier festive dessert. A fruit salad is a great and very healthy way to get away from all those bad desserts. Try having something on a tray that people can grab and snack on, preferably something other than chocolate.

So there you have it, some healthier recipes to make your holiday dinner a little less fattening.

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Amidst all of the happiness and festivities, many people find themselves lost. The truth is most adults find it very difficult to cope with all the stress the holidays bring. Although all the surroundings are bright and cheerful, the daunting task of pleasing family and friends remains.

Living up to expectations set by family and friends can be very hard. For people with strained relationships, family gatherings can get especially tense and awkward. However, you have to be easy on yourself and do what you can to enjoy the holidays. A good idea may be to invite everyone on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas day with a few people who you like to spend time with.

Just remember, nothing can be perfect, so don’t kill yourself trying to make it that way. Prioritize your list of things to do and work towards getting them done; start a whole month prior to the big day.

Christmas dinner is another looming task; depending on the number of people being invited there can be a lot of work that needs to be done. The best advice would be to take things slow and start well ahead of time. Don’t take up on the work alone. Ask family and friends for some help.

Despite all this, Christmas is a great time for families to reconnect and spend time with each other. From the moment you wake up on Christmas morning, have fun with it and enjoy every minute! Don’t worry about things being spotless and in their place. It’s okay!

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.” – Andy Rooney

With the family meeting up for the holidays, it is important to stay healthy. Follow these tips and you will improve your chances of keeping the cold and the flu away this season.

1. Watch your sugar intake!

As tempting as all the holiday treats are, it is very important to keep an eye on how much sugar you consume. Eating sugar increases body acidity; this invites bacteria and parasites and increases your chances of becoming sick.

2. Stay Hydrated!

It’s cold out there this season! Most of us are going to be in the house with the heat on, in our most comfortable sweaters and blankets, possibly sitting by the fire. With all of this, it is very easy to become dehydrated and not notice. Dehydration leads to headaches and puts a lot of work on the kidneys and glands. all of this leads to a lowered immune system.

3. Take your Vitamins

General vitamins like multi-vitamins keep the body healthy and will counter the effects of those bad meals and treats you will likely be eating. Vitamins containing Echinacea-C are good for getting rid of certain symptoms before they become worse

4. Try shopping from home

Watching your friends and family open gifts may be one of the best things about the holidays, it would be pretty unfortunate if you were sick and couldn’t fully enjoy it. Shopping on the Internet or through mail-order catalogues is a great way to keep away from the stress of shopping around hundreds of people in crowded malls, not to mention keeps you away from germs.

5. Sleep, Relax!

Lack of sleep leads to you being tired, which normally results in being irritable and becoming stressed. All of this can lower your immune system and increase your chances of becoming sick. Be sure to spend time with your family and not to take on too much at once; as you probably tell your family, you’re not Superman! (Or Wonder Woman). Over working yourself is a great way to lower your immune system and get yourself sick.