Avoid Weight Gain During The Holidays - 5 Easy Tips

If you're worried about gaining weight over the holidays you're not alone.

The average North American gains 7 to 12 pounds over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Follow these simple holiday diet tips and tricks and you'll avoid the holiday weight gain that afflicts so many other people:

#1 Drink Water - and Lots of It.

Boring I know - but the reason this tip stays around year after year is because it works. Adequate water intake keeps your metabolism humming along at a maximum rate and staves off hunger cravings as well.

In fact many people mistake thirst for hunger and end up eating to quench their thirst. This results in more calories than you body needs and - you guessed it - excess pounds.

Models and celebrities all know about the powerful slimming effects of drinking water which is why you often see them holding a bottle of water in their hands as they dash through airports or stand around at fashion shows.

#2 Increase Your Exercise A Little Bit Every Day

Everyone deserves to indulge in holiday treats. Part of the fun of the holiday season is the amazing treats that are only around at Christmas and/or Thanksgiving.

Accept the fact that you're going to indulge a bit - and then enjoy it! But make sure you make up for it elsewhere by increasing your exercise.

You don't have to double your exercise time or sweat till you fall off your treadmill. Just increase your exercise time a bit every day, maybe ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there. It all adds up.

You'll burn off those holiday treats and easily avoid extra weight gain. I have several girlfriends who have been doing this trick for years and they never gain a pound over the holidays (in fact they often lose a few!).

#3 Cut Back Where You Can At Other Meals

Did you know that the average number of calories consumed by one person during a typical Thanksgiving dinner is 7,100! That's about 2 pounds strictly in terms of calories alone.

But not to worry. All you have to do is make small calorie cutbacks at other meals the week before and you'll easily make up for the extra calories.

For example, instead a huge slice of pecan pie (which normally will run you about 500 calories) for desert, why not try some blueberries mixed with low fat yogurt? Instead of the bag of potato chips you usually indulge in for the big game, why not munch on air-popped, low fat popcorn?

You can save as much as 500 calories and you're still having a salty, satisfying snack.

Bottom line: cut back where you can in little ways. You won't miss the little sacrifices and you can then enjoy your holiday meals - guilt free!

#4 Eat What You Like - But Only A Few Bites

If you absolutely cannot imagine giving up any of your favorite treats this holiday season, give yourself permission to have a bite of everything - but only a bite!

I read somewhere that Jessica Simpson never denies herself any of her favorite foods - but she only allows herself one or two bites. And let's face it the first couple of bites are the best tasting anyways!

#5 Don't Eat After 7:00 pm

Experts tell us that the earlier in the day food is eaten, the more likely it is to be burned off. However when you eat late at night, this food is more likely to be stored as fat.

Celebrities like Oprah use this knowledge to their advantage and refuse to eat after a certain time like 7:00 p.m.

So if you know you absolutely must have a sweet indulgence during the day, try to have it before noon. Then towards the end of the day, snack on healthy, lower carb foods like salads, vegetable broth, fruits or lean protein.

This keeps your metabolism elevated but won't pack on the pounds. I've personally used this trick before every holiday Christmas party for 5 years running and it certainly helps for getting into those slinky Christmas party dresses!

So those are 5 diet tips to avoid holiday weight gain this year. Follow them and you're guaranteed to save yourself the stress of unwanted weight gain. Heck, you'll probably even lose a few pounds, all in time for New Year's Eve!

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What to Do When You Are Alone for the Holidays

Being alone for the holidays is a major challenge for many people. Holidays often conjure images of family, of warmth and the sharing of special time. Loneliness can be overwhelming when you have no one with whom to share holiday time.

Many people, however, miss the point of what holidays are really about and what makes them special. Holidays are not about what you GET ?they are about what you GIVE. Many people are under the misconception that the joy of holidays is about what you receive rather than about what you share. Our hearts get filled with love when we give and share love, rather than from getting love.

This may seem like a paradox. Many people spend their time with others attempting to get love, attention and approval, thinking that this is what makes them feel happy and worthy. But getting attention from others to fill ourselves is like eating chocolate when you are lonely ?it works for the moment but then you need more and more of it. Eventually it becomes an addiction.

What really fills the emptiness is the giving of love. If you are alone over the holidays, the question becomes, 揌ow can I give love in ways that will bring me joy??
Below are some suggestions for sharing your love and caring over the holidays:

* Gather toys from friends and store donations and bring them to children who would not otherwise have toys. You can find these children through schools, churches and various other organizations.

* Find a battered women抯 shelter in your area and help to create the holiday there ?preparing food, decorating the tree, and just spending time with them. Last year a friend of mine organized a number of her local markets to donate food over Christmas to the local shelter that housed mothers and their children who had left abusive husbands. She got to know the mothers and children and received great fulfillment in providing them with an abundant Christmas.

* Spend time with old people in nursing homes, especially those who have no family. Spending time caring about another lonely person will go a long way toward taking away your loneliness!

* Volunteer to help with serving food to the needy over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many churches and other charitable organizations welcome volunteers to help in food lines over the holidays.

* Locate a retreat center near you that has a special event over the holidays and share your time with other people who are also alone for the holidays. Last year a friend of mine, who had just left her husband and was alone for the first time with no family around her, went to a beautiful retreat center on the East Coast. Twenty people gathered there to share Thanksgiving together. There was a wonderful ceremony of gratitude that she said filled her heart, and she enjoyed sharing time with new people.

* Find a church, temple or 12-step group in your area that has special events for singles over the holidays. Go to these events with the intention of sharing your caring with others, which you can do just by being interested in listening to another person. We all love being listened to and understood, and all of us have the capacity to give this to another.

One of my all-time favorite movies is 揂 Christmas Carol,??the one starring Alistair Sim. I just love the scene on Christmas morning when Scrooge realizes that no time has passed and he has the opportunity to give. He feels such joy at the prospect of giving, that he can hardly stand it! He dances around and stands on his head and laughs and laughs with the joy of giving! In one night he went from being a miserable old man concerned only with getting, to a man now focused only on giving, and he became a joyful person.

While you might not have money to give, we all have caring to give. You have no idea how much you might enrich your own life as well as another person抯 life just by giving your time, your attention, your interest, your smile, your understanding. Whatever your life circumstances, you always have the opportunity to give your caring. You will discover that giving your caring to others, especially over the holidays, is a profound way of caring about yourself.

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Holidays that are loved by Russian women

Russian holidays are usually devided on national, state, professional and other holidays. The national celebrations, as a rule, have some special historical meaning. State holidays are dedicated to the events that have a social-political significance, and are held traditionally. Professional and other holidays usually are celebrated by separate categories of people.

There are about nine official holidays in Russian Federation, but only three of them are really popular, widely celebrated and absolutely loved by the population. They are: the New Year, 8 March, and the holy Easter. Russian women wait and thoroughly prepare for each of these holidays, when they can give presents and receive gifts from all of the close people and friends.

The New Year is the biggest and greatest holiday for the whole post-Soviet region.

It's considered to be one of the most bright and festive holidays of the year. People start getting ready for the celebrations at the beginning of December, while in cities bright lights and fur-trees begin to appear, creating the Christmas atmosphere and good mood. It is a time for great joy for family and friends and for discounts in shops, but yet hardly anyone thinks about its history.

The New Year holiday appeared in the ancient period. Originally, it wasn't celebrated in December, and in different countries New Year was held in different times. But one thing all the states had in common was that almost everywhere the New Year began in spring, symbolizing the rebirth of nature. In Russia, from 10th to 15th century the New Year began on the 1st of March. Only later, in 1699, Peter the First has proclaimed that the New Year would start on 1st of January. During this time, the Russian tradition of decorating fur-trees and wishing happiness and well-being began. Nevertheless, Peter the First said that the celebrations should be without alcohol and totally dedicated to children.

The main reason for starting the new year in March was because that was how things have been done since creation. At the end of 15th century, the Orthodox Church designated the 1st of September as the new year and the last time when it was celebrated on this date was in 1698, although there still exist some places, where according to the Orthodox Church, the 1st of September is the beginning of the new year, and the 1st of January is just a civil holiday.

Peter the First抯 goal in changing the date of the new year to the 1st of January was to align the Russian calendar with those of the countries in Europe. Right after the original New Year there comes another celebration for the CIS people, called the Old New Year, which takes place on night from 13th to 14th of January. Even here, in CIS, many people don抰 know the real reason why they still celebrate the Old New Year. They just do it because of the tradition and because there is a common belief that on this day you抳e got to say good bye to the year that has passed, and try to remember your lucks in unlucks, preparing to live the new year that you already welcomed in the best way you can. However, the real reason why people celebrate it is because very long ago, the Orthodox Church has refused to accept the new style calendar based on Julian calendar.

Another holiday celebrated in Russia, Ukraine and all the neighbouring CIS countries is March 8th. It抯 an important holiday because it is dedicated to ladies! On the Former Soviet Union territory the 8th of March is considered to be an International Women抯 Day. Here, people devote this holiday to the whole female population of the world. Annually, this bright date involves everyone and keeps everybody busy in the country of Russia! On this day the Russian brides feel themselves as the queens, accepting greetings and gifts from their fathers, brothers, nephews, boyfriends and husbands. And all the men are also very happy on this day, because it抯 a real chance for them to show all their care and love to ladies.

Historically, this holiday is a day of women抯 solidarity in the battle for economic, social and political equal rights. The decision on annual celebration of International Women抯 day in every country of the world was accepted in 1910 on the International conference of female socialists in Copenhagen. First of all, it was provided in the row of European countries in 1911 and then, in 1913 in Russia. Nevertheless, the tradition of celebrating this event was only kept in the Soviet Union and still is widely celebrated in this area.

On the 8th of March guys give flowers to all the women they know. What kind of presents they usually make depends on how much close the woman is for them. Traditionally, they give tulips for ladies, so as it symbolizes the beginning of spring, something new and vivid. When talking about their sweethearts, men try to be as much generous as possible, because every lady wants to feel herself very special on this day that is especially dedicated to her.

Another warm, bright and joyful holiday celebrated here is the Easter. This lovely and delightful holiday of the ancient religious tradition is usually held in April or May. Everybody colour eggs, bake Easter cakes and congratulate each other at this time, saying: 揅hrist has arisen!? On Easter people usually visit their relatives, friends, neighbours and treat one another with beautifully painted eggs, lush baking and pastry.

An interesting 揾oliday fact?has been recently published by a local organization called 揊reedom Foundation? The most popular holiday in Ukraine is the New Year - 92) as by women (64, then goes Orthodox Christmas (held on the 7th of January ) ?58.

Other holidays that are also really loved here, came from the European culture ?they are the Saint Valentine抯 Day and Halloween. Those two are considered to be as fashionable and widely spread among the younger generations, so as entered this culture not so long ago.

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Holiday's Best Selling Toys

This holiday season has sent parents in droves to find the ideal gifts for their sons and daughters. So, what is it that your children are dying to have?

One of the biggest sellers this year is anything to do with Stars Wars! With the release of the final prequel on DVD, children are prepared to fight the dark side with lightsabers, action figures, and Darth Vadar voice changing masks. For boys and girls alike, this is a guaranteed pleaser.

Also making an appearance on Christmas lists this year are the dolls and accessories from the movie, "Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus". Mattel Entertainment manages to perfectly time the release of their Barbie series movies every year to play in perfectly with the holiday season. This year has been no different. Little girls everywhere will be waking up to Princess Annika and her flying horse.

For younger children, Fisher-Price's Tumble Time Tigger is a must for this holiday season. This loveable Winnie the Pooh character does cartwheels, stands on his head, and dances. He is also sound-activated, so he will keep going with your child's laughter and clapping.

BRATZ dolls are also big with girls this year. Not only do they have the regular line, but the secondary line of BRATZ Big Babyz is a new twist on an already popular trend. However, some parents are resisting their daughters' pleas, as these dolls are known for their scantily designed clothes and controversial trade name.

If you remember the hysteria over Tickle Me Elmo a few years ago (like anyone can forget), then it should be of no surprise that Elmo is big again this year with the "Shout!" Dancing Elmo Doll. This adorable Sesame Street native is getting kids moving with his rendition of "Make Me Wanna Shout!" and a dance to go along with it. No one can resist such a cute little monster!

Aquadoodle is another ingenious gift idea by Spinmasters. This is a large pad that allows children to draw with a "magic" pen filled with water, which disappears in a short time. Therefore, there is no mess to clean up and this pen will not end up decorating your walls.

VTech V.Smile TV Learning System is an answer to the video game craze, but is targeted more toward education. These games teach children from ages 3-7 math skills, English, reasoning, and science and plug directly into your television for convenience.

The various LeapFrog Learning products are also an option for making learning fun. With several choices to focus on different age levels and information categories, you can find exactly what will be most beneficial for your child. You can choose laptops, reading systems, or math games to give the gift of knowledge this holiday season.

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Holidays, time of sea and comfort

Sand and crystal clear water whether our holiday is on our coasts in Italy or we are among the lucky few who reach beautiful island for a fabulous stay, certainly not want disfigure in terms of clothing.

So to spend hours lying to sunbathe between a dip and another, the choice of new costume must follow the new fashion trends beach becomes obliged. For a woman we find new bikini lines by strong colours, to create a "rainbow" on the beach, flanked by modern semi-one-pice costumes that play to see and not to see until to come to the simple clothes with tight strep, with necklines on the back to wear even for walks or evening to fully enjoy the sea breeze.

Even for a man strong colours for the costumes tand shorts by sea for all tastes, Hawaiian patterns beaches that attract foreign but also more sober colors for lovers of classical style.

There is the known pareo, convenient for her but also used by him, perhaps in dyed with the costume, the garment is becoming faster and convenient for the beach and other.

The desire for sea and want to stay comfortable, even when walking and then how not to use simple flip-flop, comfortable even on the shore of the beach but very appreciated also to walk in the streets of the city, from the most Spartan, rubber and plastic until most elegant, perfect for the evening, with rhinestones, finishing in silver and gold, together with light summer dress, complete the dress perfectly.

Convenient since the departure until the arrival on the beach and practice even during our shopping in the city centre, can not miss the bag, our hand luggage that gives us the air a little 'nomadic and chic that contains everything that we need in an entire day, from morning to evening;

When we are lying on the beach and want a nice cushion enough to fill a little 'and the canvas bag will also practice in this!

The fashion this year really satisfied anyone and who don't love the flip-flop also in the evening, but doesn't want hight-helled sandals and doesn't love the wedge-helled shose, these are the sandals by metallic style the flt sandals are the accessory most used in this summer. Many models for the convenience of all, the important thing is these are sparkling like gold and silver.

So feel like holiday and siutable dresses and this year the offer satisfied all from accessories, such as glasses, perhaps with ebony and ivory frame that recall a precious style , to the simplicity colored flip-flop in rubber appreciated even by ' man for their comfort.

Towels with a thousand colors to sunbathe in joy but also lighter clothes and elegant evening for evenings outdoors. For the holiday of her and him the choice for comfortable clothes, simple and summer sure is much.

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Alone for the Holidays?

Being alone is a challenge for many people. This challenge may loom especially large during the holidays if you are single or newly divorced and without family around you. Holidays are a time to share love, and many people end up feeling depressed when they do not have people around with whom to share love. If you are in this situation, what can you do to make the holidays joyous rather than depressing?

The key phrase here is SHARE LOVE. Too often people think in terms of getting love rather than giving and sharing their love. They don抰 realize that it is the act of giving their love that is so very fulfilling.

Gail had grown up very lonely in an emotionally distant family, with parents who did not freely give their love and relatives who were also cold and distant. She had married an emotionally distant man, and after 7 years of more loneliness, had decided to leave him. This was her first holiday season alone.

Gail decided that she was not going to be alone and lonely again this holiday season. She did some research on service agencies that needed volunteers and discovered a women抯 shelter in her area for women and their children who were hiding from physically abusive husbands. The shelter was badly in need of funds for food, which Gail didn抰 have. What she did have was the time to help gather food. Each day, after her job as a secretary, Gail went around to the markets in her area until she found some willing to donate Thanksgiving dinners for the mothers and their children. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, she spent her time at the shelter cooking, decorating, serving, and having Thanksgiving dinner with these brave women who had left their abusive husbands to save themselves and their children. It was the best Thanksgiving she ever had! By choosing to share her love with people who needed her, she felt filled with love.

Gail had such a fulfilling experience that she found a small part-time job in addition to her regular job so that she could afford to buy presents for the children at the shelter for Christmas. She had such fun buying presents for the children and watching their joyous little faces as they opened them on Christmas day! Gail felt anything but alone and lonely.

Gary was in a similar situation to Gail. He was single, had been an only child to parents who were no longer alive, and had no close relatives. His janitorial business did not give him much opportunity to make friends. Gary had spent many lonely holidays feeling isolated and depressed, and decided a few years ago to do something about it.

Gary loved animals. As a child, his dog had been his main connection with love. After some research, Gary discovered that there was a wonderful animal shelter within a half-hour of his home ?a shelter that loved and cared for animals and didn抰 euthanize them. Gary started to volunteer one day a week on the weekends ?cleaning, feeding, playing with puppies and kittens, helping to interview people who wanted to adopt a pet, and getting to know the other volunteers. He found that he really connected with the people who volunteered there. Many of them were loving people who were deeply devoted to caring for animals. As his friendships developed, he found he had a new sense of family centered around the shelter. Thanksgiving and Christmas were now sometimes spent with the other volunteers who did not have families, and sometimes with the families of some of the volunteers. Gary抯 life had become full and fulfilling. The last I heard, he was dating a woman who also volunteered at the animal shelter.

No matter what your life situation is, you can always share your love with others. Instead of feeling alone and lonely this holiday season, open your heart to giving. There are many people and animals out there who would welcome your love.

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Holidays Screensavers - How To Select Best Free Holidays Screensavers?

Holidays and screensavers make a great combination. Holidays are important because they change our mood. The most busy and depressed of us become happy and energetic during holidays. Watch the faces during Christmas, Halloween, thanksgiving and other holidays. You will find a distinct glow and smile. The hearts are full of love and giving. The anxieties and envies are forgotten for a day.

Holiday screensavers designed for specific holidays add to this mood by providing us the visuals. Please remember that most of us are visual persons. Words don't affect them much, but a visual does. A drawing of Santa makes more difference to visual people than a paragraph about Christmas. For such visual persons, Holidays screensavers are a great boon.

Today, on a very good website, you get free holidays screensavers. Download as many as you wish. Holidays or no holidays, watch them any time and any day and you will feel a change in your mood. The holidays screensavers are normally made for holidays such as- 4th July, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Memorial Day, New Year, Patriot Day, Rosh Hashanah, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Valentines Day etc.

Download screensavers that are good looking, have bright colors, with low file weight, easy to install and uninstall, with music and good to look at. Download free holiday screensavers and enjoy a holiday everyday on your computer desktop.

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