2 Tips To Keep Om Pals Feeling Fine This Holiday Season Weekend

Today's Elf of Health tip is a two-for, mostly because this little elf was a oui bit busy and neglected to post one yesterday. My apologies. It won't happen again. Here are two healthy thoughts to tide you over till tomorrow:

Tip 12: Observe the "Kitchen's Closed" rule. I'm convinced that holiday-inspired meals and functions are not the biggest detriment to staying fit and feeling energized during the season of merrymaking. Instead, I tend to think that it's the leftovers, gift baskets, baked goods, and countless candy bowls lurking around every corner that cumulatively chip away at all the good choices we otherwise make. Much of this idle nibbling occurs in the evening. How often do you find yourself making leisurely trips to the kitchen to further whittle away at that leftover casserole or graze yet another dollop of frosting off that wedge of cake? To help contain this aimless eating, I like to think of the kitchen (and, subsequently, my stomach) as having "Hours of Operation." For example, my kitchen "closes" at 10 p.m. each night. After that hour, I make sure my work is done there (i.e. nothing is in the oven, no dishes left to put away, no reasons for being in there, and the lights are off). For many, this hour might come earlier; however, I keep late hours and often do not eat dinner until 9 p.m. For me, 10 o'clock is realistic. I've never been a fan of dietary advice that advocates not eating after 6 o'clock. Who are these people, and in which century are they living? You'll find that once your body gets into a rhythm, it's far less inclined to keep noshing after its standard hours of operation. Bottom line: enjoy your indulgences but contain them, in quantity and frequency.

Tip 13: The holidays provide plenty of opportunities to get glamorous, look dapper, and sport your finest- from head to toe, which means your feet start to feel the effects. Kick off your sparkly stilettos, knee-high boots with the sky-high heels, and sharp-looking albeit stiff loafers, and try toes pose today. It's tough at first but one of the BEST poses to add to your regular repertoire as a way to maintain happy feet.