Alright, there are only 4 days until New Year’s Eve (if you include NYE) and believe it or not you still have time to get into that little black dress. When you are wearing a little black dress you want to accentuate those features that are going to be most noticeable in the dress — shoulders, arms, butt, and calves. These also tend to be a woman’s best features, after her personality of course. A friend of mine who is a personal trainer told me that the most amazing feature on a woman is her shoulders and women should tone them more. Naturally, I took his advice and began focusing on my shoulders when doing my strength training. He was right, of course. Nicely toned shoulders can really make you look sleek and fit.

There are many things you can do to ensure that you feel good when you put on that L.B.D.

Eat less calories, high-fat and high sugar foods. No more leftover pound cake from Christmas and eggnog. Drink nothing but water and eat lots of veggies and fish for the next few days. This light “detox” will probably do you some good from all the high caloric and sugary foods you have eaten this holiday season. Stay away from foods that will make you bloated like broccoli. This will help your tummy look less full.

A little exercise should be involved. While you may not see the results in 4 days that you would see in 4 months, exercise will at the very least give you some extra energy. Plus, your upper body can tone up fast and working out can put you in a good mood. Here are my favorite exercises for those features most noticeable in a L.B.D.

Shoulder Press - Hold your dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Slowly push them straight up until arms are almost fully extended, pause, and return to start. Do three sets of 20.

Lunges – This is great for thighs and butt. Put your hands on hips, take a big step, bending the forward knee. Then take another step. Make sure that your upper body is straight and not leaning forward because this can hurt your back. Go for 20 yards and do 2 sets of 10 on each leg.

Squats - This exercise will tone the heck out of your butt!! The movement is like sitting in a chair with feet shoulder distance apart; make sure to keep your knees behind your toes. Do three sets of 20.

Calve Raises - Basically stand on your tippy-toes and pause at the top for one second. Do three sets of 20. There is nothing like some great calves in 3” strappy heels.

Triceps kickbacks (my ultimate favorite) - Lean forward, back straight. With elbows bent and tight to the body, hold dumbbells facing inward. Without moving the upper arm, extend the arm fully, pause and return to start. Do three sets of 20. Tip: Do this exercise in front of a mirror to ensure your back is kept straight. You do not want to strain your back.

Bicep curls – Put your arms at your sides, hold dumbbells facing frontward. Raise them to shoulder height. Pause and return to start. Do three sets of 20.

Practice your posture. As someone who stands 5’11” I have to be very conscious that I do not slouch. Make a conscious effort to stand and walk straight/upright. Also, when you do this it exudes confidence and self-assurance. Remember, you are in your L.B.D and confidence is your middle name!

If you are feeling self-conscious about your pouch or muffin top, go for the body slimmer/shaper . Love, love, love these wonderful little assets to our wardrobe underneath. Any body slimmer/shaper will do, but I prefer the all in one with the boy shorts (Spanx has a good one). Some have removable straps if you are going strapless. Slip it on and presto — instant flat stomach and less love handles!

Sparkle a little! Add a little glow to your skin and those noticeable body parts. There are a lot of body lotions that have the shimmer or gold flakes in them that can give your body that extra little touch. I love these because it really does give you a subtle shimmer. Everyone will be telling you all night what an amazing glow you have.

Last but not least, go in knowing you are going to have a great time and that you look good! Nothing trumps a positive attitude. If you do all of these things or even a few, I guarantee you will look and feel good in your L.B.D. or whatever you choose to wear on New Year’s Eve.

What a wondeful day to be with family, friends and other loved ones. I hope that you take the time to enjoy all of the people in your life, as we end another year and move into the next. The only tip I have for you today that is sure to be good for your health, is to love others, love yourself and allow yourself to be loved! Well, you may be saying “that’s easy.” But, for many people it’s easier said than done and it’s not always that easy. It is especially difficult to show love to those you may not be so happy with right now. But that’s why the holidays are so wonderful, it’s a time for renewal and blessings. Forgive that person, tell them you love them and begin planning all of the great things you will do together in the New Year. You never know, you may be that person for someone else who may be trying to forgive you. So keep that in my mind if you are feeling a little stubborn about forgivness. Because really in the grand scheme of things, life is too short and tomorrow is never promised.

Merry, merry Christmas from SavvyHealthGirl!! May you continue to have a healthy and wonderful day filled with love, laughter and smiles.

NOTE: Remember, eat and drink in moderation! =)

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.”
–Winston Churchill

The Christmas/Holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year! I have so many fond memories of this holiday. But what I enjoy most about this time of year is the holiday spirit felt by so many of us, who are eager to give to others in need. Sure, giving back is done throughout the year, but there is just something about the holidays that stirs even the most unlikeliest person to donate to a toy dirve. Growing up, my parents instilled the value of giving back. Whether it was as a candy striper in a hospital, serving food at soup kitchens or donating to clothing drives, I was expected to give back in some way. It soon became second nature and very enjoyable.

While I have sponsored many children at Christmas over the years, I truly prefer giving my actual time. This really warms my heart and soul. So needless to say, I was so excited to find out that as part of our holiday celebration, my co-workers and I would be donating four hours of our time. We spent this time at Food and Friends in Washington, DC, a non-profit that began in 1988 by serving meals to individuals who were living with AIDS. Now the organization serves these individuals, as well as those living with cancer and other chronic diseases. It is something I haven’t done in a very long time and forgot how good it felt. But it also puts life into perspective when you are standing in a hair net and packing meals for people who aren’t able to leave their house because of an illness. Who have special meals prepared ranging from pureed (which probably means they have a feeding tube) to diabetic and whose health depends on these meals. Knowing that what you have done will have such an impact on the lives of others is an amazing feeling.

I don’t need to point to a study to tell you that doing a selfless act, like volunteering your time is good for your health, heart and soul. Doing something for others just makes you feel good and personally I think this can also add years to your life. Look how long Mother Theresa lived. I encourage you and your family to take some time this holiday season to volunteer. It is definitely a health benefit for the entire family by being in an environment where there is an opportunity to bond, share and promote family values. Plus, putting a smile on someone’s face and hearing their heart-felt “thank yous” is priceless.

We often get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, that we sometimes forget about this aspect of the holday. Take a moment to think of how you can improve your own health by doing something to improve the health and wellness of others. It doesn’t take much to do this, except a little bit of your time and a phone call or email to your place of choice. If you are not sure where to start, begin by calling your place of worship and inquiring about what volunteer efforts are available (This is where I got my start). Do a search for homeless shelters, non-profit organizations, hospitals, women’s shelters or assisted living homes for seniors. A great place to get information is at Volunteer Match. They have everything you need to know about volunteering. If you feel compelled to share how you and your family volunteer during the holidays, I would love to hear about it.

I cannot even begin to describe how tired I am! Why is it that right before the holidays or before you go on vacation, everything seems to hit the fan? At work, everything is urgent and must be done now. Deadlines take on a new meaning and Murphy’s Law seems to occur more than it should. To top it off, your holiday shopping has been put on the back burner and now you must wrestle with the other crazy people in stores and malls…5 days before Christmas. I really should have done all of my shopping online weeks ago, but naturally that would have been too much like right and not very exciting. Losing my mind and stressing out is so much more fun!

If you are going to risk your sanity (like I did) and step into the last-minute, holiday shopping madeness over the next few days, I have a few survival tips for you:

Wear light layers of clothing. There is nothing worse than having on the big puffy coat, a pashmina, a cashmere sweater, tights and wool pants while hitting 5 stores to find just the right color of red in a sweater for your mother. You will overheat, you will sweat, and you will begin to feel faint. Trust me I know. This will cause strangers to stare as you crazily rip off your clothes in the middle of the mall. Don’t worry mall security won’t bother you, they have fights to break up over who saw the last Nintendo Wii on the shelf first.

Eat something, preferably something healthy, before you begin shopping. I made the mistake tonight and didn’t eat until afterwards. Cranky and indecisiveness reached an entirely new level. I must have stayed in the Gap for an hour trying to decide between a t-shirt or sweater for my nephew. You just can’t think straight when you haven’t eaten! Especially after you burned everything off from a long day at work. There’s generally not much fuel left for shopping. This also prevents you from stalking the Mrs. Field’s cookie kiosk and eating empty calories.

Wear comfortable shoes. Again, I made the mistake of wearing cute boots which I had been in for 12 hours by the time shopping began. When I reached one of my girlfriends for dinner, she asked what I wanted to order and I said “New feet please!” I swear pedicurists and podiatrists must make a killing this time of the year because they know none of us are wearing good shoes while shopping. Comfy shoes can help eliminate foot cramps, bunions, corns and stress in your feet.

Go around 2 p.m. on a week day. I prefer to do my holiday shopping at this time because I know the lunch crowd is gone and I can move a bit easier through the stores. Plus, the stores have begun restocking and straigtening items as a result of the lunch rush. This way things look a little less picked over or like the bottom of the barrel. I can also take my time and relax without worrying that someone is going to grab something from right under me.

Go online first. Since you are going last minute, you may want to have an idea of what you are looking for so you aren’t shopping all day. If you know the particular store you want to go to, take a visit to the website and see what they have on sale, in colors and types. Know that some stores may carry items on their website that they may no longer have in the store or vice versa. So please don’t argue with the sales associate (who already has blood shot eyes and it’s only noon) about false advertisement because you can’t find the light green, INC sweater that was on the website. Just think, at the very least you save on time in the event they do or don’t have what you want. This will also reduce your stress level as you attempt to get these last minute items. (Check out yesterday’s post on Stress and Meditation).

Good luck!

Here is a treat from my friend and my first guest blogger Pastry Girl. I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.

Season’s eating from Pastry Girl of Pastry Girl Confections!

When you think of the holidays what comes to mind? The snow? Time with family and friends? The gifts? The food? For me it has always been the food. I remember being a little girl and waking up very early on Christmas day, running down the stairs and seeing what Santa left me. I did not look at the stockings full of treats, the presents under the tree or the tons of unwrapped presents on the couch (Santa always left unwrapped presents-usually the big items, i.e the bike, the kitchen set and the Barbie dream house and travel van). But what I loved most were all of the sweets on the table, which always had a beautiful, holiday tablecloth (not sure where Santa got that this). There was more fruit than a fruit market — apples, oranges, grapes, tangerines, bananas and clementine’s. Next to the fruit were nuts, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and some type of nut that I still don’t know the name. But the best goodies on the table were the chocolates, there were M&M’s, holiday wrapped KISSES, Snickers, Hershey Bars and some type of cookie and/or brownie.

Every holiday should hold a special memory and some good food. Here is a ”HEALTHY” Brownie recipe that everyone, even those family members and friends who are diabetic, can eat.

Espresso Brownies

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Meals on the Move: Rush Hour Recipes by by Holly Clegg, a Trim & Terrific (TM) cookbook.

These rich chocolate brownies are one of my very favorites. Serve with raspberries of strawberries for a true delight.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon instant espresso coffee
1/3 C cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Makes 25 Brownies
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×9x2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the margarine, sugar, egg, egg white and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Per Brownie:
103 Cal; 5 g Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 14 g Carb; 9 mg Cholesterol; 64 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber

Exchanges:
1 Other Carb; 1 Fat

Keep a look out for yummier but a little more fattening recipes from Pastry Girl of Pastry Girl Confections. Happy Holidays - Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa!

If you had more than your share of cocktails last night, recovery is always challenging. This is especially true when you are in your 30s and 40s. Recovery takes so much longer than when you were in your 20s. I would like to share a few things that I do to recover the next day:

Drink nothing but water all day. If I feel I over did it on the sugary cocktails, I try to hydrate myself and eliminate as much sugar as I can the next day. No sodas, no juice, no alcohol, no sweets – JUST WATER! (Tip: Drinking lots of water in between cocktails helps too).

Get a workout in. It really does help me feel better to sweat out some of those toxins I put in my body the night before. Plus I just feel less guilty by trying to work off some of the calories I consumed. Top off your workout with a high protein meal to help your body recover from the workout.

Eat lots of good stuff – veggies, protein, and lean meats. This of course is my choice of food and doesn’t have to be yours. Okay, I may sneak in some french fries along with the salad. Some may turn to greasy foods to recover from a night of too much alcohol. There is some scientific evidence that supports this is actually good for you since high fatty foods slow down the absorption of alcohol. So eating the greasy food before you drink may prove to be better than afterwards.

Sleep! I really try to get my full 7-8 hours of sleep if I can, but often alcohol can cause for a restless night. So if are able to, take a quick nap the next day to recharge. This of course only works if you don’t have to work the next day (although I am known to take a quick snooze at my desk) or have children to take care of. As one of my girlfriends says, “There is no such thing as sleeping late after a night with the girls, when you have a 3 - and 7-year old who want breakfast at 6 a.m…on a Saturday!” So mommies, I say try to play the quiet game with your little ones for about 20 minutes and see if you can sneak in an afternoon nap! Popping in the Shrek 3 DVD will probably work too.

Well it is officially that time of the year — holiday party time!! That’s right, the time to mingle with co-workers and clients, show-off your new significant other, and schmooze your boss for that Christmas/end of the year bonus. But, what people tend to love most about holiday parties is that there is generally great food and an open bar. Who can resist the all-you-can eat shrimp cocktail station, delectable mini crab cakes, or the pomegranate martinis? Maybe we can’t, but maybe we should. When it comes to eating and drinking at the party, the sky is NOT the limit. Just because the invitation says open bar, doesn’t mean YOU are in charge of keeping it open all night. Remember, everything should be done in moderation. What’s in your favorite holiday drink may have you busting out of that cute little cocktail dress by the end of the party! What you may not know is that so many of the cocktails contain tons of calories and sugar. Some have more than your favorite scoop of ice cream. Of course, we all know that too much alcohol has proven to have harmful effects on our health. Now, I would be a hypocrite if I said don’t drink at all, but what I am saying is be aware of what you are putting in your body. Don’t overdo it this year by adding too many extra, extra calories to your diet. Trust me, I will be taking my own advice.

So what’s in your favorite holiday drink?
Apple Martini: 235 calories, 11.5 sugar, 11.6g carbs
Martini: 185 calories, 1g carbs
Champagne: 182 calories, 5g carbs
Margarita: 408 calories, 25g carbs
Mojito: 180 calories, 22g carbs

For you non-alcoholic drinkers:
Hot Chocolate: 320 calories, 38g carbs, 16g fat
Eggnog (w/o liquor): 343 calories, 21.4g sugar, 34.4g carbs,19 g fat
Peppermint Mochas: 470 calories, 61 g carbs, 22 g fat

Check out Newsweek and Health Magazine for some of the latest reports on the effect of alcohol on women’s health. There are several studies that indicate alcohol can be more harmful to a woman’s body than a man’s, while some say that moderate drinking is actually good for your health. There are even studies that show the occasional glass of red wine can have health benefits like reducing your risk of heart disease, dementia, and some cancers. Although, the benefits of drinking wine were seen more in women over 55 than younger women. But the key word here is “occasional.” We often make the mistake of thinking that drinking wine is better than drinking hard liquor or beer, but alcohol is alcohol. Wine should be drunk in moderation, just like any other alcoholic beverage.

Naturally, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon, then you shouldn’t be drinking at all. Alcohol can have detrimental effects on the fetus and can result in birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome. Even the French, who have been known not to discourage women from having the occasional glass of wine during pregnancy, are placing warning labels on wine and alcohol for pregnant women.

Now, we all know that too many cocktails are just not a good idea. Think about how you feel at the end of the night – sluggish, dehydrated, and maybe a little nauseous. In the morning, you probably don’t feel that much better. More than likely you have a bad headache and are moving a bit slow. So, as you hit the next holiday party or go out with friends to toast to the season and the New Year, remember your health and keep everything in moderation! Salud!

Congrats, you survived TG! Hopefully you followed my tips on Wednesday and didn’t have to let out any pants or fall into a food induced coma after dinner. But most of all I hope you enjoyed your time with family and friends as you broke bread. Well, now that the leftover turkey has been turned into soup, salad, or sandwiches; TG officially ends and thus marks the beginning of the Christkwanannakuh season. (That’s my meshing of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hannakuh). Now begins the real work! Over the next 40 days, our faith will be tested at home, in the malls and at the office. We will soon be inhaling the delicious smells of freshly baked cakes, cookies, pies, holiday bread pudding, and the list goes on. From holiday cocktail parties to new year’s celebration, we may be overwhelmed by decadence. Crab dip with crostini always looks and tastes better than cold veggies on a platter; even with the buttermilk ranch dip. Ahh the decisions we will soon be faced with in the very near future. To help us through this, I will post Savvy Holiday Survival Tips until the new year. I welcome your suggestions for tips and topics.

Here is your first tip as you embark on the mall tomorrow for more of those post TG sales — So you need a snack in between store-hopping, go for the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, instead of the reduced-fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake from Starbucks. The coffee cake has 330 calories, 4 grams of protein and 40 grams of sugar, and the pretzel has 450 calories, 26 grams of sugar and 8 grams of protein. In this case you are better off being more energized with the pretzel and eating less processed sugar. If you want to be really good, opt for the plain whole wheat pretzel, no salt, no butter. It has only 10 grams of sugar and 11 grams of protein! This is truly your better option. Happy bargain hunting!

So it’s the day before Thanksgiving and my plan was to go and workout at 6:00 a.m. but that didn’t exactly go as planned. As a matter of fact I never made it to the gym. But as a replacement I did walk up all of the escalator stairs when I got off the train this morning. In 3″ heels! Hey, that has to count for something. I am trying to get in some extra activity today, as Turkey Day quickly approaches. I am also trying to keep in perspective what I will eat tomorrow. If you are really trying to be healthy, have you ever really thought how hard that it is to do, the day before a feast? To consciously remind yourself not to overindulge on the yummy food that is going to be placed in front of you? The candied yams/sweet potatoes, collard greens, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, macaroni and cheese (my ultimate favorite) and oh we must not forget Grandma’s homemade rolls dripping with butter!! Oh now you all know that is so hard to do!! But we know it can be done. Right? I can’t hear you! That’s better. So what do we do? How do we resist the temptation of overindulging and still enjoy? Well, I am not a physician nor a nutritionist, but my expertise is in health. I would like to share my personal tips for Turkey Day or any feast. Don’t worry I am going to keep it real!

· Eat breakfast and make sure it has a good amount of protein. This is good for everyone, but especially if you have an early meal time. This will help you curb the desire to eat more than you should because you haven’t starved yourself. So often, we think we have to save up for the big feast and won’t eat anything all day. So not a good idea. All it’s doing is keeping you hungry, low on energy and cranky because you didn’t eat. Who is going to want to sit next to you during dinner?

· Have a couple of small meals/snacks if you are having a late afternoon meal. Again, it will prevent you from going crazy when the mashed potatoes and gravy hit the table. An apple with peanut butter or even a sandwich with some of that freshly carved turkey will keep you satiated until dinner time. That is, if you are allowed to have some of the turkey.

· Attempt to burn some extra calories while waiting for the feast. Go for a walk with a loved one and catch up since they may only be in town for a few days. This a great time for fellowship and to be active as a family.

· Ready to eat? Start slowly and take small portions of food. Remember the saying ” Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?” Keep that in mind. There is nothing wrong with tasting everything, just keep it in moderation. Use a small plate if it will help you from piling food on. You will be surprised how content you will feel and how great it will be not to have that overstuffed feeling. You know kind of like a stuffed turkey! Then you won’t feel so guilty about having that slice of sweet potato pie!

- If all else fails and you get caught up in the wonderful display and aroma of all of the food and lose your mind. Not to worry, there is only one thing to do, put your fork down and . . . STEP AWAY FROM THE TABLE!!! Breathe, rub your ears and say Woosahh! Then try making your plate again with about 3 scoops less of the mac and cheese.

The bottom line is, it’s okay to indulge a little, just don’t over do it. Thanksgiving is about fellowship, gratitude and sharing. And there is something about food, really good food and preparing food that brings all of these together. So enjoy the day in a healthy way!