Gaining weight during the holidays is an expected seasonal hazard for many individuals. Holiday indulgences are everywhere, and fending off the temptations can be a serious discipline.

The countless rounds of holiday parties make weight maintenance at this time of year a must. Take in the following 8 strategies to greet the New Year without an expanded waistline.

1. Plan Eating and Exercise
Experts suggest creating a plan for eating and exercise, as well as a reminder system to ensure that you follow through. Put notes or pictures in strategic places where you'll be sure to see them.

2. Small Servings
You need not be deprived of the holiday treats that you're sure to be bombarded with during the holidays. The trick is to have just a little of everything. Portion control is key to minimize weight gain during the holidays.

3. Choose Your Treats
Before partying, plan ahead which holiday food you're going to indulge in. There'll be a lot of temptations like rich dishes, sweet treats, and extra drinks. Just choose wisely and enjoy it. 

4. Get Moving
Lack of activity and rich holiday food make the perfect combination for weight gain. Short 10 to 15 minute sessions of activity, like walking, shoveling snow, or lifting weights, three times a day works just as well as a 45 minute workout. Think of these as a way to combat holiday stress and to make up for the extra calories you consumed.

5. Take Control
You certainly cannot control the type of food at any event, but you can bring your discipline to the table. To fend off those urges and temptations, try these tips:

• Stay away from the buffet table.
• Wear form fitting clothes to remind you that you've eaten enough.
• Chew sugarless gum after you've finished eating.

6. Be Prepared
Don't go to an event hungry, thirsty, or tired. It sets you up for over-indulgence and poor judgment. Eat a healthy snack like whole grains, fresh fruit or low fat yogurt before hitting the event. In addition, thirst is often confused with hunger, so stay hydrated. 

7. Avoid Grazing
Often, we think that food eaten standing up or picked out from a tray doesn’t count, but it does. It is best to sit down and savor the food you've decided to enjoy rather than grazing continuously the whole time. Use a smaller plate if you want to control portions better. 

8. Limit Alcohol
Liquid calories are still calories. Besides, alcohol reduces willpower and can later stimulate appetite. Establish your limits and make you can stick with it.

You can avoid holiday weight gain if you really put your mind to it. Enjoy the delights of the season but stay committed to your weight maintenance plan.

If you suffer from chronic pain and are looking for relief, you may want to consider Somatics for healing. Somatics is a field of study that deals with the individual from the inside. For this, self awareness is a very important part of Somatics.

Somatics is a gentle, easy form of voluntary movements that can be done in 5 to 10 minutes each day. These are very simple movements that are similar to stretching, but are more breathing intensive and focus on the internal sensation one feels through different movements and postures.

A Bit About Somatics

Somatics for healing the body involves sensory motor training that relieves stress and reduces pain. It also encourages healing of many types of injuries. The sensory motor capacities of the body are at the core to Somatics. Our sensory motor functions can be controlled by learning a conscious voluntary way of movement, coupled with sensory awareness. Our reflexes are both sensory and motive but, in many cases, they have become involuntary. We automatically react to the stimulus, and that is an involuntary reaction. The goal of Somatics for healing is to teach us to be aware of and in control of our movement by voluntarily responding to our own sensory functions. As a result, we can achieve greater posture, health and well being.

Benefits of Somatics

A host of conditions are improved by Somatics. Engaging in Somatics for healing will give your body optimal flexibility and improved balance which, in of its self, is a major boost to your well being. In addition, Somatics can provide relief from pain caused by conditions such as stress, arthritis, brusitus, planter fasciitis, pulled tendons, sciatica, carpel tunnel syndrome and many other painful conditions.

Some of the other fantastic benefits of practicing Somatics for healing the body are the improvements found in breathing, better joint flexibility, and greater range of motion. Overall, this helps facilitate better posture which enables your body to function more efficiently. One may also find increased strength and coordination is also part of the great results of reconditioning your muscle control.

Discovering Somatics

The exercises of Somatics are based entirely on conventional neurophysiology. The movements are fun, smooth and easy to learn. There are classes available where you can learn and practice Somatics, or you can have individual lessons. If you would rather learn in the comfort of your own home, there are videos to be purchased that will take you through each movement step by step. Whichever way you choose to learn Somatics for healing, you will be retraining your muscles and mind to work together in a way that will provide optimal results.

If you suffer from chronic headaches, neck and shoulder pain, back pain, sciatica, tension and stress or any other similar conditions, it is worth your time to educate yourself about this unique practice that can and will provide so many benefits to your overall health and well being.

It’s that time of the year when you want a break from your routines. You are in a festive mood, and with a little vacation time, it’s difficult to maintain discipline. And with all the holiday temptations, finding time to exercise is even more essential.

How can you make the most of your healthy endeavors during the busy holiday season?

It is important to understand and accept that the holiday season makes it hard to stick to healthy food and a regular exercise program. While it is hard, it is definitely not impossible to find discipline and techniques to stay in shape and choose healthy food options wherever possible.

Below are 6 tips for a healthier holiday season

1. Combine exercise with family time on a holiday vacations. Go on a backpacking trip, skiing, sledding trip, or some kind of fun thing which involves physical activity with the family. Aside from exercise, your family gets quality time together with loved ones.
2. Bring to mind that poster or image of your favorite celebrity or aspiring icon whose sexy body that you dream to possess. Each time you see unhealthy foods, this will be a conscious reminder to stop yourself from going overboard.
3. Make few adjustments and find alternative physical activities to keep you fit. For example, The day you find yourself making excuses of avoiding your routine workouts, get creative with an at home exercise plan. You could do some jogging around the house, do stretching exercises or yoga, crunches and push-ups, or use a fitness DVD to do guided workouts to help you through.
4. If you go shopping, make a plan to walk as much as possible. This includes taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and parking your car far from the exit of the mall.
5. High sugar and high fat temptations will present themselves at almost every holiday season party. Consciously say aloud “no” each time you try to reach out for second helpings. This can help you fend off holiday weight gain.
6. Getting up an hour earlier than usual to exercise or go running is a great idea during the holiday season. Not only will this help you ignite your metabolism, but the feeling of an early morning accomplishment can leave your feeling great all day.

The busy holiday season is bound to be fought with temptations. There may be a slip between the lip and the mind, but don’t beat yourself up over it. It is alright to allow yourself to ‘cheat’ at times when you get a little slack. However what is most important is to have the right attitude towards your health, your diet, and your exercise program.

Do not give up if you falter on your diet or exercise temporarily. Stay positive. Be aware that if you do fall off the exercise bandwagon, there's no reason not to climb back aboard once your holidays are over.

As we live our busy lives, we often need to find a form of exercise that will help us un-wind. One of the most rejuvenating and good-health promoting activities is Yoga. 

Yoga is a perfect retreat for relaxation as well as physical benefit. By practicing yoga for health and relaxation, you are engaging technique to optimize your time and physical benefits while enjoying the mental and emotional relaxation that practicing yoga provides.

Better Self-Awareness Through Yoga

When practicing yoga for health benefits, you may realize many things about yourself, such as your degree of flexibility and strength. This may help you better understand bodily issues that you can focus and improve upon.

Also a self-awareness aspect of Yoga derives from the deep breathing involved with the practice. Beginner yogis can immediately start unlocking a much greater lung capacity upon a commencing a consistent Yoga practice.  More breathing means your body will better oxygenated, helping to nourish every cell in the body.

Yoga in Many Forms

There are many different styles or forms of Yoga. When deciding on the style of Yoga, it is important take into consideration what your ultimate goals are from your practice.

Some forms of Yoga are more relaxing and breathing intensive, such as Hatha or Restorative Yoga. On the other hand, some styles of Yoga are more aerobic with more movements and postural transitions, such as Vinyasa.

If you are getting into Yoga for health reasons, then the outlets may seem vast and overwhelming. You will want to talk to an experienced Yoga instructor about the various options. In addition, there are a number of different Yoga resources online that can help lead you in the right direction.

Whether you seeking ways to alleviate stress in your life, or simply want to explore a new road to better strength and flexibility, Yoga can be a solution for many things in life.

In the previous century, cases of obesity were uncommon and not many people suffered from obesity as compared today. Cases have rapidly increased and a lot of factors have contributed to this situation.

Obesity can cause pain and stress in many ways: physically, emotionally, financially, and socially. Although it is difficult to attribute factors of obesity to pain, there is scientific research that shows some correlation in being overweight and having to cope with certain stressors.

The Pain of Living With Obesity

The Scientific Research Society (SIGMA 11)¹ conducted a six month research on nine hundred children at seven different U.S. headache centers. They found that the more obese a kid is, the more he or she complained about headaches. Additionally, the Scientific Research Society discovered that the more a kid lost weight, the lesser he or she noted issues about headaches.

Also an issue with obese individuals is the pain linked to other physical stressors on the body. Carrying around extra weight is hard on limbs and joints, making them more receptive to injury. This is common turning point when people begin to realize their need to change their lifestyle.

Obesity can also bring emotional pain, and in more ways then one. Being overweight can not only affect the individual but to also the people close to him or her.

Emotional pain and social pain are directly related. Obese individuals typically have lower self-esteem and often times have a negative perception about themselves. This can directly affected one's social life, because the individual may be less outgoing and unwilling to socialize and mingle with peers.

Other than emotional, physical, or social pain, obesity can cause also induce financial pain. This may come in two forms: the financial pain associated with excess spending and consumption on food, as well as investing in medical intervention to treat obesity. Treating the medical condition alone is not cheap and may lead to additional medical cost down the road.

Pulling the Root of the Cause

So what causes obesity? There are two major influences that have contributed to this epidemic.

One of the most prominent causes of obesity is that food has become so available and cheap for certain societies, enabling behaviors of overconsumption. In addition, the marketing and promotion of such food is so overwhelming that individuals are further tempted (and misled) into eating poor quality food.

The second cause of obesity is the depreciating level of exercise many people get. With the convenience of automobiles and other forms of transportation, the simple act of walking has become a chore for many individuals.

The risks and negative effects of obesity should be clearly relayed to everybody, from the elderly to youngsters. And measures to counteract obesity should be laid out as simple as possible:

• Keep on moving - whether stretching, walking, running, or riding a bike, a body in motion is body burning calories
• Know when you're hungry - don't be so quick to eat. Eat only when you really feel an empty stomach, and trying drinking water first - hungry is often confused with thirst.
• Eat real food - most food that comes in a box has been process and manufactured. Start filling your shopping cart with the foods you love from the produce section.

If we can all keep these three points in mind, we can start to diminish the level of obesity that is plaguing our planet.

(citation¹"Obesity is a Headache." American Scientist 96.6 (2008): 465. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. - www.sigmaxi.org)