Thanksgiving starts off the month while Hallowe’en finishes it. And then along comes the December holiday season! This means lots of tempting sugar and fat laden food. Indulging in these treats is part of the joy of holidays but how does one cope with the excess on offer? Here are some tips:

• Keep active to balance the extra food you will likely consume during the holidays. Ideas: Go for a walk amongst the fall leaves; clean your home vigorously for guests.
• Keep your portion sizes small so that you can enjoy a bit of everything. Ideas: Have a sliver of pumpkin pie; have a fist size of mashed potatoes.
• Cooking the meal and baking the desserts yourself gives you control over the ingredients. There are numerous low-fat and low-sugar recipes out there. Google them and experiment for the holidays.  Ideas: Reduce sugar in recipes by one-third; substitute refined flour with whole grain.