Thanksgiving is over….and you know what’s next? No, I’m not talking Christmas. College football "Bowl Season" is almost upon us. Is it just me, or does it seem to last FOREVER!! We need to prepare ourselves for the Onslaught of Must-See TV Bowl Games!! From now until the second week in January there will be bowl games galore!! A hodge-podge of This & That Bowls will litter the airwaves with over-hyped movie length comercials that we call Bowl Games hyping a lot of products that are a major part of the obesity problem in America (Coke, Pepsi, Bud, etc…But that is for another time and another post!).

Just like your favorite team has a game plan for their season, we need to come up with a plan of attack for tackling the holidays. We need to plan alternatives to our annual holiday travel arrangements, eating plans, exercise regimens, nutrition and supplementation. Everything will not go as planned this holiday season, it never does, so be prepared by having a Plan B as well as a Plan A. We must remember during thiis time of year that the same things hold true now as they did throughout the year; eat more fruits & veggies, drink more water and go light on the alcohol! Remember these few tips and you can come up with a game plan of your own to battle the holidays.

First and foremost, we need to address the annual gorge-fest we indulge ourselves with on each and every holiday season.

• Find some interesting "lite" recipes for side dishes and desserts.

• Add more fruits and vegetables to the holiday menu.

• Whether it is through salads, platters, or sides, make sure the dressings, sauces and dips are also healthy. We often cover our healthy vegetables in the most unhealthy things, so be careful (fruit & veggie platters make excellent party gifts if you are eating out as well).

• Drink lots of water. Stay away from the alcohol at the parties (no nutritional value at all in alcohol for the 7 calories per gram).

• Remember to add broth-based soup and salad courses to help you fill up on healthy foods before your main course.

• Keep away from the egg nog!! (Especially Uncle Joe's famous spiked version!!)

• Actually play football outside with the kids, instead of just watching football on TV all day or playing Madden 2009. We need to add some more activity to our life and less TV time.

• Handle leftovers with care. If the big event is at your house, send extra plates of food home with friends and family to cut down on leftovers. If the event is at another house, keep your doggie bag to a minimum if you get one at all. You can't eat what you don't bring home!!

The same goes when you are out watching any of the big bowl games with the fellas. Don't get caught up watching the games or tailgaiting without a plan either.

• BYOB - Bring Your Own Beverage! You should try to bring some flavored water or another low calorie healthy drink with you if do not want to be tempted by the wide array of alcoholic beverages present at most bowl game parties. Even 0 cal diet drinks have their pitfalls, so having your own supplies can come in handy.

• BYOS – Bring Your Own Snacks! Bring something healthy you can all enjoy, and you will be sure to have at least one thing to snack on during the game. Soy Chips or Edamame would make great snacks to bring if you skip the fruit or veggie platters mentioned above.

I know this sounds like a LOT of hard work, but it really isn't. Doing these things will reduce your stress, and keep you from sitting in front of the TV snacking on who-knows-what during all the Bowl Games! This will be an evolving project, so try different recipes, activities and things to be better prepared for everything next year.

Let me know how things are going.
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