It’s not that I don’t want to drink water.  In fact, without fail, I always feel more alert and focused when I’m drinking lots of water everyday.  And my skin looks so much better too!

What usually trips me up though, is days when I have a busy schedule of speaking and/or teaching.  On those days, to prevent myself from lots of trips to the bathroom, I tend to drink less.  I have one of those teensy weensy bladders and it feels like I constantly have to go. But it’s on just those days that I can easily get into a water deficit. And if I have a couple of those days in a row, I can easily find myself in a state of dehydration that affects how regular I am…or not.

I’ve blogged about water drinking many times before, sharing some of my tricks to keep hydrated.  In Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, I’m a ‘vata’ constitution type which means I’m naturally dry by nature.  Water drinking is one of my biggest, personal health missions to keep things operating at optimal levels.

With the holidays upon us and lots of gatherings to attend, I find that it’s even easier to be water deficient.  Stop by a friend or family member’s home, and the first question may very well be, “what can I get you to drink?”  When you look around and see lots of festive cocktails, it’s a natural inclination to go with the flow and have one yourself.  So for me, it’s all about finding some balance with the water drinking at both parties and at home.

When I’m heading to a function, I like to begin with the end in mind and set my sights on drinking at least one eight ounce glass of water before having any alcohol.  If I’m really on my game, I’ll up that to two. Then I feel so much better about having a glass of wine or cocktail.  In a perfect world, I’d also have a glass of water in between every glass of alcohol I’d drink.  The funny thing, though, is that I’m not much of a drinker anyway. One glass of something, and I’m usually good for the whole evening. 

I came across a handy water drinking tool recently that’s been helping stay on my water drinking toes.  My friend Tracie has a cool website called tinyrituals.com.  She is all about the power of water drinking to feed your body and soul. I especially like her Time to Hydrate sticky pads, a simple way to keep track of your water drinking during the day.  In fact, I thought it was such a handy tool that I’ve given each of my clients a Time to Hydrate pad as a holiday gift.  

So far, I’m at about 26 ounces for the day and it’s just about noon.  Not too bad, but I find that I often start the day strong with water and then fizzle out over time.  This is a good reminder to keep on going.

What do you do to stay on track with water and make sure you get enough in? Water’s your secret to stay sufficiently hydrated during the cold winter months and the holiday season?

PS You can get a full list of simple and fabulous ideas to keep you feeling your best during the holidays with my audio recording, “Clean Eating During the Holidays: Outwit Holiday Overeating and Overindulgence.” You can check out all the details here: http://bit.ly/109omL

This year, I’m focused on slowing down, getting more quiet and reflective and only going to the gatherings that are most meaningful for me. Perfect example is that my mom and I are headed to a very special party on the 23rd.  Some former colleagues of my mom’s have a wonderful holiday party every year when they fly out to the family farm here in Connecticut. Every year they invite us and I have as yet to go.  My mom’s gone a few times but not in recent years, and as she’s gotten older she’s less interested in driving long distances at night. So this is the year for the Briscoe party and I can’t wait.  It will be great fun to see people I know so well and reconnect. For me, this is all about setting priorities during the holiday season.

Between several family gatherings, having my niece visit for an overnight and having a dinner party with some close friends, that feels like the right amount of  holiday cheer.  I’ve already said no to some holiday invites but that’s okay. For me, I’m getting more comfortable with setting boundaries and taking care of myself. With a busy fall, lots of working and sometimes not enough rest, I’m also making it a priority to take time off (two weeks in fact), get more rest and do things like catching up on my reading. I can’t wait!

What are you doing to make the holidays joyful and fun yet a chance to wind down a bit and take care of yourself? What would need to shift for you to put more focus on yourself and getting some rest as you prepare for 2010? Do tell!

And if you’re fresh out of ideas for how to take optimal care of yourself during this busy holiday season, you won’t want to miss my new MP3 recording, “Clean Eating During the Holidays: Outwit Holiday Overeating and Overindulgence.” It’s the perfect holiday guide to help you feel your best during and after the holidays and makes a perfect holiday gift too!  You can check out all the detail here: http://bit.ly/109omL

I already have planned out a super simple turkey soup and I’m also making a delicious, super easy turkey chili that only requires a few ingredients. When I went to the store on Sunday, I picked up the things I’ll need to make my post-holiday dishes that are all focused on clean eating.

In fact, there are several compelling reasons to plan ahead for post-Thanksgiving treats.  Here are just a few:

1. When I have the ingredients already on hand, it makes meal preparation so much easier
2. It ensures I actually use the leftovers for other dishes and don’t waste any food
3. It gives turkey a fresh spin. There are only so many days I can eat leftover turkey in its original form.  Creating something new makes it so much more interesting
4. Planning ahead relieves the pressure of having to go out on Black Friday.  I’m usually content to stay home and avoid the crowds and when I have what I need, the pressure isn’t on to be out and about.
5. I have clean and healthy food for the next several days.  The great thing about cooking for Thanksgiving is that you have a bounty of food from which to make healthy leftovers that usually involve minimal steps. In about 30 minutes I can whip up a simple dish.
6. You save lots of money! Who needs to be eating out after you’ve just cooked up a storm? Plan a few meals with leftovers BEFORE Thanksgiving and your bank account will be thanking you for the money saved
7. It’s a great reason to invite friends and family over. Have a games night or watch some sports and have your friends help eat up the leftovers (so they don’t all end up on your waistline).

Most importantly, however, creating a day after Thanksgiving plan ensures that you will continue on the clean eating path. Ever have one of these holidays where you start overeating and indulging in almost everything in sight and next thing you know your pants are a bit tight and you can’t seem to help yourself? I sure have been there in years past but not anymore. But with an intention of creating a clean eating Thanksgiving meal, the leftovers are simply an extention of that initial effort.

To me, the beauty of the holidays is in spending time with family and friends. While food is a part of that equation, I never like it to supercede the powerful connections and fun with the people who are important in my life.  I love the idea of making some clean eating, post-holiday dishes that I can share with others.

What’s in your post-Thanksgiving meal plan? What can you plan ahead for now? Who will you invite over to help share in the bounty? What will you do to practice clean eating once the holiday is over? Do tell!

Ever notice that it’s so easy to overeat during this time of year when there’s a  bounty of food in front of us? I sure have been guilty of that in the past, but with a little pacing and some clean eating cooking tips and ideas, any of us can turn out a delicious meal that doesn’t have to pack on the pounds.

During the radio show, yours truly, the Clean Eating Coach, will be sharing tips on healthier versions of traditional Thanksgiving meals, the importance of clean eating, the best cooking techniques to reduce risk of weight gain, and suggestions on creating healthy leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner.

It’s going to be great fun and you can even call in live and ask questions! Join us and get your Thanksgiving, healthy meal plan in gear, before it’s too late.

You can check out more details here about Feel and Look Fabulous with Irina including the call in number for the show:  http://budurl.com/kdac

Can you say post-holiday weight gain?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way! We can all thoroughly enjoy ourselves during the holidays AND manage to emerge in January feeling our best.

The key: clean eating and meal planning that focuses on healthy and fresh foods. In fact, there are super simple ways to prepare yummy holiday dishes and treats that don’t have to be full of calories and fat!

Join me on Tuesday, November 17 from 8-9 pm ET for a fre*e call on how to outwit holiday overeating by beginning with the end in mind. I’ll be sharing all my secrets to help you embrace clean eating during the holidays.

Take it from me, The Clean Eating Coach, you won’t want to miss this fun, engaging and informative call!

You can get more details and register here: http://bit.ly/109omL

I make a budget, it seems realistic but something often happens during the holidays where I end up spending a lot more money than I anticipate I will or want to.

I’m personally of the notion that there’s more value in spending the holidays with family and friends, connecting and enjoying each other’s company, then giving expensive gifts. For me, gifts aren’t the essence of Christmas. Of course, as a child, I couldn’t help but revel in all the gifts (and because my birthday is 2 days after Christmas, it was lots of gifts all at once), but these days, I’d rather contribute my time to volunteer in the community or make a donation to a local non-profit. There are so many people in need, more so now than ever given the economy, and that to me, is the spirit of the holidays.

But alas, I’m also part of two families now – mine and my husband’s — that like to give gifts. And now that I’m married, the list to whom we give has expanded. But I believe there’s a way to keep it simple that celebrates the spirit of the holidays without overdoing it. This year, Bruce and I are committed to a smaller budget that’s focused on simple, less expensive gifts and more emphasis on just being together as family.
Take a listen to this week’s audio tip for some simple ways to give that don’t have to break the bank and are about celebrating in simple ways.

What about you, have you adjusted your spending for the holiday season? What are you doing this year to stay with a budget?

But there’s a way to navigate the holidays that can leave you feeling healthy and debt-free once January rolls around. Want to know the secret for how to stay on track, keep your weight in check and not going overboard with all those gifts (and honestly, in this economy, who can afford to do that?)?

Join me for an informative teleclass on simple steps you can take to be more aware and mindful this holiday season. We’ll be kicking things off on Thursday, December 11 from 8-9 pm ET. Registering is easy — just click on this link and you’ll be good to go:

Click Here to Learn More

During the holiday season with all kinds of temptations, standing up and saying no (or even politely murmuring it), is imperative to moving into January at a moderate weight.

Should you enjoy your food? Of course, but all within reason. And speaking up for what you don’t want to eat can make a huge difference. Take a listen to this week’s audio tip for two simple steps you can take to become more assertive about food choices during the holidays.

What can you do to be an assertive dieter this year?

Holidays are the perfect time to throw our healthy eating out the window, kicking diets to the curb. We often eat without awareness, tend to consume a lot more calories than we usually might, can ignore intuitive signs that we’re full and can rationalize eating high fat foods. Ring a bell?

But when it comes to holiday cooking, all it takes is a little forethought to make food taste great without adding unnecessary calories. Here are a few simple tips to keep your Thanksgiving cooking healthy and low fat but packed with flavor.

• Use chicken broth and fresh herbs in dishes to add flavor
• Focus on roasting and baking instead of frying
• When making green beans – instead of using bacon , add toasted sesame seeds — less fat and lots of flavor
• When making sweet potatoes or other favorite sides dishes - use pure maple syrup or agave nectar as a sweetener instead of sugar or marshmallows (I never did understand the appeal of sweet potatoes with marshmallows anyway!)
• Stuffing – use whole grain bread for a healthier twist than white bread
• Substitute olive oil for butter in recipes

What are you favorite ways to add flavor but stay on track with healthy eating when the holidays roll around? Share your ideas below and have a happy Thanksgiving!

And back when I was in my 20s and 30s, it wasn’t such an issue to eat like that — no serious repercussions. But as I’ve gotten older and my body has changed, that Thanksgiving overindulgence that used to seem so great can easily signal the start of some serious holiday weight gain. And when all is said and done after the holidays, returning to a healthy diet, losing weight and feeling your best is never as easy as it seems.

So how can you enjoy Thanksgiving without feeling heavy and bloated the next day, let alone somewhat guilty? With a little forethought it’s not hard at all. Take a listen to this week’s audio tip for three simple steps to help you thoroughly enjoy Thanksgiving without the guilt of total overindulgence and to ease you into the holiday social scene with an eye to maintaining your weight.

What will you do this year to be mindful about Thanksgiving eating yet really enjoying your food. Share you thoughts below.