Do the Mariah Carey diet!  Ok, not really, but do watch portion size.  If you are going to “cheat”, eat as much as would fit in the palm of your hand, that way you’ll always be able to keep your portion size under control.

Write out a Holiday Workout Calendar – Holidays are some of the craziest and busiest of the year so go online and find a blank calendar page for the month of December and literally schedule all your workouts now.  Make sure you are getting in at least 3 days a week.  Voila!  Now you have 12 scheduled workout days in the month of December.

Make yourself go out and play with your friends!- When it’s cold outside naturally we want to stay inside, but that doesn’t mean we have to sit on the couch.  There is lots to go do that is active and fun.  Go bowling, have a Wii party, take some dance lessons, take a spinning class, go ice skating, find an indoor swimming pool, or if you are really brave go skiing or snowboarding.

Party! Party! Party! – During the holidays there are many holiday parties to attend and with holiday parties there is usually extra eating and drinking.  Drinking alcohol and festive non-alcoholic beverages can be a major contributor to weight gain.  If you know you won’t be able to forgo the bubbly or your cocktail of choice, then make a deal with yourself to drink a glass of water between each drink.  The water will slow your intake down over the course of the evening.

Written by our guest blogger Margaret.  Margaret is a patient at Grandview Dental Care, an Exercise Scientist, and does personal training at Columbus Fitness Consultants.  We invite you to visit the website of the best personal trainers in Columbus.

Having a healthy mouth is important to a person’s overall well being.  As you know the office staff at Grandview Dental Care is compromised of all women….. except for Dr. T.  We all like to snack and are constantly on the lookout for things that taste good, are quick, and have some redeeming value from a health perspective.

Women’s Health Magazine has just put out their 2nd annual 125 Best Pre-Packaged Foods.  http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/premium-packaged-foods Check it out and let us know your favorites.

Some of our office favorites which may or may not be on this year’s list:

• Doctor Kracker Snack Chips (amazon.com)
• Fiber One Granola Bars
• Glenny’s 100 Calorie Brownie
• Zone Perfect Snack Bar (80 calories)
• Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches 

If you are concerned about what you put in your mouth, make sure you are also as concerned about taking care of your smile health too by scheduling regular visits at your dentist.