Let's admit it. Traditional holiday fare is not known for being particularly low in fat, sugar or salt or high in fiber or essential nutrients. Consider these suggestions for healthful and guilt-free holiday eating and enjoyment.

1. Eat for the Right Reasons
   The holidays are a time for sharing good food with friends and family. Celebration of holiday rituals requires appropriate indulgence. Enjoy and join in the festivities. However, beware of using the holidays as an excuse for over-indulgence. Holiday fun includes more than eating.
2. Make the Right Choices
   Conscious choice means having an awareness of your food selections. Exert control over what kinds and amounts of treats you wish to have around the house. Keep them out of view and reserved for special occasions.
3. Cultivate a Repertoire of Low-Fat, Healthful Treats
   Start some new holiday traditions that offer health, as well as good taste. Holiday treats can be good for you. You must perceive these healthful foods as nourishing and delicious, not as second cousins to what you would rather have.
4. Take Care of Yourself to Diminish the Need for Emotional Eating
   Holidays bring stress and sorrow, as well as joy. Many people overeat during the holidays because they need to feed a 'need'. Substitute pampering yourself with a hot bath, a good book or a long walk with a friend. Give yourself a realistic schedule. Decide to do less and enjoy yourself more.
5. Get Enough Sleep
   Adequate sleep is essential for good health and stress management. Studies have shown that people short on sleep eat more, almost as though trying to obtain the energy from food that was meant to come from adequate rest.
6. Keep Exercising
   You need exercise more than ever to help manage holiday stress and to balance an increased energy intake. Make your health a priority before it becomes a priority.

(Brought to you by Judy Heller of EroFit & Associates and Wonders of Walking)

To keep track of what you eat and more, visit the LifeBalance Food Tracker & Journal available free through your MyLifeBalance account.

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 12 lb turkey
Grated zest of 1 whole lemon
Grated zest of 1 whole navel orange
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 c fresh orange juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the lemon in half and rub the skin and inside of turkey with the cut side. In a bowl, combine zests of lemon and orange, grated ginger, oil, lemon juice, orange juice and brown sugar to form a basting sauce.

Cut the other lemon and orange in half and place each in the turkey cavity. Add the garlic and truss the turkey. Place on a rack and roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temp to 325°F. Stir the remaining basting sauce and brush over the turkey. Tent the turkey with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and continue to roast for 2 hrs, basting three more times. Uncover the turkey, baste again and continue to roast until internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh is 180°F. Continue to baste the turkey until all sauce has been used.

(Brought to you by Spud)

While most of us are hoping for an uneventful winter, preparation for a worst case scenario seems the safer bet in light of the winter storms that brought the West Coast to a screeching halt last year. Employers and employees alike need to ask questions, define policies and communicate expectations clearly.

The obligation is on employers to decide what conditions could lead to a workplace closure due to emergency conditions such as severe weather, fires, power failures or earthquakes that could disrupt company operations. Discussion should center around any vital activities that must continue and the impact an emergency situation would have on staff in those areas.

From there, management should move to a more general assessment of necessary operations with the intent of defining what conditions warrant a complete business closure and how such a closure would be communicated. Many companies follow the local public school closure scheduled for severe weather, earthquakes and other local emergency conditions. Communicating this policy at the beginning of each severe weather season with reminders to employees to watch their local news can alleviate any confusion about whether or not they should venture out to work only to find the workplace closed upon their arrival.

Employers should also determine what portion of an employee’s time off from work will be paid versus unpaid. What if an emergency closing is not in effect for the workplace but an employee cannot leave their home? Will they be allowed to access paid time off?

For their part, employees should be certain they understand the emergency closure policy going into severe weather season and have access to phone numbers for contacts to determine whether or not the workplace is closed in instances where the company doesn’t follow public school closures. Proactive communication will allow both employees and employers to breathe a sigh of relief.

(Brought to you by Xenium)

Last month's trivia question, which asked readers to correctly identify a photograph of a LifeBalance Vendor was correctly answered by Lisa Clancy. The correct answer was the INTIMAN Theatre.

This month we are pleased to be offering four trivia questions with four different prizes. Four winners will be selected.

1. For a FREE month of unlimited drop in yoga classes at Three Trees Yoga in Federal Way, WA.
   
   How many drop in classes does Three Trees Yoga hold every week?
   
   
2. For a FREE 2 month membership to Curves of Downtown Portland.
   
   How many calories can you burn in just one 30 minute workout at Curves?
   
   
3. For a FREE 1 month membership at BodyRenew Alaska.
   
   How many calories are in 1 pound?
   
   
4. For 2 FREE movie passes.
   
   Grauman's Chinese Theatre (on Hollywood Boulevard) is a part of what popular theatre group? (Hint, you can purchase tickets for this group through LifeBalance!)
   

To answer this month's trivia questions, simply fill in the form below. Please be sure to indicate which question you are answering.

The correct answer to this month's question will be revealed in the next edition of eAction!