Step 0 (vital habit BEFORE you start eating)

You can only live for 4 minutes without oxygen, so oxygen is the first priority. Deep breathe 10 times prior to your first bite. The "French paradox," the observation that the French don't have our health problems, despite the lack of calorie restriction & food quality, is not attributed to their wine intake, like we once thought. Rather, it's the patience with which they eat their meals, which decreases stress and raises the parasympathetic nervous system's function, which improves the first stages of metabolism - digestion & nutrient absorption. 

No doubt you've experienced severe heartburn while trying to down a meal in 5 minutes in your car. This is just one evidence of how stress disturbs proper digestion. But just because you don't take it to the point of experiencing heartburn, doesn't mean you are providing the optimal setting to get the most from your meal. When you don't get what the body needed from a meal, you brain says, "try again."  Now you are fighting your instincts, and it's hard to win.

Step 1

Drink your water next. You can live for only 4 days without water, so water is the next priority. Hydrolysis is one of the first steps of digestion, breaking larger food particles down to smaller ones. Water also dilutes blood sugar concentration, helping to control the insulin response that signals "storage" to the body. In addition, water helps alkalize our blood, from the outside-in, taking some of the burden off the body's buffering systems, saving you both bone density ("saving" bicarbonate) & minerals. Leaving those minerals to be used in the function of your nervous and muscular systems can help your metabolism. Furthermore, research has demonstrated significant reduction in muscle contractile strength under dehydrated conditions. This means that workout intensity and the resulting calorie burn/muscle development and ultimately your resting metabolic rate will suffer without water. Long story short: drink your water. (& don't poison it with artificial dyes & colors)

Step 2

You can live without fruits & vegetables, but you can't live without disease in their absence. Almost every major disease could be avoided if we actually ate 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables EVERY day. They reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, vision problems, diabetes, indigestion, diverticulitis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and list goes on ... and on. Fruits & vegetables are packed with not only vitamins and minerals, but also enzymes, fiber, water, and a growing class of compounds that have come to be known as phytonutrients. This includes substances like lutein, lycopene, resveratrol, flavonoids, polyphenols, isoflavones, and more. You can survive without these, but you won't enjoy your survival. Why not truly "find life" instead, and eat these vital (and original) components our diets?

Step 3

Eat your protein source next. Protein is made up amino acids, rightly labeled "the building blocks of life." Protein, as you probably know, composes 20% of your muscle (70% water, by the way). And your muscle plays an important role in your resting metabolic rate. Even if you workout 4 hours a week, if you have a sedentary job,  that's a measley 2% of your week's time. Translation? The majority of your calorie burning is up to your resting metabolic rate and the thermic effect of food - both of which are improved with protein. As you remember, protein burns 2x what carbs burn in digestion, and 3x what fat burns in digestion. Did you know that protein is also a vital component of bone, skin, hair, hormones, enzymes, & antibodies? And this is by no means an exhaustive list. Furthermore, certain amino acids help darken your tan (finally got some's attention), improve brain chemistry, release antioxidants, and increase growth hormone. They also play an important role in regulating brain chemistry and dopamine levels. They may also help you focus and better interpret information and situations - important when trying to change habits. For example, while researching a group of autistic children, a recent study found a mutation in the gene that normally prevents the breakdown of branch-chain amino acids like leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Protein is powerful, and necessary for both fastest fat loss, and maintaining our focus on that goal. Eat it third.

Step 4

Save the starchy carbs for last. This your bread, rice, cereal, crackers, pasta, potatoes, & oatmeal.  It also includes, though hopefully not too often ...  any chips, cake, candy, and other crap. [I needed another c-word there] This is obviously the easiest food category to over-eat, and therefore should be saved until you are already somewhat full. Carbohydrates have the lowest satiety factor of the three macronutrients: fat, protein, & carbs. Meaning, you need a lot to feel full. I would say they "go right through you," but this is hardly the case. Rather, they "stick right to you." Yes, this is the gas in the tank of the car we don't drive enough, so to speak. You only need as much carbohydrate ... as much as you move your body. The brain needs less than 500 calories worth a day of glucose (the blood product of carb assimilation) to function. Although our information/communication-based jobs feel like we are working our bodies hard, we just aren't. Of course your muscles can use a lot of glucose. But therein lies the catch- you gotta use them! So, unless you are trying to increase athletic performance or maintain bodyweight during periods of heavy exercise, save the starches for last.

In light of a French chant that became a popular English carol, we're giving you 12 health tips, loosely based on the song that celebrates the twelve traditional festive days of Christmas:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree The perfect snack is a lean protein source and a piece of fruit, like turkey jerky & a pear. Fruit is also a great dessert. Slice a pear (or an apple), sprinkle with some cinnamon and stevia, and microwave for a couple minutes. You could even top the fruit with some oats or low-fat granola.

2 Turtle Doves Doves are a sign of peace. While the holidays are supposed to be a joyous and enjoyable time of year, preparation and travel often add to our stress levels. This stress releases within our bodies the damaging hormone called cortisol. Sometimes family expectations over the holidays can increase stress. Remember the real reason for the season: a perfect gift for imperfect people. That proper perspective helps us forgive, which is the best weapon against stress, whether it's forgiving others, or yourself.

3 French Hens Poultry is a great lean protein source and makes a good substitute for ham. Focus on the white meat, and avoid eating the skin. This will save you tons of calories from fat, especially the saturated kind.

4 Calling Birds Finish drinking before the “last call.” Drink alcohol in moderation, avoid high-calorie mixers like juice and soda, and sip on water between drinks to help you stay hydrated. Focus on the fellowship with friends and family more than the drink in your hand.

5 Golden Rings Golden rings remind me of commitment. Indecision and a wayward mind are unhealthy. The holidays are no time to let your commitments slide, especially commitments that keep you healthy. Disease doesn't take a holiday break. In fact, it often gains its greatest advantage while people put healthy habits on pause, while eating poorly to boot. Keep your commitments and benefit from your fortitude.

6 Geese A-Laying Eggs are a great protein source because they have all nine essential amino acids, are easily digestible, and can be very low-calorie if you avoid the yolk. Keep eggs or natural egg whites around for a quick protein-packed breakfast, or include a hardboiled egg white at a snack or on a salad.

7 Swans A-Swimming Swimming is a full-body workout, has low impact on joints and can be a cardiovascular and resistance workout all in one! Try out water aerobics to include more resistance training, or swim consecutive laps for a great cardiovascular workout.

8 Maids A-Milking There are many different kinds of milks and milk products available. Organic skim milk, non-fat Greek yogurt, and low-fat cottage cheese are highly recommended protein sources. If dairy causes you to have stomach upset or congestion, try unsweetened almond milk for a lower-calorie, high-antioxidant calcium alternative.

9 Ladies Dancing Don't make your celebrations solely about food. Get your friends and family together during the holiday to engage in some group exercise. Soccer, football, tennis, golf, even dancing are fun ways to get everyone together while burning some calories. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

10 Lords A-Leaping Leap into the New Year with some new health and fitness goals. Set a new goal weight or eliminate a food item you know negatively impacts your health or desired results. Why not sign up now for a 5k, half marathon, or the full 26 miles? Nothing is more motivating than knowing that day is on the calendar!

11 Pipers Piping Obviously smoking is terrible for you. But what about smoked meats? As alluring as they can be, they are filled with cancer-causing nitrites and nitrates. If you simply can't resist, eat just the meat and avoid the blackened skin. Also avoid cured and preserved meats that have “nitrite” or “nitrate” in the ingredient list. These compounds react with amino acids in the body to create a compound called a nitrosamine, a potent carcinogen that your body must deal with.

12 Drummers Drumming If you are getting headaches or even migraines that feel like 12 drummers drumming in your head, think about how your diet may be influencing and/or instigating your pain. Are you drinking enough water, taking a multivitamin, getting essential fats, avoiding preservatives like MSG, getting enough sleep, avoiding or at least timing your caffeine intake, and restricting alcohol consumption? If you answer no to any of these, you are opening the door to drummers in your head.

Next time you hear the song, see if you can recall these tips. Repetition is the key to learning. But more importantly, APPLICATION is the key to benefitting!

Here's the problem: your family has a plan to sabotage the balance of your bucket tomorrow. (what!?)  Yep, they are planning on dumping a whole 50% of your bucket's TOTAL capacity into it … in one day!  That's a problem, considering you are already 90% full.  How do you plan to cope with that impending mess? You've got 2 options:. Siphon out about 50% of the water currently in your bucket, creating a demand for the water that's coming tomorrow, thereby avoiding any mess. Go ahead and let the bucket overflow, and endure the conversion of the liquid water to dangerous ice. Then start chiseling away and melting the ice so you can pour it back into your bucket - all the while siphoning out enough to make room in the bucket for water that once was ice. Finally, do some serious siphoning to get back to balance. It's your call, but it would be a heck of a lot easier to exercise intensely today in order to drain your bucket [i.e. muscles and liver], creating room and demand for the extra water (calories/glucose) coming tomorrow … than to let those extra calories (liquid water) convert to stored body fat (ice) … which you'll have to breakdown (chisel) to liquid water (calories) before you even can siphon them out (burn) them again. I took the hard route to explain a simple point, but I wanted you to realize how much easier it is to use exercise as a preventive activity vs. a curative activity. Exercise BEFORE over-eating is a MUCH more efficient strategy to maintain weight than exercise AFTER overeating. A few reasons include the positives of elevated resting metabolism, exercise post-oxygen consumption, and the caloric demand of muscle fiber repair. Not to mention, avoiding the extreme negative of new fat cell creation. So if it has to be one or the other (both is best), challenge yourself physically BEFORE the big meal. Let's face it, it's much more likely to happen before we clobber ourselves with food, anyway :)