Tips for Surviving Holiday Eating Without Guilt and Weight Gain

Yes its almost time to start thinking about the holidays again: shopping for gifts, planning celebrations, and eating food! Once Thanksgiving arrives, the holiday season can seem like a non-stop eating contest straight through the end of the year! That can mean 5-6 weeks with lots of extra food!

The holiday season should be a time of celebration with friends and family, but it doesnt have to mean that healthy, mindful eating has to go by the wayside. A few changes in the way you think about food at special events can keep you on track during this busy and stressful time of year.

* Lots of goodies and snacks can make their way into your place of work in the days or weeks leading up to the actual holidays. Make it a point to eat 6-7 servings of fruit and vegetables every work day. Fill up on these lower calorie foods each day, and you will find yourself eating less of the calorie-laden foods that seem to be everywhere!

* Dont go to an event hungry! When you are hungry, its difficult to resist tempting high calorie foods, and you may end up over-eating. Try having a small meal or snack before you go. This can be especially helpful when there are lots of appetizers before a meal. If you are not hungry, you can resist a lot of the extra calories that come from appetizers.

* If you are at a buffet, look for a few lower calorie foods (like vegetables) that can fill up part your plate. Stick with one plate of food and avoid multiple trips to the buffet line. Remember, just because its there doesnt mean you have to try it all!

* Give yourself permission to have that special dessert, but stick to just one. When theres a table full of desserts at a celebration, do you really need to sample them all? Pick the one you would enjoy the most and have it! You will feel just as satisfied if you savor the dessert you want, instead of trying everything.

* Dont forget about the “liquid calories” found in wine, mixed drinks and eggnog. These can really add up fast. Once youve had a drink or two, try switching over to club soda with a twist of lemon or lime.

* Dont abandon your exercise plan during the holiday season. Taking 4-6 weeks off from your usual exercise routine makes it difficult to get started again after New Years day. If you dont exercise at all, now is a good time to start. Starting a physical activity does not require elaborate equipment or a huge investment of your time. If you are really busy, you could start simply by walking for 15 minutes a day. If 15 minutes is all you can manage during the holiday season, thats OK!

Make your holidays more about enjoying time with friends and family. With a little preparation, you can face the holiday food frenzy head-on and have no regrets about what you eat. That could mean no guilt and no resolutions needed on New Years Day!

2011, Gretchen Scalpi, RD, CDE. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

Cyprus Villa Holiday Experience

If you are planning for a getaway to a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, then Cyprus is a fantastic choice. This country, which is advantageously situated in the junctures of Asia, Africa and Europe, is renowned for its mixture of its mythical story of Aphrodite, culture, interesting history, fantastic sunny days, and beautiful beaches.

Cyprus, being in the Mediterranean, caters to various types of tourists as a destination and offers a wide array of activities, sights and experiences. It is a great place for romance, adventure, and especially for a family vacation. The island of Aphrodite as it is known, is a perfect paradise for romantic celebrations such as weddings, honeymoons, marriage proposals, and wedding anniversaries. A traveler more inclined to fun and adventure would also surely love this little island with great mountain spots for hiking during sunny days, all year round natural rambling routes, waterskiing, cycling and mountain biking as well assnow skiing in winter time. The all year round mild climate means that all these activities are available all year round. In most of the seaside towns such as Limassol, Paphos or Larnaca, visitors can go for some sailing, hiking, and fishing.

For a family vacation, Cyprus has always been a favourite holiday spot. A family can enjoy days out swimming at the beach, walking along stunning shore lines, dining together to in family friendly restaurants serving Cypriot cuisine coupled with its famous wine produced by its picturesque wine-making villages.Protaras also offers a variety of great spots where the entire family can have a fun time in theme parks, beautiful beaches, and appreciate cuisine from all corners of the world as well as Cypriotrestaurants.

Among the many wonderful tourist attractions in Cyprus here are some of the much loved places and are worth visiting:

The Paphos mosaics it is famous for its complex Roman mosaics which were encountered during the 1960s. Paphos Harbour and Castle multicolored fishing boats in the harbor at Paphos are a terrific sight to behold. The 1390s castle that the Venetians destroyed later became a dungeon and then a salt storehouse later on. Ayia Napa is attracting a sizeable number of tourists and offers impressive water sports amenities and a variety of activities for youngsters and adults. You can enjoy relaxing on the beautiful white sandy beaches with family or enjoy the large number of excellent dance clubs and top DJs on offer every night near the village square. Protaras one of the most stunning resorts on the island with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Protaras offers family friendly fun with nearby water parks, activities and an excellent array of restaurants. Fig Tree Bay is one of most popular sandy beaches of Protaras and took its name from the many fig trees across the beach planted many years ago. You can enjoy swimming in the sparkling clear waters of the sea or you can try one of the many water sports on offer. Profitis Elias is another highly recommended place to visit when enjoying your villa holidays in Cyprus. Profitis Elias is a church in Protaras, located on the top of a hill at 115 metres height and is aged centuries back. Once you climb the 156 steps to the church, you can enjoy spectacular views of the whole town of Protaras and the Cape called Cavo Greco, a stunning natural picturesque landscape. Protaras is also known for its wonderful walking trails. Families will also enjoy the spectacular show of the “Magic Dancing Waters” in the centre of Protaras square. Here you can watch colorful combinations of waters literally dancing to the rhythm of “Zorbas” a unique experience for holidays in Protaras.

Visiting Kallithea Beach during Rhodes Holidays

Location wise, the beautiful beach of Kallithea is about 11 km far from south to the Old town of Rhodes and approximately 7 km away from the eastern part of the city of Rhodes and the amazing village of Koskinou. Rhodes holidays 2010 look forward for various tourists to come and enjoy the splendor of this beautiful beach. In order to enjoy best Rhodes holidays ideas, this place is no doubt the best.

The exotic vegetation as well as a range of beautiful palm trees along with a pebbled coast will collectively make your Rhodes holidays excellent. The scenic beauty of the landscape and facilities like public transportation, sun beds, umbrellas and food will amuse you during your holidays. Apart from this, you can enjoy famous Scuba Diving activity of the area during your next Rhodes holidays.

Being quite near to the Rhodes town with the charm of a beautiful sea, the beach provides numerous opportunities like delicious cuisines, accommodations, entertainment and shopping, which can be enjoyed both in the surrounding areas as well as in the main town of Rhodes. The rocky cove with its amazing sea also fascinates seabed, which is quite ideal for underwater activities.

You can find many of the facilities here like the sun beds, umbrellas, cabanas and shower. On your entrance to the beach, you can also locate a card-operated phone with a cantina, where you can enjoy having snacks and refreshments. Moreover, the neighboring Koskinou Village is the best site to wander around, which is about 7 kilometers in the west to this beach.

How to Access Kallithea Beach?

In case of emergency you can avail services of the town of Rhodes which is about 7 kilometers towards the West from Koskinou. Approaching this beach is quite easy from the town of Rhodes, where you can find public buses with frequent services during your Rhodes holidays 2010. You can also hire cabs, private or rented cars and motorbikes to enjoy all pleasures of your holidays.

Kallithea beach is such a place, where most of the locals often gather on daily basis. The attraction is because of its small distance from Rhodes town, the alluring Italian-Baths, the obvious mezedes delights as well as the little bays and coves along with their monumental rocks and crystal green waters. This resort attracts a variety of local visitors especially after the peak season for swimming activities.

Tourists usually mix up Kallithea beach with another mini-beach, located below the baths; youre supposed not to do so. This place gathers a variety of visitors from Rhodes town, who wish to get benefited from the special bathing facilities here. This area also offers one of the tasty foods and the sign boards guides towards various small-scale hotels of the area, where you can fulfill your eating desires.
Apart from this, there are also a range of coves, bays and stone pools, which are surrounded by the pine trees. You are also warned not to dive into the nearby sea until and unless you are very much sure about your swimming capabilities as the sea is quite deep.

Grand Canyon National Park – Helicopter Specials Throughout Memorial Day Holiday

The Memorial Day holiday is right around the corner. Bookings for air tours on Grand Canyon helicopters are skyrocketing.

Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26th this year. Since it is a three-day weekend, many people head for the Grand Canyon. So don’t wait until the last minute to book your trip. It is always a good idea to book your hotel and Grand Canyon tour at least one or two weeks ahead of time.

Tours of the canyon originate in Las Vegas, Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Scottsdale, and Williams.

Las Vegas Tours To The West Rim

First, it’s important to know that choppers flying from Vegas only do the West Rim. The South Rim is just too far for them.

However, that is certainly no problem, because the West Rim is a lot of fun. You can fly to the floor of the canyon at the West Rim, and that is the only place it is permitted in the National Park. The descent is a thrilling experience.

Las Vegas tours come in two types, one is air-only and the other lands at the canyon. Both of these tour types give you aerial views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Skywalk, and the Grand Canyon. The landing tours, though, also touch down at the top or at the bottom of the gorge (the latter is way more popular). Once the canyon floor, you can enjoy a relaxing lunch or add on a boat ride along the smooth waters of the Colorado River.

The Vegas chopper tours depart from an airfield in Boulder City, Nevada or from the Vegas Strip.

Strip flights are better for several reasons. It is certainly more convenient to your hotel and the tours even pick you up at your hotel and take you back. If you take a tour out of Boulder City, you will ride a van shuttle to the airfield. If you depart from the Strip instead, the tour operator picks you up in a limo. How cool is that? You also get to see the Strip as part of the tour.

South Rim Flights

South Rim helicopter tours are ideal when you depart from a city in Arizona. Just keep in mind, none of those tours can land at the bottom of the canyon.

The South Rim has its own claim to fame though, and that is its natural beauty because of the wilderness area it encompasses.

There are two tours available here too, one of them is thirty minutes long and the other one lasts fifty minutes. The longer tour is best because it flies you over about 3/4 of the entire National Park area.

Combo tours are also available at this Rim. Right now, the two most popular combo trips are the ones that include a ride on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the ones that include a sunset Jeep ride (it’s not overly rough).

Look for a deluxe option when you book your flight. Why do that? These tours use the EcoStar 130 choppers and they offer an exceptional experience. These helicopters have huge windshields that wrap around the cabin so you have great views, plus you have lots of personal space and stadium-style seating for unobstructed sightseeing. EcoStars are really the only way to go.

To Summarize

The Grand Canyon will be much busier than normal during Memorial Day weekend. The date is fast approaching, so book your tour as soon as possible. If you plan to depart from Vegas, choose a tour that takes off from the Strip. Both rims offer tours on EcoStar choppers, so try to snag a seat on one of them for the best flight possible.

Top 5 Kenya Safari Holiday Safety Tips

As in any foreign country, it is wise to follow precautions for safety and security when on a safari in Kenya. When on a Kenya safari holiday there are a few things to remember, not to walk in the bush without your guide, not going too close to or feeding the animals and not swimming in rivers in case of crocs and hippos.

Your guide should explain these kinds of safety issues, but other things to factor into your safety concerns include Kenya holiday insurance, medical preparations, looking after property and money and choosing the right kinds of food and drink. Here are some tips on how to keep safe on your Kenya safari holiday.

Money Tips

Travellers’ cheques and major credit cards are generally accepted in Kenya. A small quantity of US cash, preferably, is useful. Kenya holiday makers should try to carry only a little cash with them make sure youre not an easy target for thieves. Only authorized dealers and banks are allowed to change currency. It is worth changing money at the banks or bureaus on arrival at international airports or in the major towns, where the rate of exchange is more favourable than those offered at lodges and hotels.

Security Precautions

It is important to have a record of your passport number, airline tickets and travellers cheques when you go on a safari in Kenya, and to ensure that these items are kept in a safe place separate from the originals. Make use of your hotel safety deposit box for valuable items. Avoid transactions with by-standers unless accompanied by your tour driver/guide. Beach traders can be a nuisance but they will leave you alone as soon as you firmly but politely decline any trade with them.

Medical Precautions

Malaria is endemic to much of East Africa, consult a doctor or health department for the latest anti-malaria precautions well in advance of your Kenya safari holiday, as well as finding out about any other recently recommended jabs or tablets.

Bring plenty of mosquito repellent and wear trousers, socks and perhaps long sleeves in the evenings to avoid being bitten. Most rooms, even tents, have mosquito nets or mosquito proofing and are sprayed by hotel staff before night falls. Beware of sunburn even at high altitudes where the air feels cool. Bring plenty of sun creams, hats and suitable clothing on your Kenya safari holiday.

Food & Drink in Kenya

Bottled mineral water is readily available all over Kenya and it is generally recommended that Kenya holiday makers steer clear of water other than this. There are no restrictions on the sale or consumption of alcohol in Kenya and you will find a good selection of local beers and soft drinks available, as well as imported wines, beers and spirits in many places, although these can be expensive. The quality and value of food in Kenya is generally very good. However, do eat sensibly, particularly in the first few days of your Kenya safari holiday.

Kenya Holiday Insurance

Medical insurance is strongly recommended. Nairobi has two first-rate hospitals with excellent emergency facilities. In addition to this, travel insurance covering loss of baggage, third party liability, cancellation and curtailment, etc. is also recommended for Kenya safari holidays.