The crazy Holiday Season is upon us.  In two weeks, Thanksgiving, then Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Year’s Eve and then the start of a New Year.  Are you ready?

Do you have a plan in place to make it through the holidays without all the bloat of all the sugar filled treats, aka “crap” that will be shoved in our faces for the next 7 weeks?

For me I try to keep things simple.  I am cooking a Thanksgiving FEAST for 11.  I will make “Mom’s” chestnut stuffing, only this year it will be one batch of gluten free instead of regular and gluten free.  My sweet potato casserole will NOT be covered in marshmallows and full of brown sugar and butter.  I haven’t decided yet between green beans and brussels sprouts.  Either way they will be simply prepared, possibly roasted with a splash of olive oil and some seasoning….

There will be no salad because nobody eats it and it just takes up refrigerator space I don’t have until after the turkey is in the oven.  I may make pumpkin soup and serve it in demitasse cups, because a full bowl of it is too much.  We’ll see about that too.

I am going to have pumpkin protein pudding along with the traditional (but gluten free) pumpkin and pecan pies because I don’t have to make them, my daughter does.

I just had a brilliant idea- I will have the pumpkin soup available in my crock pot as the only appetizer because Thanksgiving doesn’t require high fat appetizers before a full meal….

There will be coffee, tea, water and iced tea, no sodas because nobody needs them.  There will be wine.

And water… lots of water… If I have a glass of wine before dinner, my next sip will be a glass of water.  If I have wine with dinner, 30 minutes later I will be back sipping water before dessert is even put out.

As I prepare this feast - I will be sipping water.  I do the same throughout the holidays.  I just keep sipping water.  Why?  Because 70% of our bodies and 90% of our brains are made up of water so I need it.  The headaches, the anxiety, the blue moods, the overwhelm and the digestive issues can all be put to rest, to a large degree, by drinking water.

Staying hydrated is critical to my health.  How about yours?