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Health & FitnessGRATITUDE and PAYING IT FORWARD works! Buy into it – donate to a charity – national or local. Just has to be a buck or two-or two hundred if you can afford it. Last year, a customer at our North Hills store purchaseda smoothie and gave me $$ for two. I told him I didn’t accept tips, and he told me to buy the next customer a smoothie with the money. IT MADE HER DAY! So an hour later, I bought a Panera cookie for an employee who had never had one of their own cookies. There were several customers asking questions and joking with me. All because of a cookie. And it started with a man who bought a stranger a smoothie. Who knows what the smoothie lady did that day...Now for the waistline....“Visions of sugarplums dance in my head...” Gorging on turkey and allthe trimmings are short-terms delights, but come with some depressing repercussions. Before you sneak the tray of cookies to bed and prepare to get your “fat clothes” out of storage, here are a few things to keep in mind.My gosh, don’t arrive at a holiday party starving! Most folks overeat when they skip meals, and when the next meals’ pickings are going to consist of fat , carbs and alcohol, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Eat something light 2 hours before; offer to bring a dish you like so you can be in charge of how it’s made.Be a social butterfly! When you’re at a party or gathering, spend time chatting so you don’t feel as compelled to eat.EAT YOUR FIBER! Found naturally in fruits, veggies and beans, fiber will make you feel full more quickly. Some folks find taking a fiber supplement (psyllium husk, glucomannan) before meals very helpful, because it expands in your stomach, causing you to eat less food. Drink PLENTY of water withit and it will work better. Plus, water helps blood flow to the brain and flushes out fat.EXERCISE! If you run/walk, sign up for a race (Turkey Trot, Reindeer or Jingle Bell Runs are all over the triangle) to keep you training a bit during these weeks. On the other hand, don’t go overboard and start P90X for the first time 2 days before Thanksgiving, either! Know you have time constraints. Exercise will just help keep those endorphins coming and control appetite.GARCINIA FOR APPETITE! The supplement, Garcinia Cambogia, has gotten lots of press this past year. This “superfruit” has been around for years and years, but has been recently impressing the scientific community with its promising findings from a study at the Georgetown University Medical Center, where they found that garcinia inhibited the production of fat in the bodywhile retaining muscle mass. Add to it other effects, such as appetite control and mood-boosting, and you’ve got yourself a cocktail everyone is looking to drink!For most people, THIS REALLY ISN’T THE TIME TO DIET! Trying to maintain your weight can be hard enough.SLEEP! Less than 6-7 hours of sleep can affect your metabolism. Researchers studied how Leptin, the hormone that tells you to stop eating, decreases when you are sleep deprived. (Lack of sleep, however, may very well be unavoidable on Christmas Eve, so exercise an extra 30min that week to plan for the decreased leptin and extra stocking candy.)Lastly, this is a time of year to be FORGIVING...of others and YOURSELF. You most likely have A LOT of responsibilities, places to go, lists to check off, and family harmony to maintain. Cut yourself some slack and enjoy the decorations. Life goes back to “normal”, for better of for worse, in a few shortweeks....By Laura & Carter Dalton, owner of GNC Holly SpringsSLwww.suburbanlivingmag.comSuburban Living Fuquay-Varina | Page 15