Don't eat like Santa this season.

Santa has only been a jolly fat man for the last 150 years or so and is entirely an American way of thinking about him, brought upon us by the classic poem "The Night Before Christmas" and put into the red suit later by Coca Cola.

In most places in the world that celebrate Santa and his alternate personas, he's a skinny man. I personally love the St. Nicholas type of character that is an average looking man in fur lined cloaks. Nicholas was originally just a rich man that loved to see children smile, so he'd secretly give the children toys. Today he's still the spirit of giving, or at least in my mind he is, I still believe in Santa.

Back to the fat jolly man. He eats cookies all in one night. Just imagine the amount of calories in that one night binge. No wonder he's so fat.

We don't have to do that during this season. I know there are many other winter holidays going on also, but none so commercialized, so Christmas is the one that stresses out the most people, and has us baking sweets for the family get togethers. That is a bad combination for most people. We're stressed, so we'll eat, but we're baking all those sweets, so we're going to eat a few while we're baking, and a few more before we bring them to the even, then some more at the event. By the time we're done, we've eaten half the cookies. Pretty soon, we look like Santa, we're not just celebrating the spirit.

Remember that you don't have to give more than is possible and that the spirit of giving needs to start with you. If you can't give to yourself the ability to stay healthy, you won't enjoy the holiday as much when you're despising the people you feel you need to give all sorts of expensive presents to. Stay within your budget and only do what you can so you don't feel bad about what you did next month. Do what makes you healthy and don't forget to take time out to do for yourself. Don't forget to keep up your healthy choices you've been making all year long. Keep up those healthy exercises to decompress from the stresses you are bringing upon yourself with all the gift giving and "perfection" you're trying to create. Just enjoy the people you're with and don't attempt to look perfect, because no one is perfect.

Do the best that you can and be joyful. Christmas is about family, not presents.

And for that one man- 1000's of places to go. He's just the head guy. His elves do all the work. Let other people help you with the work too.