The holidays are a time for family and friends to gather, eat, drink and be merry! With all the parties and celebrations this time of year it is easy to succumb to temptation and to stray from your everyday diet and healthy habits. But with a little extra work, surviving and enjoying the holidays can be a reality.

1. HOST- the easiest way to guarantee a healthy, allergen free holiday meal is to make it yourself! Whether your vegan, gluten free, dairy free, etc, avoiding certain foods is tricky when eating at a restaurant or home of family or friend. So invite them to your place and enjoy full control over the menu and ingredients.
2. MODERATION- try not to go overboard, but also don’t beat yourself up over indulging yourself. It is the holidays after all!
3. EXERCISE- keep up with your exercise routine! Unhealthy food only gets worse when paired with inactivity.
4. EXPERIMENT- when avoiding certain foods such as gluten or dairy it may seem like you will never eat your favorite holiday food again. Get creative and experiment with some new recipes or tweak some old favorites to accommodate allergy needs.
5. BE PREPARED- when invited to holiday gatherings, let your host know of your allergy or food requirements and inquire about the menu. Offer to bring a dish or dessert to share, avoiding more stress for the host.
6. SPIRITS- explore the options of certified organic wine! Avoid excess sulfites and unnatural ingredients in your drinks as well as food.
7. GO FOR IT!- more and more allergy free items are becoming available, so for this holiday treat yourself to that new gluten free apple pie or vegan cookies you’ve been dying to try!