We’ve been sharing our best tips on how to stay healthy this holiday season, even if you are far away from LA’s fresh juices and your local gym. We know you can come back in tip top shape and ready to dive into Pilot Season. It’s just going to take a bit of planning on your part. And we are here to help!

Keep your family the priority, not the food. Holiday delicacies are a wonderful treat of the season, and we should enjoy them. But make sure to remember what this time of year is really about. Maybe worry less about getting to the front of the line at the open bar and focus more on asking some important questions to your loved ones. When work and life slow down in December, we have the rare opportunity to actually sit and get to know one another better. Be consumed with one another!

Listen to your mother and make sure to wash your hands. Airplanes are giant germ bunnies. And you know your little nieces & nephews can also be culprits. So make sure to sanitize when needed. Yes you may feel a bit crazy taking a sani-wipe to a plane seat or shopping cart, but you’ll be happy you did. And so will your family members when you stay flu free!

Hydrate and then hydrate some more. Low humidity at high altitudes makes plane cabin air dry—and then our airways more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. So just pay the ridiculous $8 for Fiji water at the airport. Doctors suggest you down 8 ounces of water for very hour you’re in the air. Don’t wait on the flight attendants to get to you. Travel prepared. Your immune system (and glowing skin) will thank you.

Get moving! There is really no excuse for a sedentary vacation nowadays. If weather is brutal, ask a family member to speed walk the mall with you. I bet you can get 20 minutes alone in your childhood bedroom to do a quick fitness video online. There are tons of free options. And www.myyogaonline.com offers some great yoga salutations to get your body and your mind in the right space.

Do a pre buffet prep. Drink a giant glass of water, even eat an apple if you are super hungry. You do not want to get in line when you are ravenous! This way you are making sure to take care of yourself before you go attack the buffet table madly. Breathe. I really like to survey my options before committing to things by putting them on to my plate. Do a little walk through before getting in line and you’ll make the best decisions for your waist line and sanity.

Don’t let loved ones guilt you into anything. Family members do mean well when they try to feed you until you bust. But you can politely turn down seconds if you gush about how tasty the first batch was. And don’t be surprised if you hear things like: “Oh but you’re so thin” or “You’re wasting away!” Just know in your head the reason why you are at your strongest is because you aren’t caving under pressure like this!

Feel free to stay in and rest up. You’ll return to LA feeling wiped out if you say yes to every event you are invited to. Be empowered to say no. For many of us, this will be our only vacation this year, so we need to make it just that — a vacation! The only way to ensure you come back rejuvenated is to make yourself schedule in some major relaxation time. R&R serves a much greater purpose for our bodies and minds than we realize.

Now you should feel a bit more equipped to tackle the challenges that come with visiting home for the holidays. Enjoy yourself this vacation and appreciate ALL the magic the season brings, far beyond the dessert table!

Break legs!
Megan