Healthy Eating Tips for the Holidays.

With all of the festivities this holiday season, it is easy to get swept up in the merriment and over indulge in unhealthy foods. Marissa Duswalt Epstein, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Texas, Austin, and former associate director of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, notes that holiday social gatherings and healthy eating can go hand in hand.

A great way to ensure you enjoy eating healthy food is to engage with friends and family and take part in the dinner table conversation, as conversation during meals can force you to eat more slowly, which prevents you from overeating, as you focus more on your companions than on the meal itself.

Research has shown that having a positive attitude toward healthy eating is a characteristic of healthy eaters. Stay inspired by making healthy versions of your favorite holiday foods and getting your friends and family ivolved in the positive vibe.

Sometimes, it is easy mistake hunger for thirst, so be sure to have a glass of water on...