The holiday season has well and truly begun. And that creates a healthy living challenge.

I’m still dealing with leftover Halloween candy, but the Thanksgiving eating extravaganza begins next week. Then it’s on to Christmas parties, Christmas candy and cookies, Christmas dinner, and New Year’s Eve indulgence.

Plus, with the colder weather and the shorter days — plus holiday tasks — it’s hard to keep up a good exercise regimen. When the weather turns and the holidays approach, I just want to sit in the house and read or watch movies.

Here are a few relatively easy ways to make your holidays a bit healthier, but still fun:

• Accept the fact that you will eat things that are bad for you — just make them count. Grab the large slice of Aunt Tilly’s award-winning pecan pie on Thanksgiving, but give a pass to the store-bought ranch dip that’s put out as a snack. Drink the good wine, but pass up the overly sweet punch that turns your lips red.
• Don’t succumb to bad eating just because it’s easy. If you stored healthy meals in your freezer as I suggested a few weeks ago, pull them out on especially busy nights instead of grabbing takeout. Eat at home (or have a healthy snack at work) before you hit the mall for Christmas shopping so that the food court won’t tempt you.
• Create simple, short workouts that you can do without busting your schedule. For example, take a walk during your lunch hour or use the steps instead of the elevator. Park farther from the door at the grocery store or mall. Take two walking laps around the mall before you start shopping. Go for a family walk on Thanksgiving — after dinner and before dessert. Once a week, walk around your neighborhood and look at the Christmas decorations.
• Try your best to get enough sleep. (If you’ve been following the Christmas Countdown, you won’t be overwhelmed.)
• Schedule at least one evening every ten days to two weeks to stay in and rest.

How do you take care of yourself in this busy season?