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Day: November 30, 2022

Coastal Real Estate December Edition

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Coastal Real Estate- December 2022 Edition

Coastal Real Estate In addition to providing valuable community content, one of our goals is to educate the general public on real estate market trends. In this edition, we focus on stats and homes for sale in the following areas: Luxury Homes Market Common Oceanfront Condos Archives December 2022 Edition A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM     While 2022 has been a wild ride of unpredictability for many, our dynamic office has never been a stranger to either change or the innovation that comes with it. This past year brought an upgrade to our publication in layout and design. We also changed its title from the Coastal Insider to Coastal Real Estate to better serve our community by including more content reflective of the vibrancy of the real estate market. We did a soft launch that included both real estate and community articles, and sought to have the efforts of both sections blend together. After a year, the feedback has been consistent: our readers preferred to see the Coastal Insider remain as the primary face of our publication. It’s always been our mission to stand by the small businesses in our area, and to preserve the uniqueness of our community by serving it the best we know how. And so, we’ve listened to you, our readers. This month, you’ll notice the change in our cover, as we transitioned back to our title of the Coastal Insider. From the start, we envisioned our publication to act as a reference tool and compass for our readers searching for products, services, real estate, events, or anything that’s an asset to our community. Since our inception, I’ve met thousands of faces in this community, and I’m honored each month to be a part of bringing just a few of their voices to you. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: small businesses are the heartbeat of this community, and we believe in supporting that beat through our publication. We’re grateful for your voice, and invite you to continue sharing with us how we can make our publication ever-better. Additionally, we have always been and continue to be passionate about the ever-changing real estate market; we will continue to keep our listings and our rentals current so our community can best utilize this information. You’ll see the real estate information in the second half of the publication. Before we say farewell to 2022 and embark on a new year, we’re happy to celebrate the accomplishments of our local community in bringing a little extra joy to children this holiday season via Operation Christmas Child. I’ve participated in this organization ever since I was a little girl. I would save my happy meal toys from the McDonald’s drive-through to pack up and send to my grandmother who would put the final touches on our family’s group box before dropping it off. Now, as a mother, I know how special this initiative is— to be there for children you’ve never met, to make them smile, and offer a token of your care. We are gearing up for 2023, and wish everyone a joyous holiday season. See you in the New Year! . – Megan Parker Marketing Director Stay Tuned! We have great content coming out and you’re going to want to stay on top of it! Fill out the form below to subscribe to our mailing list and receive Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider in your inbox each month. If you don’t receive an email from us in about 5 minutes, check your junk/spam folder.

Coastal Insider December Edition

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Digital E-Paper The Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider magazine is dedicated to connecting our unique communities of the Grand Strand. From providing valuable community information, such as local area events, businesses, and dining; to educating the public on real estate market trends, our publication offers something for everyone. Take a look at our most recent editions below, or click the link to browse our archives. Coastal Insider This month’s edition is as exciting as ever! Exclusive articles include:  Operation Christmas Child ER Home Ocean Lakes Golf Cards and Services Healthy Living: Winter Blues & Comfort foods Common Sense with Emma Ware Meet Your Neighbor Chef Tom Mullally Celebrating Our Veterans Nelson Melendez (Part II) December 2022 Edition Archives Winter Blues and Comfort Foods Read More Common Sense Cooking and Eating With Emma Ware Read More Celebrate Our Veteran: Nelson Melendez Part II Read More Q&A with Chef Tom Mullaly Read More Ocean Lakes Golf Cars and Service Read More ER Home LLC, Interior Design and General Contracting Read More No posts found 1 2 3 4 5 A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM While 2022 has been a wild ride of unpredictability for many, our dynamic office has never been a stranger to either change or the innovation that comes with it. This past year brought an upgrade to our publication in layout and design. We also changed its title from the Coastal Insider to Coastal Real Estate to better serve our community by including more content reflective of the vibrancy of the real estate market. We did a soft launch that included both real estate and community articles, and sought to have the efforts of both sections blend together. After a year, the feedback has been consistent: our readers preferred to see the Coastal Insider remain as the primary face of our publication. It’s always been our mission to stand by the small businesses in our area, and to preserve the uniqueness of our community by serving it the best we know how. And so, we’ve listened to you, our readers. This month, you’ll notice the change in our cover, as we transitioned back to our title of the Coastal Insider. From the start, we envisioned our publication to act as a reference tool and compass for our readers searching for products, services, real estate, events, or anything that’s an asset to our community. Since our inception, I’ve met thousands of faces in this community, and I’m honored each month to be a part of bringing just a few of their voices to you. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: small businesses are the heartbeat of this community, and we believe in supporting that beat through our publication. We’re grateful for your voice, and invite you to continue sharing with us how we can make our publication ever-better. Additionally, we have always been and continue to be passionate about the ever-changing real estate market; we will continue to keep our listings and our rentals current so our community can best utilize this information. You’ll see the real estate information in the second half of the publication. Before we say farewell to 2022 and embark on a new year, we’re happy to celebrate the accomplishments of our local community in bringing a little extra joy to children this holiday season via Operation Christmas Child. I’ve participated in this organization ever since I was a little girl. I would save my happy meal toys from the McDonald’s drive-through to pack up and send to my grandmother who would put the final touches on our family’s group box before dropping it off. Now, as a mother, I know how special this initiative is— to be there for children you’ve never met, to make them smile, and offer a token of your care. We are gearing up for 2023, and wish everyone a joyous holiday season. See you in the New Year! . – Megan Parker Marketing Director

Operation Christmas Child

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A Different Way to Celebrate the Holidays by Melissa LaScaleia Operation Christmas Child is a subset of Samaritan’s Purse, a worldwide, faith-based, disaster-relief organization that operates out of Boone, NC. Billy Graham started Samaritan’s Purse in 1970, with the intention of offering support in crisis areas to those in need. After Hurricane Florence struck South Carolina in 2018, the organization was active in Socastee for two years, rebuilding numerous homes. Operation Christmas Child began in 1993 as an effort to support children in war-torn Bosnia by distributing shoeboxes to them filled with simple gifts, during what was an otherwise bleak holiday season. With less than a month to mobilize, several communities that first year collectively sent 28,000 boxes. Every year since, Samaritan’s Purse has collected shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, from the public for children around the world. Since 1993, more than 198 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. In Horry and Georgetown counties, more than 175 churches participate in the program every year, helping to spread the word among the community, as well as acting as drop-off locations for the finished boxes. Last year, both counties together netted a total of thirty thousand shoeboxes. You don’t have to be religiously affiliated or a member of a church to volunteer or donate a box— the program is open to all. And for those who aren’t mobile or can’t get out and about with ease, you can build a box online at the Samaritan’s website for $25, and fully customize the contents, including with a note, to say hello to the child who will receive it. Most people fill a box with items themselves, and the website has guides to help people pick age-appropriate toys as well as the most-needed supplies. When you drop off your box, you’ll receive a tracking number so you can follow your box to the country in which it lands. People can also donate one or two items, and those can be added to boxes that need more items by volunteers at central distribution centers. Dale Reeves, a retired teacher and coach from Camden, SC, is the Horry County area coordinator for Operation Christmas Child. He has a background in disaster relief and has been a volunteer with the program for the past seven years. “I felt like I was just called to do this,” he says. “We get to help children— most of whom have never even received a gift, in communities that otherwise would not have a lot.” Locally, the program has thirty year-round volunteers who make things happen, as well as a bevy of short-term volunteers who help during national collection week in November— the week when the boxes are dropped off, processed and shipped to a central location before heading overseas. And they’re always looking for more volunteers. Wife and husband team, Trish and Don Sheehan are working their first year as drop-off coordinators for Garden City Baptist Church. “Each year I took our girls shopping so they could each build a box,” Trish says. “One year, my husband did it with us and he had so much fun he made a point to do it with us every year after that. Even after they were grown, he still wanted to do it.” But arguably it’s the recipients who have the most fun receiving their presents. Testimonials from adults reminiscing about the boxes they received abound on Samaritan’s website. And there’s also one from a Grand Strand local. Tania grew up in Communist Romania, and received a box of colorful crayons in her Christmas box when she was ten years old— she had never seen anything so beautiful. The school supplies inspired her, and today, she’s a special education teacher living in Horry County. Creating a Christmas box is now a family tradition that she and her husband and children complete each year, knowing the impact it can make. Call Us Website

Common Sense Cooking and Eating With Emma Ware

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Where the Name Says It All by Melissa LaScaleia Emma Ware is a certified nutritionist, clinical homeopath, and doctor of holistic nutrition. For twenty years, she’s coached people to reach their health, weight-loss, and happiness goals. Today, the majority of requests which she receives through her business, Common Sense Eating, center on weight loss, diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure management. “When you change these aspects of your health, you change and shift everything,” Emma says. “And in my approach to helping clients get there, the name of my business really says it all.” Emma helps clients navigate the complex world of food choices. She offers consultations, gives presentations, shares recipes, and teaches people how and where to shop so they can take better control of their health, and ultimately, their lives. “What I try to help people implement is a return to the basics,” she says. “I teach them how to get organized both in the kitchen, home, and their personal lives, so they can change their lifestyle and live a healthier one.” As such, she encourages her clients to cook at least 50% of the time, and gives them the skills so they can do so. She also wrote a cookbook, Fast Wholesome Cooking, in 2016, and updated it for 2022 this year, as a guide. “I wrote this book with the intention of helping people who had digestive problems,” she says. “Little did I know we’d be using it for losing weight and healthy eating in general.” Emma describes the book as, “Sesame Street level” in terms of its difficulty rating for both comprehension and execution. And it covers all aspects of what you could encounter in a kitchen at any moment to help guide you fully on your healthy journey. There’s a chapter on menu planning; on cooking one day a week to produce multiple meals; what to do with leftovers; how to organize your kitchen; how to shop; how to eat when dining out; and how to cook for one. The book is focussed around the mindset that every time you eat, consume something that is good for your heart, blood, and lymphatic system. “My favorite chapter is on spices and flavors,” Emma says. “Flavors are important because if you eat the right one, you get fuller faster so you’ll eat less. Also, I think people can get overwhelmed by the volume of spices they think they need, as well as the gadgets they have that they don’t need, that are cluttering up their kitchen. So I made a list of spices to have on hand for any international flavor you want to enjoy: like Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean, Thai, and Indian. “I also wrote the book thinking about all the moms out there who have to work. What made it easy for them was a pre-determined shopping list and quick dinner ideas like flavorful soups and salads.” Emma tries, in her approach, to purge her clients’ addiction to the quick-fix mentality, and instill in them the awareness that healing is a process that takes time. “People just don’t understand that,” she says. “They want everything to be resolved now. But with my approach, your body is healing from the inside out. We’re not putting on a bandaid to mask the problem, and that takes time. There really is no such thing as a quick-fix.” She also cautions against taking the same supplements for years. “A lot of people will hear something is good for them and then stay on it for years, but anything in excess will counter the productivity it was designed to give you,” she says. “You have to keep changing things up to bring yourself to a state of balance. You shouldn’t try to heal yourself unless you know what you’re doing.” It’s just common sense. Address Call Us Website

Celebrate Our Veteran: Nelson Melendez, Part 2

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Peace-Time Medic and Social Activist Celebrate Our Veteran gives voice to the stories of the U.S. military veterans living amongst us. The actions of these brave and dedicated people, who have served our country both in active military duty as well as administrative positions, have and continue to contribute to the protection and preservation of us and our country. We hope that this section of our paper is an opportunity for our community to hear and see veterans with new eyes, and for veterans to receive recognition and honor for their experiences and life journeys. This month’s Celebrate Our Veteran recounts the story of Nelson Melendez, as told in his own words. This is the final chapter of a two-part series, continued from last month. Click here to read Part 1. by Melissa LaScaleia continued from last month… “It was a great experience for me. I enjoyed meeting new people; we were an hour from Seoul and could visit when we had leave time. It was very interesting, and a culture shock of course. I learned to eat Korean food and speak the language a little. I roomed with a KATUSA, a Korean soldier augmented to the American army; he was a sergeant too. KATUSAs wanted to learn the American way of doing things, but the experience gave me the opportunity to learn more of the Korean language and culture too. I would go out to eat with him and learned all kinds of things. I did eat dog and water buffalo, and had no idea at the time. And I’m a dog lover. He thought it was funny, but he only tricked me once. I also developed a love of kimchi, and tried about thirty different types. I found that either you open yourself to the experience, or you lock yourself in, and develop issues. I’m very open. Everywhere I go I try something different. While in Korea, I went to mountain rappelling and water survival school. I was the doc to these soldiers, and they would ask me if I wanted to do things with them because I was there helping them. So they’d give me the opportunity to do something totally outside of my job skill. I learned how to make a rappeling harness out of just rope. I learned how to make something with something else and how to make it work for you. In water survival school we learned how to capsize a rubber Zodiak boat and flip it over. It was very exciting and a lot of fun. Part of what the military is in general is camaraderie with other soldiers. You make bonds with others no matter their walk or way of life because of the circumstances you’re all in. The military is great at teaching people who have nothing in common how to rally behind one common goal. My brother had been shot and sent home, but he returned to the field because he missed the camaraderie. Once a month, North Korea would send air raids. We would climb into foxholes then, waiting to see what would happen. During those times, you were just grateful there was someone next to you in that foxhole, you didn’t care who it was. North Korea wanted to unite with South Korea and wanted the Americans to go home, so they would drop communist propaganda pamphlets out of planes to try to convince the South Koreans to stop cooperating with the Americans and merge their countries. Sometimes, after that, the reality of being away from your home would set in for soldiers. They would come to see me then, questioning what they were doing there. I always tried to set them right within themselves— to remind them they had signed up for themselves, for their own personal reasons, and it wasn’t that they owed anything to the army or South Korea. I was in Korea for fourteen months, as part of a reactionary force, or what they called a peace time soldier. I take off my hat to anyone who went to war— they had to do something I never had to do. I understand the difference between someone who’s a combat veteran and what I did. The people who went to Korea and Vietnam, they are the true heroes; I was just a support person. I’m grateful for my time in the military and living in a place that is so supportive to and appreciative of veterans. That spirit of gratitude is indoctrinated into me. If it wasn’t for what I did there, I’d be a different person from who I am. After Korea, I separated from the Army from California. I had signed up for six years: four active duty and two reserves. Most reserves spend one weekend a month, but because I was a medic, I always had to get vehicles and supplies ready. That took time, so I was a different status; I was almost like an active reservist. Upon my exit, I returned to Brooklyn, and within a week was working for UPS. After wearing a uniform for so long, it feels natural to keep doing it. So I did that for about a year, and then a friend offered me a job at a bank in the accounting department in New York. Then I was wearing a suit and a tie for the next few years—  just a different type of uniform. At that time, the social activist Luis Garden Acosta had just begun a leadership program at El Puente de Williamsburg. Its mission was to get young people mobilized and socialized so they would learn about history and culture and grow from being drug dealers to community activists and leaders. I was asked to come in and work at this program, mentoring and assisting youth, to get these kids off the street and to live more fulfilling lives. I ended up doing this for the next eleven years, and met my wife, Lisa, during this time too. Many … Read more

Q&A with Chef Tom Mullaly

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Chef, Entrepreneur, Lover of the Beach Lifestyle by Melissa LaScaleia Introduce me to your family. My parents are 78 years old, and doing well. They live in Massachusetts along with my two brothers and a sister. I’m the eldest and the only one who moved away. Everyone can cook like a champ, I’m just the only one who does it for a living. Locally, my family is my fiancé, Kim Bodkin. She’s a native Myrtle Beachian. Where are all the places you came from? What area of the Grand Strand do you now call home? I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. I moved to Providence, Rhode Island to attend culinary school at Johnson & Wales, then lived in Orlando, Florida to complete an apprenticeship in a French restaurant at the Hyatt Grand Cyprus Resorts. I also trained overseas, living in Switzerland for almost five years, and traveled around Europe, learning about culture and cuisine. Because of this, I speak German somewhat fluently. Now I live in Myrtle Beach, where I’ve been for the past 28 years. Why did you move here? After Europe, I sent my resume out to a head hunter, and decided to move here to take an executive chef position at The Sea Captain’s House Restaurant. I was their executive chef for seven years, and still remain close with the owners and their family— I cook for them several times a year through my catering business. Tell me about your business. What I love about food is that it brings people together. I also love that I’m in a never-ending-learning profession. I’ve been in the culinary arts field for thirty-eight years and there’s nothing I can’t cook, but I still see new techniques, ideas, and recipes all the time. I got my first executive chef job when I was twenty-six, and was in the restaurant scene for nineteen years. It’s hard, and can wear you out a bit. At thirty-eight, I stopped and started my own catering company, Strand Catering, www.strand-catering.com. I’ve also been an instructor at the Culinary Institute in Myrtle Beach for the past twenty-three years, teaching an array of classes, like Kitchen Fundamentals, and Asian Cuisine. What is your favorite place in this area? I’m a beach bum, so any of the Grand Strand beaches. I would rather sweat than freeze. I also love all the beautiful golf courses here. What are your favorite things to do here?  Besides cooking, my hobbies include beach time, golfing, and (even though I have no tattoos or piercings), riding my Harley Davidson around town. I like the outdoor activities because I’m always cooped up inside cooking. I love putting around my yard, landscaping. My yard looks like a golf course, and I always decorate seasonally. I also love deep sea fishing. The biggest fish I ever caught was a 145lb sailfish in Costa Rica; it was catch and release. Locally, I caught a 50lb wahoo; I ate that one. Gotta eat sometime. What do you like the most about living here? I love the Southern hospitality and laid-back atmosphere. People here are nice and gracious, and there’s so much to do. I haven’t been bored yet. How has your lifestyle changed or what new activities have you taken up since moving here? I had never golfed till I moved here. I also met Kim here, at a culinary event. Food brought us together. I proposed to her in Charleston at a French restaurant, before dessert. I had to do it with a culinary flare, of course. What is one thing that your neighbors don’t know about you? I’m very artistic, and like to do oil paintings and charcoal sketches. It helps me with food and plate presentations I think: like creating art on a plate. Any advice for aspiring chefs? Never forget your culinary roots. And no bland food allowed.

Ocean Lakes Golf Cars and Service

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Serving Ocean Lakes and the Entire Grand Strand Community by Melissa LaScaleia Ocean Lakes Golf Cars, located in the iconic Ocean Lakes Family Campground, is a sales, service and rental company that has been serving the needs of campground guests as well as the public since the ‘80s. “Many people don’t realize the extent of what we have to offer our community,” says Jeff Caldwell, the golf car manager for Ocean Lakes. “Ocean Lakes Golf Cars is available for everyone, not just guests of our campground.” Their rental fleet is comprised of 1000 golf cars. At their showroom, they have over two hundred golf cars for sale, including the Club Car Onward Golf Cars, which are powered via electric (including Lithium Ion), or gas; and the HP version Onward, an innovative high performance AC drive motor. They also sell reconditioned golf cars. “No one reconditions a golf car the way we do,” says Jeff. “We do what’s called a frame-off restoration. We disassemble the entire golf car and acid-wash the aircraft-grade aluminum frame that Club Car uses in all their golf cars, so even the frame looks brand new. The salt from the ocean air is harsh on metal; even though it will not rust aluminum, it still leaves an impact. So, we take the extra step to fully refurbish it, so the car is pristine for our customers. Our attention to detail and quality of workmanship that we put into the restoration process is what sets us apart from everyone else.” Their warehouse facility hosts one of the largest inventories of parts, accessories, wheels, and tires in the Southeast. “Having this facility lets us expand our offerings so we have more choices for our customers and can customize most anything,” says Jeff. “We now offer a larger selection of paint schemes, custom accessories, trim, wheels and tires. We can show our customers the build process from beginning to end, and they can be as involved in the process as they like.” Some of the most frequently requested installs are lift kits, Bluetooth stereo systems, wheels and tires, and seat upgrades. Today, they sell over 500 cars per year. “We’ve done a lot of custom cars over the years— creating beach scenes in paint or incorporating colors from people’s favorite sports team,” Jeff says. “We add accessories that fit people’s individual tastes. Our website shows some current ideas for custom car options.” If you already own a golf car, Ocean Lakes services most makes and brands, and provides service from Georgetown to North Carolina along the coastal areas. They offer pickup and delivery service along the Grand Strand. They are also an authorized Club Car dealer. Club Car conducts a week-long, on-site training every year for Ocean Lake’s service technicians, giving the campground an edge in the latest technology, so they, in turn, can provide outstanding service. Ocean Lakes has eleven, full-time, factory-trained Club Car service technicians working in their service department. Ocean Lakes Golf Cars has been affiliated with Club Car for more than seventeen years, offering their cars to rent or buy. They have won Club Car’s coveted Black & Gold Elite status in 2018, 2019, and their Black & Gold status from 2020 through the present for: “Outstanding sales performance and customer service.” This is a mark of distinction which sets Ocean Lakes Golf Cars among the top 10% of Club Car dealers in the world. The honor was given because, according to Club Car, Ocean Lakes Golf Cars, “Achieved extraordinary levels of sales and service, demonstrated exceptional financial performance, implemented successful marketing strategies and maintained top-notch facilities.” “Ocean Lakes Family Campground has been very successful over the years, starting with our board of directors and senior leadership, down to our newest teammates,” Jeff says. “We are a family. And I credit all the success we’ve had to that. Speaking on behalf of our teammates, we all want to see that every guest who visits Ocean Lakes creates family memories that will last a lifetime.” Address Call Us Website Facebook

ER Home LLC, Interior Design and General Contracting

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The Man Behind the Name, the Gift, and the Journey by Melissa LaSaleia For interior design maven and the owner of ER Home LLC, Eric Richards, creativity and a drive for excellence have always come naturally. “In design school my teachers were blown away by my proficiency and I was too,” Eric says. “How I got this gift, I don’t know, but I’m grateful I have it and I don’t take it for granted.” That gift launched him on a path as a designer and into a richness of life experiences he never could have imagined. Over the last thirty-odd years of his career, Eric has undertaken projects for multi-billion dollar corporations; Luxury Living magazine; as well as numerous private homes coast to coast and along the Grand Strand. He also birthed his company, ER Home LLC. “Interior design is not as much about decorating as people believe,” Eric explains. “It’s about form and function; configuring and utilizing a space to achieve a certain lifestyle and feeling depending on how people interact with their home and with one another in it.” But to get to that point, a lot of work has to be done in terms of architectural construction and installation. He sees architecture— including plumbing, hardware, electrical fixtures, and flooring— as an integral component of interior design. He learned all the skills he considers essential for his creation process, and, with his team at ER Home, works as an all-inclusive, multi-talented, and licensed contractor. He completes tasks such as: painting; wallpapering; tile work; custom furniture design and building; refurbishment; carpentry; kitchen and bath remodeling; electrical; plumbing; and decorating. ER Home is proficient in green construction and building practices, as well as feng shui— the latter, a technique which Eric was already employing intuitively in his designs without realizing it. Nevertheless, he spent six months of study in San Francisco to gain a deeper understanding and confidence in the art. For Eric, interior design is a highly individual and joyful process for each and every client— as well as a fluid and constantly evolving one. “The longer you’re personally in the home and around the clients,” he says, “the more they all speak to you. So the different layers will change throughout the process. There’s a psychology about working with clients and with design— you have to use it to fuse many different styles together.” This may seem like an overwhelming task, but early in life, Eric chose to live by a mantra that has guided him ever since, and which he attributes to one of the hallmarks of his success: “There are no problems, only solutions.” “With all of my experience, I still learn something new every day,” he says. Eric views every challenge he’s faced as an opportunity to think outside the box and reach new heights in his depth both as a person as well as a designer. Since he began, his talent has grown in the scope, sophistication, and nuance of what he is able to achieve, no matter the size or budget of his project. “As my business has grown, my reputation has too, and it’s given me the opportunity to be more creative and more grateful than I ever thought I could be,” he says. “I’m confident in my gift, but I’m humbled I’m the man it was gifted to. My cup truly runneth over; I have incredible clients and friends, and I spend my days doing what I love, making a difference in other people’s lives. “Confucius said, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ And that’s my reality. I’m just so grateful for my life every day, no matter the challenge.” Call Us Website Facebook

Winter Blues and Comfort Foods

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Countering Winter Weight Gain by Jen Kavanagh During the long winter months, do you look for comfort, longing for warmer, sunny summer days? Many people turn to comfort foods full of fat and calories during this season. But when summer comes, and the shorts, tank tops and bathing suits come out, you may realize those comfort foods weren’t the best choices, as the scale has ticked up a bit and things are feeling a little tight. Here are some things you can do this winter to avoid weight gain, have high energy, and sail through the winter months. Don’t deprive yourself of the things you love. Restriction and deprivation leads to binges. Don’t try a fad diet. These new diets promise amazing results, but most don’t deliver. Any fad diet promising quick weight loss usually results in gaining all the weight you lost back. They are not sustainable for the long term and real life. Eat whole foods that fill your body with nutrients to give you energy and keep you feeling full and happy. Live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of your food should be healthy whole foods, like lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. That leaves you with 20% of your total calories to come from fun foods and drinks, like chocolate cake or wine. Cook comfort foods at home. In this way, you have control over the quality of ingredients, as home-cooked food contains fewer calories than take-out and restaurant cooking. I always strive to improve upon the health factor of the recipes I cook with small healthy substitutions. There are lots of ways to reduce calories and fat by using more healthful ingredients and replacing the less healthy items. Track your food intake with an app like My Fitness Pal. You can also track your energy output with a device like a Fitbit. This helps a great deal with accountability and makes it easy to avoid weight gain by simply making sure you are expending more calories than you ingest. Get some exercise. Even if you don’t like to be outside in the cold, there are tons of great in-home videos and programs for very little money. The more you burn, the less likely you are to gain weight; you may even lose some. Being consistent with a healthy diet will help you maintain great energy throughout your day as well as keep your weight in check, so when summer arrives, you’ll feel fabulous in those shorts and bathing suits.

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