The Holiday Season is in full swing! The sounds of Christmas music, the smell of fraser fir, and the holiday party invites are abundant this time of year.

If you’re like me and love to go to parties but hate feeling unhealthy, use these tips to healthily enjoy yourself this holiday season.

Do’s To Healthily Enjoying Alcohol

+ Stick to organic alcoholic beverages when possible. Bring two bottles of organic red wine to the party – one to open and enjoy and one to give as a hostess gift.

+ Eat a snack that includes a protein, healthy fat and fiber before imbibing to help slow down the absorption of the alcohol and keep your blood sugar stable. Have your healthy snack before you leave the house so you don’t end up at the party’s dessert table.

+ Remember to take your multivitamin with your snack before drinking. It will give you a boost of nutrients and help combat hangovers.

+ Have a glass of purified water in between each drink to help detox & prevent dehydration.

+ Enjoy 3-4 drinks each week, not 3-4 drinks each day. Moderate alcohol consumption can have health benefits, but excessive consumption can wreak havoc on your health.

+ Choose from these three things:

• Red wine (preferably organic)
• Cold filtered sake
• Clear liquors, like high-quality vodka. Choose a high-quality brand because they’re better filtered than cheap brands. Mix it with club soda and/or fresh lemon or lime to your liking.

Healthy Cocktail Option: 1 ounce vodka with 6 ounces club soda, a heavy squeeze of fresh lime and a splash (about 1/2 ounce) of cranberry juice. Easy on the juice to keep the sugar down.

Club soda doesn’t have any calories or sugar, but it does contain sodium (to give it bubbles) so enjoy it in moderation as too much sodium can cause dehydration.

+ Always skip:

• White wine
• Beer
• Dark liquors
• All mixers except club soda. This including regular soda, diet soda, juice, and tonic water, which are all filled with sugar or unhealthy artificial sweeteners. A small splash of healthy juice for flavor and color is ok.

Don’ts To Healthily Enjoying Alcohol

+ Drink on an empty stomach.

+ Mix alcohol with sugary-mixers or just dessert. The alcohol combined with all of the extra sugar will spike your blood sugar like crazy and you’ll feel extra hungry for days.

+ Mix alcohol with energy drinks. You shouldn’t drink energy drinks in the first place, but mixing alcohol with them is even worse.

+ Drink every night of the week. Give your body (and liver!) a break.

And, if you ever drink too much…

+ Before you go to bed, take an anti-inflammatory supplement with a large glass of water to help prevent your hangover. I swear by USANA’s Proflavonal C100; three of them with a large glass of water before bed and then again in the morning works miracles on hangovers.

+ Drink a huge glass of water upon waking, then fill a large water bottle and keep drinking it throughout the day.

+ Eat a low glycemic breakfast asap in the morning. Skip the juice and pastries and have a healthy protein drink – I like USANA’s Chocolate Nutrimeal – or scrambled eggs with veggies. Drinking too much throws your blood sugar off track so you’ll be craving sugar – break the cycle in the morning by getting back on low glycemic foods. Take your multivitamin with your breakfast in the morning, too.

+ Sip on hot water with lemon throughout the day to help promote your body’s detoxification process.