I’m so excited that the holiday season is finally here that I’m just about to burst at the seams, literally. I’m one of those people who gushes holiday cheer starting November 1, and there’s no stopping it. For this reason I am the perfect person to drum up a holiday playlist to help you get jolly in the gym this December.

The holiday season is like sensory overload with all of my favorite things: Comfort food, cheery music, chilly weather, hot drinks, gift giving, family visiting, cookie cutting, Santa Claus stories and Christmas movies – there’s just too much excitement to take in! Good thing we have almost five weeks to go before Christmas actually arrives, otherwise I don’t think I could stand it coming or going any sooner than it already does.

To get you in the holiday spirit whether you’re a runner, yogi, cyclist, walker or weights enthusiast, check out our handpicked holiday playlist. It features upbeat songs to help you heat things up, and even includes three songs at the end to help you cool things down. Just click on the links below to download the track directly from Amazon and take them with you wherever you go. 
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Not only do we get to help you through your gift-giving list by playing personal shopper, but we also get to play Secret Santa. Talk about two jobs we love!

Click through to each gift guide to see all 50 gift ideas and where to buy each item. Plus, enter to win each of the five gift guide prize packs, valued at almost $1800. For the first time ever, we’re giving you FOUR chances to win EACH gift guide, by commenting, Tweeting, Pinning, and sharing on Facebook.

We’ve sought out the best gear that makes the best gifts for every person on your list. Once again, we’ve filled five separate gift guides with the coolest stuff of the year for runners, foodies, yogis, gym rats, and of course healthy, active kids!

It’s our best giveaway of the year for the most wonderful time of the year!

Gym Rat Prize Pack: Inflatable stand-up paddle board from West Marine, weight lifting gear from Harbinger, Candi Factory panties, Moso air purifying bags, Contigo water bottle, DOD Fitness Donuts, and a Wello 30-minute personal training session. Value: $776.90

Runner Prize Pack: UA Spine RPM Storm shoes, Omron pedometer, Mile22 race bag souvenir bag, Flight001 shoe bag, My Arm Pocket, My Ring Guard, Gel-Bot, 2 8-packs of Gu, and Gold Bond’s Friction Defense. Value: $360.10

Yogi Prize Pack: custom Yogamatic yoga mat, Portable Pilates kit, 30-minute personal yoga session on Wello, The Big Book of Yoga, ToeSox, Yummi Yogi tree pose cookie cutter, Elements yoga DVD, and a Moso air purifying bag. Value: $240.42

Foodie Prize Pack: Ninja Professional blender, Black+Blum Soup Pot, Canadian Maple Syrup gift pack, and a copy of Taste of Home Best Loved Recipes. Value: $157.98

Healthy Kids Prize Pack: Zoku Quick Pop Maker, JumpSport iBounce, Unreal Candy sampler pack, Contigo Kids water bottle, Sip’n Spoons, Copy Kids DVD, and 4-pack of Little Green Pouches. Value $241.30
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It’s as hard for us to believe as anyone else that “the holidays” officially kick off in just one week! We hope we aren’t the only ones already thinking about how to make this a healthful season where we spend more time giving thanks and less time feeling guilty.

We want to help ensure you have such a holiday season for yourself and your family. That’s why we’ve partnered with Bob Greene and team at The Best Life Diet for a five-week Holiday Survival Guide.

You’ll learn how to manage the craziest parts of the season – like overeating, stress, and fitting in a workout. If keeping you motivated weren’t enough, together we’re offering up more than $5,000 in prizes to help you end this year on a high note as you work on embracing all that lies ahead in 2013.

The Holiday Survival Guide kicks off on Tuesday, November 20 with a Twitter Party to get you in the spirit of this special event. Join us and the Best Life team for a one-hour event to introduce you to both of our social media teams, which will play an integral role in keeping participants motivated for five weeks.

TWITTER PARTY

Use #HolidayFit

Follow @TheBestLife and @DietsInReview

Start at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on Nov. 20

You can officially sign-up to join The Holiday Survival Guide on Monday, November 19 at TheBestLife.com. Then, you’ll receive five emails each week through December focused on a different element of managing the season in a healthful way. Plus, find Facebook and Twitter posts each day to keep you on track.
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We are hours away from the weekend, which means it is time for your weekly dose of healthy news! This week we have rounded up stories from Entertainment Weekly, Best Life Diet, and Yahoo! Shine. And while Halloween may be over, we’ve got treats that can be made with your leftover candy.

Eating Healthy on $12 Per Day Food Stamp Budget is Impossible and How the Next President May Make it Worse

With the elections coming up, government programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, could be changed drastically. DIR’s staff writer Lacy J. Hansen tried to feed her family healthy meals on a food stamp budget and barely made it. Read about Lacy’s food stamp project and tell us what you think!

Vanessa Lembo Lost 120 Pounds After Deciding She Was Worth The Change

This week’s true weight loss story features Vanessa from Upstate New York. After Vanessa’s mother’s passed, she knew she had to start living a healthy life. She ditched the bags of Dove chocolate for cardio and weight training. Tell us what you think about Vanessa’s weight loss journey!

Kids Sell Halloween Candy for Cash at Dental Buy Back Programs Across the Country

There is a new trend sweeping the nation – kids selling their Halloween candy back to dentist offices. Tooth decay and cavities are a result of children eating loads of Halloween candy. We found one kid who received $22 for selling his Halloween candy to a local dentist office! This is a neat way to get rid of the sugar high will still giving them a reason to celebrate.
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Thanks for stopping by today, but we’re not here. Once a year our very talented, very hard working team takes a single day off to celebrate Christmas with their families. That day is upon us!

We often joke with concerned family and friends that the Internet doesn’t ever shut down, and neither do we.

We hope you, as well, find some time to stop and enjoy your family and friends during this harried and joyful time of year.

Indulge a little. Enjoy a lot.

Merry Christmas from all of us at DietsInReview!