It’s hard to believe that October is in the rear view mirror and that holiday season preparations are just around the corner. If you haven’t already started, you’ll soon be very busy gift shopping, home decorating, and planning holiday menus. In the midst of the gathering and giving season, where we often think of others, we have a tendency to neglect our personal well beginning. If you feel like you’ve been indulging in some not so healthy snacks lately, don’t be too hard on yourself. This time of year tends to be packed with busy schedules, an abundance of holiday deadlines and simply not enough time to accomplish everything we wish. With all of the family gatherings and holiday parties during the next two months, we should prepare to look and feel great for these celebrations.
Many have good intentions of eating well and staying healthy throughout the holiday season, but it can be so hard to resist the pumpkin pie and wide array of delicious but high calorie holiday sweets! Why wait for the new year to begin setting personal improvement goals? If we begin getting on track now, we won’t have to feel so guilty about treating ourselves to our favorite once-a-year delicacies. Luckily, a healthy lifestyle can be just around the OTO corner. You don’t have to travel far to start implementing healthy habits on a daily basis. To ensure the most confident you, we’ve come up with some easy tips you can utilize while we count down to the end of the year. Our Old Towne Orange helpful hints are local and easily accessible. Therefore, looking and feeling your best is achievable!
If you tend to avoid the the gym at all costs, then taking a series of classes is a great alternative. There are many fun and interactive courses that will totally make your workout fly by! Have you noticed that everyone’s been raving about Pilates lately? 
Celebrities swear by it and people can’t stop buzzing about its amazing benefits. Since our goal is to get in shape for the holidays, time is of the essence! Pilates Encore is the only studio in our area to offer Whole Body Vibrations (WBV). This method uses vibration to cut a 40 minute workout into 10 minutes. It doesn’t get much better than that! Aside from WBV, their full list of services offer something everyone will love! The studio is located in the beautiful garden of The Potting Shed by Carlisle, which totally beats going to any ordinary gym.
No time to exercise? Well, you should at least be nourishing your body with the nutritious foods that it needs. Incorporating clean foods into your diet will reward you with more energy and is a great way to kick-start a healthy lifestyle. Old Towne
Orange has some amazing options that we can’t stay away from. Mead’s Green Door Cafe serves up a flavorful vegan and vegetarian menu that even a fully committed carnivore would appreciate. Start your morning with the satisfying and energy-packed Quinoa Hot Cereal or treat your tummy to one of their hearty veggie burgers for lunch. They have meatless and nutritious variations of many delicious dishes. Rutabegorz Cafe also has a long list of tasty, healthy choices. Along with many vegetarian options they offer lean meats, low-fat condiments, and fresh ingredients. Their outdoor area is a great place to relax and recharge after a long day! If you can’t find the time to cook during the week, stop by and enjoy a meal from one of these delectable venues!
While we’re on the topic of food, we can’t help but stress the importance of eating local and 
organic as much as possible. Since the Orange Home Grown Farmers and Artisan Market is conveniently open every Saturday, we really don’t have an excuse! Cook delicious and healthy meals at home using fresh ingredients like seasonal veggies, artisan breads, free-range chicken eggs and grass-fed beef. After hitting the market get your blood circulating by taking a stroll down to the circle. Reward yourself with a delicious Acai bowl from Growl and a little bit of shopping!
This hectic time of year brings much hustle and bustle, but we must remember the true meaning of the holidays. Spend quality time with family and friends in Old Towne Orange this season! There is much to look forward to as we begin to deck the halls around the circle. Stay updated with all the holiday happenings through our blog and event pages! Get your body in shape. Don’t forget if you Gobble, you will waddle
