Dr. Hyman is on vacation, so today's blog is a guest editorial prepared especially for The UltraMetabolism Blog subscribers by the health editors of www.SixWise.com...

There's no doubt about it. Christmas, Hanukah, New Year's Eve and the other holidays that occur during this season are a time for family bonding, reflection, and fun.

But when you're committed to health and fitness, this can also be a frustrating time of the year.

That's because you can find yourself surrounded by bad food choices.

And the temptation to eat these foods -- and lots of them -- feels like it's everywhere, from office holiday parties to gatherings with family and friends.

If you've ever overindulged during the holidays, you're probably all too familiar with the results.

Most of us slightly overestimate how much we gain during this season.

You don't have to have lots of time -- or money -- on your hands to be healthy!

Yet that's one of most common misconceptions I hear.

I have been reading the responses to my blogs and deeply understand the challenges of trying to eat well with limited financial resources, limited time, or both.

But I promise you -- you don't have to be rich or retired to eat well and take care of yourself.

And that's not just lip service.

I know what it's like to live on very little.

In college and medical school, I lived on $300 a month (for rent, food, and entertainment). And in residency, I lived on $27,000 a year while supporting a wife and two children.  Even though that was 20 years ago, it still wasn't much for a family of four.

These days, I understand more than ever what it's like to have very little free time.

“Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
-- Hippocrates

Want to know the secret behind how Italians stay so thin and happy?

It’s a secret I uncovered during my trip to Italy, where I’m writing this week’s blog.

Sitting in the Umbrian countryside, having just enjoyed a home-cooked meal prepared by Simonetta, a local chef, the answer is clear to me.

Family, friends, and fresh, whole food are all part of the pleasure of being alive.  And these pleasures help keep you healthy and thin.

It’s that simple!

The food I’ve eaten in Italy is real food, meant to savored, not just used as fuel.

Tonight’s meal was served on a long wooden table, set with beautiful ceramic plates painted with sunflowers. 

Simonetta made light chicken meatballs with a fresh tomato sauce, accompanied by an fresh arugula and radicchio salad, and a side salad of vine-ripened, freshly picked garden tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted peppers, and grilled eggplant, drizzled with fresh extra-virgin olive oil made from the olive trees surrounding the old stone farmhouse.