Last night in our neighborhood gazebo there was a guy with a long white beard wearing a red suit, with black boots, a pointy red hat and he was passing out presents to kids from his large gunny sack.

He seemed to be a very jovial and jolly kind of fellow, that can probably be attributed to all the milk and cookies he eats along with having helpers do all the work for him.

It appears the rich food combined with no exercise has slowly crept up to being around 30 lbs around his mid-section.

What would I say to him if he were coming to me asking how he could lose those unwanted, dreaded extra pounds?

First of all, I would tell him that once New Year's Day is over to cut out the cookies and milk. If he were to splurge occasionally, to make sure the cookies were gluten-free and it was coconut, almond, or rice milk.

If he asked me why to go gluten-free, I would tell him that since he had Scandinavian blood being from the North Pole, he could potentially develop an auto-immune disease like Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or Alzheimer's or Celiac, along with a host of other autoimmune conditions that you NEVER want to develop.

I would also tell him the casein protein from cow's milk can also wreak similar havoc to one's health.

Next, I would tell him to lay off the carbs and start eating more lean protein and veggies instead of white carbs like bread, rice, & even oatmeal, which can pack on the weight.

Thirdly, I would tell him to start exercising more. He doesn't have to spend 3 hours a day sweating, straining, huffing, and puffing in a gym, but even going for a walk around the block is a good start three times a week. It is an easy place to begin.

Fourth, I would tell him to incorporate some intermittent fasting and have his first meal of the day after 12 noon. In addition, I would tell him to stop staying up so late and start getting to bed earlier...10:00pm light are out.

Ok, if that is too early for you, try 10:30pm at the latest. The more hours you sleep before midnight, the more weight you will lose when you intermittently fast.

Lastly, I would tell him to cut out all beverages, especially caffeinated drinks as they tend to dehydrate the body and cause him to retain more water weight, and start drinking more water especially when he first wakes up in the morning.

If he made these few changes over a period of one year, he could slowly start to lose that extra 30 pounds and move towards getting healthier, enabling him to do what he was meant to do.

Anyway, doing all these things mentioned above is often not the challenge, it's deciding and committing to stick with the plan; but remember, it CAN be done.

Have a Wonderful Christmas Eve tonight!

Dr. Derek 'Santa's helper' Taylor

PS - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!