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Turkey. Ham. Dressing. Green Bean Casserole. Cookies. Cakes. Fudge… and the list goes on.

As if the abundance of food at your family holiday gatherings isn’t enough, the festive snacks offered at the workplace and the goodies shared by neighbors make it the most indulging time of the year.

On average, we can gain a couple of pounds – and, yikes, as much as 10 - between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The holidays account for much of a person’s annual weight gain over the course of a lifetime.

This time of year most people reflect on the past year and make resolutions or goals to make he new year even better. A lot of times, those new resolutions only last a few days or weeks, and they are thrown by the wayside by the beginning of February. This year, let's set our goals and stick to them! Follow these tips to help you be the best you can be.

Holidays just aren’t the same when you have lost a loved one.

Though coping with the emptiness is challenging every day, the grief can be perplexing and overwhelming during this time of year.

One minute, you are fine and enjoying time with family. The next, a yuletide song on the radio leaves you heartbroken.

Grief during the holidays is especially profound the first year of your loss. However, it can also linger for years. That’s because holidays mark the passage of time in our lives, according to Grief.com. “They are part of the milestones we share with each other and they generally represent time spent with family. They bring meaning to certain days and we bring much meaning back to them.”

So how do you cope? Is there a way you can have an enjoyable Thanksgiving, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah or wonderful New Year following the death of a spouse, partner, family member or friend?

Here is some advice that might help:

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is certainly true with many common childhood illnesses. Things as simple as handwashing and drinking fluids can go a long way toward prevention.

Here’s what you can do minimize the impact of five common childhood issues: urinary tract infections, earaches, sore throats, skin infections, and the common cold. Of course, always consult a doctor for recommendations specific to your child’s health situation.

Pinkeye can be highly contagious. If your child or someone in your family has pinkeye, consult a family doctor or ophthalmologist. It’s important to determine exactly what’s going on, and what steps you should take to manage it.

Here are some common questions parents have about pinkeye in children.

When you have a specific disease or condition, specialists provide hyper-focused care in areas such as endocrinology, cardiovascular surgery or gastroenterology.

However, primary care physicians are - in a way - specialists, too. They treat the overall well-being of their patients. Like their specialist colleagues, primary care physicians go through equally rigorous education on all facets of medicine. Their "specialty" is serving as the first line of defense (and prevention) in the health care process.

Questioning the diagnosis of your doctor can be an uncomfortable situation. Many people fear they will hurt their doctors feelings or that they may receive worse care because they will be seen as "too picky."

Why Would I Seek a Second Opinion?

A second opinion could be sought for any situation, but usually a second opinion is sought when a patient is looking for different treatment options.

One-third of the U.S. population has varicose veins of some kind, including spider veins - thin, wispy veins that are usually most visible across the legs and feet. And if your parents have them, you have a 90% chance of developing them too.

If you spot spider veins on your body, it’s important to take action and notify a doctor. Although spider veins are often purely cosmetic, they can be a symptom of something much deeper.

Do you have varicose veins? If so, you should know that 50% of varicose vein patients have a family history of developing them, and you have a 90% chance of developing them if both of your parents have them.

This is an example of the strong link between genetics and vein health. Sorry to break the bad news, but genetics play a big part in your likelihood of having vein disease. However, having a family history doesn’t mean you’re facing a lost cause.