Twelve Days of Holiday Wellness
A Dozen Ways to Jumpstart a Happy New Year
This, the most wonderful time of the year, has a tendency to throw us off of our healthy eating game. With school, work and a mounting holiday shopping list, we can easily be derailed by an endless barrage of holiday cookies, nogs and indulgent family comfort foods. Relax, we’re human. There’s plenty of time to celebrate and be nourished well, also.
This guide to a healthier holiday season includes simple self-care tips, delicious holiday-ready recipes, and of course ‘food bites’ for thought!
’Tis always the season to be healthy and for making spirits bright(er).
DAY 1: JUMPSTART YOUR MORNINGS WITH A PLANT-POWERED BREAKFAST
It is easy to make indulgent eating a 24/7 thing during the holiday break. Choose your meals wisely, and make those warm cinnamon buns a special treat. Then, get right back to eating a balanced breakfast with complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and lean protein. Who doesn’t love a meal that has the power to fire up brainpower, increase energy and support happy thoughts? Give the morning pastry or breakfast bar a day off.
Thrive Now tip: Eat something within an hour of opening your eyes rather than waiting until you are ravenous.
DAY 2: GET YOUR HOLIDAY PLATE IN SHAPE
Begin by filling 50–90% of your plate with vegetable dishes. Veggies are the most nutrient dense foods and are loaded with fiber and water that keeps you feeling full longer. Their calorie content is accompanied by health-promoting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Surely in this holiday season, many favorite foods come but once a year. Just be mindful of tasting everything you love, while giving yourself the option to feel good, rather than like a stuffed turkey at holiday meals.
The average dinner plate is inching up from 9.2 inches to 12 inches, so hold onto that salad plate. You are likely to eat 10% less just by shrinking your plate size. Then, make ‘EAT THE BEST, LEAVE THE REST’’ your mantra at the holiday table.
DAY 3: TOAST TO HEALTHIER HOLIDAY CHEER
WATCH OUT FOR LIQUID CALORIES in Egg Nog, Caramel Lattes and takeout Hot Chocolate. This year, the supermarket shelves are lined with better-for-you holiday beverage selections. Even the iconic brand Reddi Whip has your pie and hot chocolate needs covered, with spray cans of non-dairy whipped toppings made from coconut and almond milk. This creamy innovation addresses a consumer trend in plant-based eating which has yielded a broader consumer demand for alternatives to animal-based dairy offerings. These options are equally suited to be sprayed right onto your tongue!
DAY 4: DRESS YOUR SIDES WITH HEALTHY HOLIDAY TOPPERS
NOURISH GUESTS WHILE ENTERTAINING IN STYLE. Enhance your greens and grains, while offering more bang for your nutrient buck, by adding toppers including fruit-sweetened cranberries, no-sugar added raisins or dried cherries, a squeeze of fresh citrus, pomegranate seeds or toasted nuts.
To toast nuts, spread them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often. Use the cooking times below as a guide, and keep a close watch so nuts don’t burn.. If lightly toasting pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts in the oven, stay close by while baking, Nuts should be done in 3–5 minutes, depending on oven temperature.
Almonds and cashews: 6 to 8 minutes
Hazelnuts, Pecans and Walnuts: 8 to 10 minutes
DAY 5: TAKE YOUR VITAMIN L* AND SHARE SOME
PUSH THE RESET BUTTON AND SCHEDULE ‘ME’ TIME.
· Relieve stress by doing activities that make you happy.
· Spend some quiet time during the holidays without technology. #mindovermatter #worthit
· Give lots of hugs during the holiday.
Did you know a 20 second hug releases the bonding hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin, which is nature’s antidepressant and anti-anxiety.
Download the Calm app at Calm.com or Headspace Meditation at Headspace.com.
Both are FREE. *Love
DAY 6: STUFF A BIRD OR A VEGETABLE
Stuff seasonal squash with a mixture of sautéed onions, red bell pepper, corn, kidney beans, herbs and whatever is in your produce crisper screaming to be eaten (before the nutrient load goes south!) Optional: Melt cheddar cheese or dairy-free cheddar ‘shreds’ over the stuffed squash after its cooked, under the broiler.
A healthy hack for the filling is a pre-made, Riced Cauliflower Stuffing prepared with carrots, leeks, onions, celery and cranberries. You don’t have to be low carb or vegan to enjoy this dish. You might just want to balance out the indulgent mashed potatoes and homemade pies with a delicious, nutritious side. This ready-made stuffing makes a killer scramble or burrito too, this holiday season.
DAY 7: ENERGY BOOSTERS
INHALING THE SCENT OF CITRUS IS KNOWN TO IMPROVE MOOD AND ONE’S ABILITY TO FOCUS.
Unplug from seasonal stress by sniffing a just-opened Clementine orange! The skin of this in-season fruit is bursting with the delicious scent of orange oil. Carrying a pure citrus-infused essential oil (lemon, orange or grapefruit) around with you at holiday-time will also do the trick. Bring the bottle back to school in January for a library stress-buster.
It’s starting to feel a lot like holiday self-care! My retail muse Trader Joe’s is carrying plenty of good cheer in their personal care section right now. Keep their Ginger Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Cream beside your workspace, so you access an instant aromatherapy session when feeling stressed, or in need of a reboot. Ginger is known to energize and uplift. Another favorite is the seasonal Face Mask Trio which indeed fulfills its’ promise to refresh, renew and restore.
HEALTHY SNACKS ARE A PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST MINDLESS OVEREATING. Take the edge off hunger before meals with a snack including protein, fiber and healthy fat. A dried fig stuffed with a few walnuts or a dried date with a small handful of almonds will prevent you from arriving at a holiday party famished and inclined to eat to excess.
DAY 8: SWEETEN THINGS UP NATURALLY
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SACRIFICE YOUR SWEET TOOTH TO BE HEALTHY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS. The traditional Thumbprint Cookie made from flour eggs and butter gets a makeover here with this No-Bake version. At 6 grams of protein per serving and zero cholesterol or refined sugar, this cookie inspired by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., in his book ‘Eat for Health’, is a great way to pack more nutritious ingredients into dessert.
NO-BAKE THUMBPRINT COOOKIES
¼ cup pitted Medjool dates
3 cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups almond butter, smooth
½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
Zest and juice of 1 orange
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup 100% all-fruit preserves (I use cherry.)
Put dates into a medium bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to let dates soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the soaking liquid, and then drain dates well.
In a food processor pulse the oats until coarsely ground; transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Transfer dates and reserved ½ cup soaking liquid to food processor and puree until smooth. Add date mixture, almond butter, coconut, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt to bowl with oats and knead together to make a dough.
Roll dough into 24 balls, transferring them to parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Make an indentation in the middle of each cookie by pressing down with your thumb. Spoon fruit preserve into each indentation and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
DAY 9: MAKE TIME TO MOVE
Establishing a daily exercise routine during the holiday season will elevate your spirit, reduce stress and compensate for small indulgences. Go for a brisk walk before or after sitting down for a holiday meal. Studies show that fitness after a meal helps to balance blood sugar, reduce symptoms of seasonal depression and elevate mood.
One is inclined to make better food choices and sleep more soundly when one consistently schedules physical activity to blow off seasonal steam.
DAY 10: COME PREPARED
Offer to bring a delicious, healthy dish to parties and holiday meals. You will be guaranteed to stay on the feel-good track. Visit my Instagram and Pinterest accounts for tasty and fueling holiday recipe ideas. Be inspired.
My INSTAGRAM: @WholeFoodieRonna https://instagram.com/wholefoodieronna/
My PINTEREST: RONNA CORLIN https://www.pinterest/ronnacorlin/
DAY 11: GIVE GIFTS FROM YOUR KITCHEN
My favorite gifts to give come straight from my kitchen. Prepare a sweet holiday treat in your oven, and turn it into a gift with an inexpensive glass jar that offers a friendly and festive nod to the holiday season. This charming reindeer jar costs under two dollars. Healthy gifting on-a-budget is at your fingertips.
Candied Pecans
3 cups raw pecans, soaked for a few hours to soften
½ tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup maple sugar
¼ teaspoon Chipotle powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
Olive oil or coconut oil to grease baking pan
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Strain the pecans and toss well with other ingredients. Brush pan with oil and spread mixture evenly. Bake 15–20 minutes. Stir occasionally for best results. Roast a couple more minutes, or until crisp. Cool. Toss into a festive tin and make someone happy.
DAY 12: PLAN AHEAD
Instead of the usual cookies and milk for Santa, leave him a snack or sandwich that will ensure he has plenty of stamina all through the night. The same goes for you. Healthy food that tastes indulgent and that can be prepared on-the-fly during the hectic weeks leading into the holidays is the sweet spot of stamina and good cheer.
I like to heat up a slice of this fully sprouted Cinnamon Date Bread (also available in Carrot, Sunflower Seed, Fruit & Nut and Whole Grain) from Manna Organics. Manna bread brings that muffin-like chew missing in more toast-like breads. It is made without yeast, and handcrafted with no oils or added sugar. It is organic, dairy-free and vegan-friendly. Most importantly, it tastes richly satisfying.
For those with a wheat sensitivity, not an allergy to gluten, this flour-free bread is easier to digest (like a vegetable!)
PACK HEALTHY FOOD FOR TRAVEL. Think high fiber, 100% whole grain, healthy fats, limited or no sugar and lean protein. At holiday parties and family dinners scan the buffet and the hors d’oeuvres table before digging in. Make a conscious plan about what you’re going to eat. Then, relish every single bite.
Forget turtledoves, French hens, or even golden rings; the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season is the gift of good health. New beginnings always start today.
Happy holiday eating to all and to all plenty of healthy food bites to get thriving in the new year!
