There is a bite in the air. Every breath is frosty as the snow falls gently. Bright lights are glistening from the rooflines throughout the neighborhoods of the city. Lush garlands decorate doorposts and mantles. Candles are flickering in frost bitten windows. The crunching of the snow echoes as the carolers stroll about the streets offering a festive message of the season. Laughter is shared by friends. Families are gathered. Offices unite. Generosity trumps greed. Kisses are shared under the mistletoe. Brightly colored packages surround the lavishly decorated Christmas tree. Church bells ring with a message of joy and hope.
But what about the food? Yes, the holiday food.
The air is filled with the aromas of rich, warm, comforting and sweet foods to many to mention. And though every morsel is enjoyed and though they too are part of the fond memories carried in the annals of your mind, they often carry a price that you failed to calculate, or maybe simply forgot. Maybe you just decided to ignore it until the New Year’s resolution rolls around.
Is it possible to enjoy the holidays, relive the memories, cherish the traditions and maintain a lifestyle and attitude of wellness! YES!
And here are a few healthy holiday tips:
Quality not quantity is the key!
The ingredients with which those meals, party favorites and holiday treats are made carry far more significance than the quantity and the calories. They are the foundation of wellness. Thus, my #1 healthy holiday tip is to choose whole, real, natural ingredients made only by the One you celebrate this season.
Don’t forget the Veggies!
Healthy holiday tip #2…It would seem veggies, except of course those mashed potatoes or marshmallow topped sweet potatoes, had been banned from most celebrations if not entirely, certainly in part. But don’t overlook them this season. Incorporate them into your menus, add them to your favorite dishes. Not drenched in cheese, please! Give them a decided and honorable place in your celebrations. They’ll actually taste wonderful in partnership and contrast to the otherwise rich foods that prevail.
Choose lean cuts of meats!
Meats seem, only second to sugar, to be the foundational holiday food. But my #3 healthy holiday tip is to choose lean cuts of beef and pork like tenderloin or filet and opt for white meat chicken and turkey along with deep sea white fish or wild caught salmon.
Avoid sauces!
A rich, creamy, savory sauce is certainly enjoyable, especially in the winter months. But most sauces are heavy on refined fat and sugar…likely sodium as well making healthy holiday tip #4 one of note. Opt for herbs instead to add that full, robust flavor that you seek in the sauces. And if it is demanded anyway to make the feast complete, use high quality ingredients like coconut milk, coconut oil and pasture raised, nitrate by nitrate free bacon to make the sauce.
Look for raw desserts!
For tip #5, go raw! No, I’m not talking about raw cookie dough or cake batter. I’m talking about dishes made from real, living foods that are uncooked. Like Raw Chocolate Mousse or Raw Chocolate Macaroons both found in this year’s Healthy Holiday Guide. All of these desserts are decadently sweet from nature’s best ingredients and pack a nutritional wallop! Butternut and Cranberry Salad is another favorite raw food that suites the season beautifully.
Greens!
Another component of natural nutrition that is often abandoned during the Christmas season, is dark leafy greens. You might find a neglected and a lonely green salad stuck over in the corner of the buffet table somewhere but they seldom find their way to the dinner plate.
Dark leafy greens pack a nutritional punch and also help support great digestion for all those heavier eats.
So for healthy holiday tips #6, add dark leafy greens to soups, braise them with those festive meats and allow them to become highly valuable additions to the festivities!
Easy on the alcohol!
Even T-totalers tend to enjoy a holiday drink. But this is one of the season’s biggest dangers. From over indulgence to the impact alcohol has on digestion and blood sugar, this healthy holiday tips #7 is a biggie to be aware of this season. Go easy!
Contribute healthy dishes to parties!
I think this is one of the most festive healthy holiday tips of the lot.
When you are invited to those holiday parties, take along a fresh, homemade, festive and healthy dish. That ensures you have a wellness friendly option and also shares health with those you love.
There are your 8 top healthy holiday tips! Apply them for the best, healthiest, merriest, happiest holidays of your life!
You are worth it!
Have yourself a Merry Healthy Christmas!
