Keeping the Holidays Healthy and Joyful

Here are a few ideas and tips for staying healthy during the month of December as we prepare for Christmas and the new year:

1. Be active.  The weather has gotten colder, the pools are closed up and the bikes are put away.  More time is spent with layers of clothes on and exercise becomes harder to include in our daily plans.  I suggest taking a yoga class this winter.  Yoga is easy, stress relieving and gets the blood flowing through the body.  My friend, Liz McAllister, owner of 390 Fitness in Antioch, has yoga classes starting December 1st at her brand new facility at 390 Lake St, Antioch, IL.  Classes are Tuesday at 7:30pm, Wednesday at 11:30am, and Thursday at 6:30pm.  Contact Liz at 847-710-8980 or http://www.390fitness.com/ to sign up or find out more about classes.

2.  Be mindful. Don't let the holidays give you an excuse to overindulge.  Choose your sweets wisely.  Eat sensible portions and don't skip meals.  We work so hard to balance the food on our plate and measure out portions every day, until we get to a holiday party.  Then we load up.  Oh, I understand that we only take a little bit of everything, but we still take everything and the plate is heaping full.  I say "we" cause I am guilty of this too.  Skipping meals gives you an opportunity to lose control because your hungry.  Limit your alcohol consumption.

3.  Don't overplan.  Just like overindulging on food, don't go overboard with all your activities and plans.  School plays, family gatherings, shopping sales, holiday parties, a visit to Santa, Christmas caroling, sledding, white elephant ornament exchange with the neighbors, church choir, and so on.  There are plenty of things to do during the month, but don't book yourself to exhaustion.  Save time for yourself and relaxing, either alone or with your family.  Make sure there are activities in your schedule that don't mean you have to run somewhere or clean the whole house or prepare dishes.

4.  Be thankful.  Being thankful always puts us in a joyful mood.  When you feel thankful, you feel good and when you feel good, it is easier to eat and live healthier.

5.  Treat yourself to chocolate.  Known about since the times of the Mayas and the Aztecs, chocolate has a special place in our nutrition. It is filled with tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin, neurotransmitter that is thought to regulate mood.  Not only does it help to stabilize your mood by initiating serotonin release, it is very rejuvenating and helps you feel more at peace.  And it is beneficial for the skin.   Cocoa powder, which is what chocolate is made of, is a wonderful and powerful antioxidant. It protects and frees the skin from free radicals, that cause significant damage to skin layers. The following Chocolate Face Mask recipe is an excellent moisturizer that leaves your skin soft and glowing. 



Ingredients

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 cup of honey

2 tablespoons of heavy cream (sour cream will work as well)

3 teaspoons of oatmeal powder

Preparation

Mix all the ingredient until the mass in consistent. Apply on the face, gently massaging it so that oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer. Leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.

6.  Prepare a healthy dish.  Become a follower of this log and I will send you a special, healthy holiday recipe everyone will love.  Take it to your next gathering and see how easy it can be to be healthy during the holidays.

7.  Take the "2 Week Christmas Challenge."  Find My Healthy Helper on Facebook or email myhealthyhelper@gmail.com to get all the details of this fun and energizing challenge.  Runs from Saturday, December 10th to Friday, December 23rd.  Join early so you can plan ahead.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My Healthy Helper
myhealthyhelperonline.com

November - National Diabetes Month

Let's start with talking about sugar...

Our ancestors ate no concentrated sugars.  In the early 1800s, the average person ate 12 lbs of sugar each year. In 2006, 180 lbs of sugar is consumed by an individual (that is like a 1/2 lb a day) each year.  Our body needs about 2 tsp of sugar in the blood stream and this can be provided through complex carbs (vegetables, legumes and grains), protein and fat.

God provided all the sugar we require in vegetables and fruits.  He also provided the fiber and nutrients we need to properly utilize the sugars they contain.

Eat lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, whole grains and vegetables to get the optimal blood sugar levels.  Stay away from refined sugar, soft drinks, processed foods and, even, artificial sweeteners.  Read labels carefully.  Look for words like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, brown sugar, etc.

For breakfast, stay away from high sugar cereals!!  Use unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon to sweeten oatmeal and plain yogurt. 

Make cinnamon butter to replace brown sugar.

"Like" My Healthy Helper on Facebook and post your idea for an alternative to sugary sweets and I will send you a delicious, healthy and diabetic friendly recipe for Tiramisu.

Alkaline

The most important thing to know about alkaline is that DISEASE CANNOT THRIVE IN AN ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT!  Eating more alkaline (optimally 80/20) means consuming those foods and drink which have an alkaline effect on the body. This effect is based upon the mineral content of the food and therefore the alkaline or acid effect this has on the pH of the body. Some foods have an acidifying effect (usually those containing sugars, trans fats, dairy, preservatives, sweeteners, chemicals etc), whereas others have an alkaline effect.

Eat a combination of dozens of fruits and vegetables.  Fresh, organic and raw is the most nutritious.  Include green leafy vegetables like spinach and swiss chard, avocados (which also contain healthy fats) and citrus fruits.  Nuts, seeds and legumes should also be consumed in a healthy alkaline diet.

What is acidic?  Acidic foods are pro-inflammatory.  They include:
Most grains, including the gluten grains (wheat, rye and barley), meats and dairy, junk foods, pastry, sugar, and all soft drinks.

Aim to eat 70-80% alkaline foods and a maximum of 20-30% acid forming foods.

For more information, contact myhealthyhelper@gmail.com and have a healthy blessed day!

Eat S.M.A.R.T.

Fast Food - The next time a fast food commercial comes on tv, what are they selling you?  It isn't food.  It is either "cheap" or "convenient."  The new KFC commercial is an advertisement of their drive-thru!  But what does that quick and cheap temptation get you?  It might taste good or be filling, but fast food is loading with fat, salt, processed foods and low in nutrition. 

What if there was a way you could eat healthy and have cheap/convenient meals?

That is where eating smart is the key:
1. Stock up on healthy foods and key ingredients.  What are your families favorite meals?  Pick 2 or 3 healthy meals that your family likes and always make sure you have all the ingredients on hand.  For example, if you always have pasta, canned diced tomatoes and italian seasoning, you have the base ingredients to make spaghetti!  Next time you get home and everyone is hungry and you don't want to wait to eat, cook your pasta and heat the cans of diced tomatoes with italian seasoning for the sauce.  Have any onions, mushrooms, ground turkey or other veggies?  Add those to your sauce!
2. Moderation.  Always remember moderation in all things.  Treat yourself to pizza or chocolate, but not everyday and don't eat the whole pizza or the whole candy bar.  Also, too much fruit is too much sugar.  Do you only eat spinach or do you try other green leafy vegetables?  Do you only eat the tops of the broccoli.  What colors are on your plate?
3. Activity.  When you are active, your body naturally desires healthy foods, especially water.  Unhealthy foods will also not taste quite as good after a nice long walk in the woods as a salad would.  Try to park as far away from the grocery store door as you can and enjoy the extra walking.  Spring is coming so what can you add to your daily routines to get active?
4.  Real foods.  When you are shopping and reading labels, do you notice how many foods in your cart don't have a label?  Apples, lettuce and other real foods don't need man's label on them because they come from the earth.  Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.  The more you buy from the center aisles, the more processed and preservatives you are eating.
5. Time.  Take the time to research what foods have the most fiber.  Which grocery stores have the best sales and best selections.  Take notes in a health class!  Make a meal plan.  Talk to your family about good foods.  Start a little garden.  The more time you take, the more time you will have in a healthy body!

Eating smart means being prepared.  Do you own a crockpot and know how to use it?  This is an excellent tool for money-saving, time-saving healthy recipes like jambalaya, old fashioned oatmeal or pot roast.  I also have a healthier alternative to Kraft Mac N Cheese that takes the same amount of time to make and only costs about a $1 more!

Eating healthy means eating smart.  Email myhealthyhelper@gmail.com for more information or to request your copy of my cookbook!

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be eaten within an hour of getting up!  Not eating breakfast or eating the wrong breakfast is like expecting your car to start without gas or with coffee instead of gas.  Breakfast is the "break from the fast you experienced during the night, since you ate dinner."  Eating breakfast and eating a healthy breakfast sets you up for the whole day.

So what should you have for breakfast?  A balanced meal with lots of protein, fruit and vegetables and whole grains.  Eggs are great and make it easier to add vegetables.  Experiment with omelets, try a ziploc omelet and add salsa.  Steel-cut oats or old fashioned oatmeal are good made with almond milk (they both can also be made in advance!) and add cinnamon and fruit.  Fresh raw veggies add color and texture.  Decorate the plate with fresh, clean baby spinach.  Sugar has no place at the breakfast table, so avoid the obvious donuts and pastries, but also be smart about cereals and packaged breakfasts like instant shakes, instant oatmeal and breads, pancakes and waffles.  I love egg muffins, which can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen.  They are quick and everybody likes them.

What if I just don't have time?  Egg muffins, smoothies, ziploc omelets are all quick and make ahead ideas.  There is never an excuse, especially if you do a little planning ahead of time.  Smoothies are quick and simple and can be healthy with the right ingredients.  Buy a single serve on the go smoothie blender and the blender part is also a to go cup with sipping lid.  They are very inexpensive and super fast. 

What if I am just not hungry in the mornings?  That is because you haven't been eating breakfast and your body has programmed itself to not be hungry until there is nothing left and blood sugar levels are at their lowest!  Do you like running out of gas and having to push your car into the gas station?  Then why do it to your body?  Start with something small like a smoothie or egg muffin.  Then continue to add from there.  I was never a breakfast eater until I needed to eat healthier to lose weight.  I start most days with a fruit and vegetable smoothie with added protein and fiber. Breakfast is also a great time for a juiced vegetable drink because it fills you up and gives you great energy.

If you are a coffee drinker, limit your intake. I recommend one cup a day or less. Alternatives are green tea because it contains caffeine and is hot (cool it off and add it to your smoothie or juice) and warm lemon water (add the juice from half a lemon to a glass of warm water). The lemon water is good for your gall bladder, cleansing and gets the metabolism going.

For more information or a detailed one-on-one consultation on how to add breakfast back in a healthy way, email myhealthyhelper@gmail.com.  All the recipes or foods I mentioned are available in the My Healthy Helper cookbook.  Email me for details.  Have a healthy and happy breakfast!