Easy Healthy Twists to Holiday Favorites

Who says great tasting food can't be healthy?  The holidays are a time when family and friends come together to celebrate each other and appreciate what life has given them.  The focal point of the holidays are usually centered around food - unhealthy food - and people wind up feeling heavy and bloated.  I'm here to tell you, Holiday food CAN be tasty AND be healthy!!  Simply we need to replace bad, inflammation-promoting ingredients with good ones.  It can be easier than it sounds.  Naturally there are some traditional family recipes that you don't want to "mess with" for sentimental reasons and I totally get that.  Perhaps start with the other "fillers" and take it from there.


Ideas For Healthy Holiday Fare:

• Avocado-Deviled Eggs:  Eggs are good for the body and unlike popular belief, cholesterol doesn't raise cholesterol like conventional medicine states.  Our body needs cholesterol to function properly. That said, a healthier twist on deviled eggs this year can be avocado-deviled eggs. I like to use avocado because it adds a creamy consistency to the yolks without unhealthy, hydrogenated mayonnaise. Here's the recipe for a much cleaner version of the deviled eggs you are used to. 

• Peppermint Chocolate Oat Muffins: Yum. Nothing tastes more like the holidays, in my mind, than peppermint.  This recipe utilizes food-grade essential oils.  Add chocolate to that and it is heaven!  

Click here for full recipe.

• Nitrate-Free Ham:  Processed meats are preserved with sodium nitrate, a known carcinogen. Sodium nitrate helps increase the shelf-life of meats.  Beware of this and choose a nitrate-free ham (or meat of your choice) instead for your holiday fare.  To learn more about nitrates, please read this article by the Heatlh Ranger. http://www.naturalnews.com/043180_holiday_foods_toxic_ingredients_avoid.html

• Free Range Turkey:  Same reasons as number three, including you want to ensure that the turkey you eat for your holiday meal is free of antibiotics and hormones.  Applegate Farms makes a good turkey as well as Whole Foods.

• Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce:  Back in November I read a post by fellow Health Coach, Michelle Pfennighaus.  So many folks buy CANNED jelly cranberry sauce for their holiday meals rather than enjoying the true burst of flavor only found in whole cranberries.  The best part about this post, there's no added sugar to the recipe!  You can check it out HERE.

Remember, above all else it is about MODERATION, not DEPRIVATION.  Enjoy the holidays.  Enjoy your food.  Practice the art of mindful eating. Be aware of your surroundings and what you are consuming. Above all else, remember what the season is all about; it helps to put things in perspective.

What are some dishes you can swap with healthy ingredients this season?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

3 Unique and Easy Gift Ideas Using Essential Oils

Winter Scene

Why Essential Oils?

What is old is new again!  Essential oils have been used throughout history - are even cited in the Bible (gifts of Frankincense and Myrhh) - as having powerful beneficial properties.  Essential oils originally go back as far as ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures. A high quality essential oil has so many applications; it can be ingested for numerous health benefits, applied topically for therapeutic effects, diffused aromatically to improve both air quality and breathing, and some also can be used as a natural cleaner.


What Exactly ARE Essential Oils??

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants.  They are beautifully and powerfully fragrant; can lift a mood, calm the senses, and elicit powerful responses. In addition to their fragrant appeal, essential oils contain medicinal and therapeutic properties. They are naturally anti-microbial and pass directly through the skin for immediate response to topical application.  They are naturally safe and powerfully concentrated, but DO need to be used with care.  The key to using essential oils is to make sure that they are 100% pure.  My preferred brand of essential oil is doTERRA as doTERRA is free of any contaminants, such as pesticides and chemical residues.  They contain no fillers, no dyes or perfumes, and is one of the safest and most beneficial oils available in the world today. WORD OF CAUTION:  Never ingest an essential oil that is NOT 100% pure!



This Holiday Season, How About Giving the Gift of Health?

Lavender Fields

3 UNIQUE AND SIMPLE IDEAS FOR THE LOVED ONES IN YOUR LIFE:

1.  For Your Best Girl Friend:

BUBBLE BATH, LOTION, AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Nothing says "calm" like a beautiful spa package, complete with the most versatile and relaxing essential oil. Apply a few drops to a bath and your senses will instantly become transformed. Can also be applied topically behind ears for a restful night's sleep.  Add a few drops to a spray bottle and spray down bed linens and pillows for an extra relaxed state.


2.  For Your Colleague:

HOT COCOA (OR CACAO) WITH PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL

Hot Chocolate with Fresh Peppermint

Alongside your favorite brand of hot cocoa mix, include a bottle of peppermint oil in a little gift basket.  Add 1-2 drops of the peppermint for a refreshing cup of holiday cheer. Peppermint oil calms the digestive tract and eases tummy trouble; turn your hot cocoa treat into a health drink!  (peppermint can also be added to other chocolate concoctions such as this vegan chocolate pudding found HERE).  As a bonus, peppermint oil can be applied to the forehead and back of neck to calm a headache (which we sometimes get with too much holiday cheer!).


3.  For The Baker:

A WHISKING SET WITH LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL

Baking with Lemon Oil

Lemon is one of the most versatile oils.  Not only can it lift a mood, but it can freshen a kitchen, clean pots, improve your health, and add zip to your baking dishes.  Lemon also helps to alkalize your body and is especially beneficial to start the day with 2 drops of lemon essential oil in water.  For baking, here is a great recipe to try with a few drops of lemon essential oil:  http://www.mygutsy.com/gaps-lemon-bars/

To learn more about doTerra Essential Oils, click HERE.

What do you have planned this holiday season?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.