Self Care Through The Holiday Season

The Holiday Season! This can be a nourishing time when we choose it to be so; gathering with loved ones, giving gifts, celebrating food and paying homage to our ancestors.

But the season of celebrations can also be the season of burnout. As nature slows down we tend to speed up with parties, hectic preparations and low quality foods.

This year, let's rejoyce in the festivities AND take care of ourselves...

• Take a deep breath.
• Aim for 30 chews per bite.
• Eat foods that are warmer, heavier, oilier, and saltier (that means high quality unrefined oils and sea salt - not table salt). 
• Add miso and tempeh to your weekly diet.
• Incorporate more grains like quinoa, amaranth, millet, and brown rice, which are filling, full of nutrients and help create calm.
• Enjoy the taste of beets, carrots, winter squashes, onions and sweet potatoes. Root vegetables will energetically ground you.
• Spice it up with cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and fennel.
• Dose up on vegetables. Many people feel more grounded and warm when eating animal protein in the winter. If doing so, be sure to balance your meals with an abundance of vegetables to help with the digestion of heavier animal foods.   

More Support?

Download Your FREE Holiday Guide! 

Recognizing the potential stress that this season can bring, I am happy to offer you the The Integrative Nutrition Healthy Holiday Guide as your very own go-to resource for holiday eating, self-care, and gift-giving. From delicious recipes that will warm your spirit to unique gift ideas for your family and friends, you are sure to find something to make this holiday season even more delightful!

Click Here to Receive Your FREE eBook
(Link expires on 12/31/11)

Warm Quinoa Breakfast

Oatmeal sometimes feels a little heavy for me in the morning. So when I want a warm breakfast on a cold day, quinoa is a personal favorite.

¾ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup unsweetened almond milk or any/ other milk/ water
1 tbs raw honey or maple syrup
1 tbs goji berries
1 tbs raw walnuts
¼- banana, sliced
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Combine quinoa, milk, honey and goji berries in a small saucepan and place over a medium-low heat.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes, until the porridge has thickened a bit and is heated through.

 Stir in walnuts and bananas and top with cinnamon.

Have an energetic and satiated morning!

Click Here For Home Made Almond Milk Recipe

Eggnog: Naturally Sweetened & Dairy Free

1/2 cup almonds
3 medjool dates (or 1/4 cup dates)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 Tbs maple syrup
3 cups water
1 cheese cloth
optional - for the alcoholic version add rum and brandy to taste.

In your blender, blend almonds, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and water. Blend until the almonds and dates are chopped as fine as possible.

In a bowl whisk the eggs and add maple syrup.
Pour the liquid from the blender through a cheese cloth into the bowl with the eggs.
Whisk the eggnog and add alcohol if you wish.
Place it in the fridge to cool until it thickens.

For a lighter vegan version, this blended mixture tastes great without the eggs.

(If you are using a powerful blender such as a Vitamix, most of the almonds and dates will have liquified anyway so the cheese cloth is not as important.)