Your Healthiest Holiday Season Yet!

Almost 5 years ago, I was right in the midst of my “all raw vegan moment,” and had simplified our life tremendously — all while balancing three small children and my career. I felt great, but I had not yet tested my new habits, and the holiday season was fast approaching. My “healthy, happy lifestyle” was all so new to me that I had no desire to travel to anyone’s house to be confronted with turkey, gluten or television. I was not ready for that.

We decided to start our own traditions that year.

I sat down with my kids and asked them what food they loved most, I heard sushi and pie from the two talkers and they both agreed that their baby sister would pick homemade bread. I added a big salad and my husband added miso soup to the menu. We set out to make these things healthy and gluten-free.

That Thanksgiving, we spent the day making and eating food we chose as a family. At the end of the day friends and family showed up for dessert and a stroll in the park after dark. We came home to tea and a fire and called it a day. We went to bed that night feeling nourished, healthy and perfectly tired. That was our first holiday that felt really good on all levels — of course it was not our last!

The holidays can come with such mixed feelings —loneliness or people overload, meals made for you that you may not want to eat or the stress of having to make more food than usual, all the traditions you grew up with that don’t serve you or all the holiday memories you hold onto for dear life.

How can you put all of those conflicting feelings to rest this season and really enjoy the holidays with your family?

Here are 7 strategies to kick off your holiday season that will take you peacefully through December into a bright New Year.

1. Define how you want to feel. Come up with a word or phrase to define your season. Write it on a notecard (or 2) and carry it around, or hang it somewhere where you will see it each day. Maybe you want to feel joy, connection, ease, quiet, peace— the options are endless. When you have to make a decision about an event, a food or a gift, go back to your notecard and make sure your choice honors that feeling.
2. Give yourself permission to change. If you are really claiming your season, you may choose to act differently than you have in the past. Very often we adopt holiday traditions and repeat them from generation to generation — what we eat (think grandma’s special butter cookies), what we do (a tradition of present overload!), and what we believe. Sometimes we just keep going with the traditions and habits we grew up with long after they stop serving us. Think through how you want to feel and what you might need to change to feel that way.
3. Change your perspective. There may be certain things you want to change, but just can’t, at least not this year. Relatives might be flying in, or you might be flying out. You may have already agreed to make all of the traditional foods for the annual family party — there is a balance between taking care of yourself and respecting others. You do not have to sacrifice how you want to feel. Even if you are going to the same family holiday party on Christmas Eve, you can enter it with a different attitude and a new healthier version of your family favorites. Very often we get in our own way.
4. Think through the food. Know that the holidays do not have to mean ham, potatoes and endless cookies. The holidays are actually a great time to adopt some new healthy habits — after all it’s vacation! Think about tackling your green smoothie habit, mastering healthy soups, and practicing the art of the healthy sweet treat.
5. Save forward. If you know there will be a lot going on, think about making double batches of soups and sauces to freeze for later. You can also freeze many cookies and desserts. Consider stocking up on nuts and frozen fruit for easy smoothies. Think about your week of holiday meals, so it is not all consuming when everyone is on winter break.
6. Adopt a self-care strategy. If you can think about this now, you will be a better woman come Christmas and the New Year. Think about things you can sprinkle into your day: invigorating walks, a 15 minute yoga practice guided by your iPad, a meditation, a manicure, a green smoothie before a holiday party, a date with your husband, tea with a friend – these are like presents to yourself and they will fuel you.
7. Schedule and plan ahead. What are three things that you can do with your family this season that will make you feel like what you defined in step 1? Figure them out and put them in the family calendar. If you know you will be travelling or out and about, do research on healthy food options.

This is your time to change old habits and create new traditions… But that does not mean everything will be hearts and rainbows! This is a practice, and each day is an opportunity to reset. So take it one day at a time. Plan, live and let go!

ENJOY THIS DELECTABLE and HEALTHY RECIPES

Nut-Nog – A dairy-free, sugar-free version of the holiday classic

Ingredients

1 cup soaked Cashews                                                  2 cups Water

1 Banana                                                                         ½ teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Cinnamon                                                  1 teaspoon Almond Extract

4 pitted Dates

Directions
Blend well in Vitamix, or other high-speed blender.

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Chickpea Stew – This Moroccan-inspired dish is a great crowd-pleaser. A bean stew is a delicious dish to make for your own celebration or to share at a potluck — warm and hearty.

Ingredients

2 Eggplants, cut into half-inch cubes                       1 Onion, finely diced

4 cloves Garlic, crushed                                               ½ inch piece of fresh Ginger, peeled & grated

2 teaspoons ground Cumin                                        2 teaspoons ground Coriander

2 cups Water                                                                 2 cans organic crushed Tomatoes (fire-roasted taste fantastic)

1 lb. Baby Spinach or finely chopped Kale strips

1 lb. bag dried Chickpeas*

*If you are short on time, you can use three cans of chickpeas. Fabulous served with Quinoa.

Directions

Rinse chickpeas under cold water.

Soak dried chickpeas peas in water to cover by one inch for six hours, or overnight.

Cook soaked chickpeas for 11 minutes in pressure cooker or 45 minutes in stockpot, adding water as necessary.

Drain cooked chickpeas and set aside.

Place eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for one hour, then rinse cubes and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the eggplant and cook until browned on the outside. Remove with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.

Add the onion to the frying pan (which should still have some oil) and sauté; when soft and translucent, add garlic and ginger.

Stir in the cumin and coriander, then add eggplant, chickpeas, tomatoes and water and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the spinach or kale and more water if necessary, bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes (a bit longer if using kale), until greens wilt.

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Raw Brownies – A gluten-free, dairy-free, no-cook version of the decadent treat

Ingredients

1 cup Raw Walnuts                                                  1 cup Raw Pecans

3/4 cup Raw Cacao Powder                                   1 cup Medjool Dates, pitted and firmly packed

Directions

Pulse walnuts and pecans in a food processor, with S-blade, until nuts are a finely ground.

Add dates and cacao. Process until mixture begins to stick together.

Press dough into balls.

Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.