Posit & Ponder

From Halloween to New Year’s Day: 4 Tips for Living Healthy During the Holidays.

They are coming for you: the turkey and stuffing, the long nights and celebrations, the annual spread of Asian-American cuisine and champagne, the cookies and cakes, the hot chocolate and eggnog, the shortbread and chocolate, and, of course, the guilt, anxiety, calories, and depression. So don’t wait until January 1st to make a plan to be healthy this winter. The 3 months of holidays make up a 1/4 of your year—this is NOT the time to make excuses and exceptions, but rather it SHOULD be a time where you make good decisions because they are RIGHT for you, your health, and your lifetime fitness.  As humans, we know the power of temptation, so make a plan right now and shift your thinking so that you feel happier and stronger this holiday season.

The pleasure center of our brains demands satisfaction, and when the nights start to get longer, and we can’t play outside, our will-power against eating cookies, cakes, and brownies diminishes significantly. Therefore, take active steps to change your thinking so that you can confidently make it through the holidays to avoid weight gain and the inevitable depression that comes with it. Here are some tips to do just that.

Keep Your Routine: You will undoubtedly get invited to a plethora of celebrations this winter, but instead of replacing your weekend trip to the gym with a white-elephant party, see if you can rearrange your plans so that you can do both. Going to the gym before you attend a party will help you make the right decisions about what to eat. If you attend the party instead of going to the gym, you will feel guilty. That guilt will ultimately turn into distress and your brain will want to make you feel better, but this time—you’ll reach for the cookies instead of the cucumbers.

Change your attitude: The holidays are special, but they happen every year without fail. You do not need to attend every party, eat every dessert, or buy every gift. Practice restraint, and practice saying no. You’ll be happier focusing on the events that matter most to you, allowing you to still focus on your own life and family in a way that is more meaningful—if you are happy, those around you will be happy, too. Saying no to an invitation can feel liberating! Remember even if you say no because you want to spend an hour reading a book in your bathtub is GOOD FOR YOU; you are not missing out!!

Hydrate: Increased stress, dry, heated rooms, cold season, and an increase in alcohol and sugar consumption will make you feel dehydrated. Sometimes when you feel thirsty, your brain thinks you feel hungry, and then you start reaching for the extra roll, the mash potatoes, and the cranberry sauce! By drinking more water, you’ll help prevent winter colds and the flu, and your skin will feel and look better, and, happily, you won’t feel the desire to satisfy your needs with food.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ALMOND BUTTER

Ingredients: 2 cups Whole Natural Almonds (toasted) 2 cups Whole Natural Almonds (raw) 2 cups Hazelnuts, (toasted) 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract 32 g Organic Cocoa Butter 4 tbsp Organic Whole Cane Sugar 1 1/2 tbsp honey 4 tbsp Organic Cocoa Powder Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F 2. Place 2 cups of almonds and the 2 cups hazelnuts on a large baking sheet, making sure to keep them well separated so the nuts don't mix. 3. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes, moving the nut around a few times during the process. 4. Place the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and close that up into a little bundle. Now hold that package in one hand and, with the other hand, wiggle the nuts around so that they grind against each other. Do that for a good minute or so and when you open up your little bundle, your hazelnuts will be totally skinless. Now carefully pick the nuts out, leaving the skins behind. 5. Add the toasted almonds, hazelnuts and raw almonds, as well as salt to the bowl of your food processor 6. Process for a total of about 20 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides from time to time, until the butter is very smooth and creamy and almost liquid in consistency. 7. Melt the cocoa butter and blend the sugar, vanilla extract, honey, and cocoa butter until combined and smooth. Add the mixture to the food processor 8. Add 4 TBL of cocoa powder to the food processor and let run for another 5 minutes. 9. Mix again until creamy and smooth; it will return to a firmer consistency once it's had a chance to rest and cool down. 10. Transfer to clean air tight glass jars or containers. Let sit overnight for best results. * Adapted from the recipes found on www.thehealthyfoodie.com

Listen to this mix and drench yourself in pure joy.

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