Yep, can you believe it? It’s here! The holiday season is upon us, and it’s probably the most difficult time of year to eat healthy. Which is why, on Tuesday, December 3, we’re partnering with the Good Life Kitchen in Norwell for a Holiday Healthy Cooking Demo to teach how to both cook and eat healthy throughout the holidays. (Sign up at the end of this post.)
When you hear “healthy food,” you might immediately think “bland” or “I’ll just be eating nuts and twigs.” But actually, healthy foods can be really flavorful. For example, foods and flavors of the Christmas season like cranberry, ginger and pomegranate are fragrant, flavorful and delicious. Roasting winter root vegetables really brings out their deep, rich flavors. Fresh herbs, such as rosemary and sage, pair really well with everything from soups to fish dishes… even dark chocolate! Eating healthy during the holidays doesn’t mean you have to give up great-tasting food. You can even squeeze chocolate and fruit desserts in there throughout the month without feeling guilty about it. When it comes to healthy eating, it’s really just a matter of what you choose, how you prepare it and when you eat it. (Eating when you’re stressed or on the go is actually more problematic than eating the same thing when you’re relaxed and enjoying the moment.)
What it comes down to is eating and focusing on anti-inflammatory foods. Anti-inflammatory foods are:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Lean meats (like fish)
- Green tea
What’s great about the holiday season is that the spices we’re accustomed to using during this time of year are actually all anti-inflammatory as well. This would include curry, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, just to name a few!
What really becomes a problem during the holidays is all the sugar, dairy, excessive grains and alcohol. Those are all inflammatory foods. While you can have some of them, just realize that inflammatory foods take at least 24 hours for your body to recover from! So, when you’ve had a glass of wine and a piece of cake, take into account that you had two inflammatory episodes. It takes at least a day for the inflammation to reduce back to baseline. If you were to have more wine and cake the next day, and again the following day, that’s called stacking inflammatory insults, and that’s where the problems come in. That’s why it’s so important to limit your portion sizes and limit how often you eat inflammatory foods.
At the Holiday Healthy Cooking Demo, you’ll not only learn more about how to eat healthy during the holidays, but you’ll get an entire meal’s-worth of recipes to enjoy! This will include two appetizers, an entrée, a dessert and sparkling wine suggestion. (Here’s a sneak peek of one of the appetizer recipes for you to try in the mean time.)
Honey Maple Toasted Nuts
2 cups whole unsalted walnuts or pecans (or a combination)
1 tsp butter (Yes, real butter!)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp honey
½ tsp pure maple syrup
dash of sea salt
1. Melt butter in skillet on medium heat.
2. Add nuts and toss until coated. Cook until slightly fragrant.
3. Add spices, honey and syrup. Toss to coat nuts.
4. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Place on a cookie sheet to cool.
Makes 16 oz.
You could fill a couple of 8 oz. mason jars and tie them with ribbons. Insert a small wooden spoon with a sprig of pine into the bow, and voila—instant Christmas gift! After all, ’tis the season to be embrace joy and hope. Let’s embrace our ability to choose well during this season in every aspect—thinking, eating and moving.
Be joyful. Be triumphant. Be well.
Register here:
