The holidays are a great time to give thanks, celebrate
ourselves and those around us, and reflect on our year. While the Food to
Recover dietitians are certainly excited about the holiday food, we also want
to help you remain present, enjoy healthy food and holiday food without guilt,
and be grateful for those around you! Here are some ways we want to support you
in doing so:
1) Find Gratitude
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes
to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have
contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your
gratitude.”- Ralph
Waldo Emerson
·
Thank your body. Not only for hard workouts or
long work days. Thank it for simple things; like walking up stairs, keeping
your blood pumping through your body, your sight or smell, your immune system
protecting you from the millions of germs we encounter everyday. Take a moment
to realize the miracle that your body is. BE KIND TO YOUR BODY. It’s the only
one you have and it is beautiful.
·
Thank those around you. Look to those around you
and celebrate their role in your life, no matter how small or large. No need to always focus on food.
Gratitude can be expressed with small acts of kindness. Let those around you
know that you appreciate them.
·
Thank your food. Don’t just be thankful for it. Be thankful to it. Thank your food. It sustains you, it nourishes you, it
energizes you, it fuels you!
2) Practice Mindfulness During the Holidays
“Mindfulness
is simply being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were
different.” –James Baraz
·
Release expectations: enter into the holidays with an open mind. Each year is different.
·
Manage stress and be sure to get adequate sleep: increased stress levels and lack of sleep increases stress hormones in your body which may cause you to overeat.
·
Make time to connect; with people, with food,
with yourself
·
Recognize internal and external factors related
to eating;
Find balance; don’t skip meals
§
Internal cues: listening to your body's hunger, paying attention to the hunger scale
Skipping meals may make you fall into the 1-2 area, which later can lead to overeating. Try to eat small meals or snacks to not drop below a 3 during the day, and try to slow down and enjoy food to be able to recognize when you are at a 5 or 6 on the scale.
§
External cues: Be aware of the size of your plate, portion sizes served to you, and food marketing around the holidays
Create healthy and intentional environments
§
Bring your own healthy dish to a holiday
gathering (recipes below!)
§
Try to eliminate distractions during eating and
avoid mindless eating
ENJOY your food; listening to hunger cues and mindful eating can allow you to enjoy all flavors and foods without guilt
Slow down; walk, don’t run!
§
Get family involved in physical activity- go
sledding, ice-skating, or hiking!
· 'Tis the season to be
jolly. Keep learning, breathing, laughing.
3) Staying Healthy: Recipes for the Holidays
“Let thy
food be thy medicine”- Hippocrates
Simple Roasted Butternut
Squash Soup
· 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved
vertically and seeds removed (bake seeds on separate baking sheet)
· 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
· ½-1 yellow onion, chopped
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
· dash of ground nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
· Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
· 1-2 cups
vegetable broth
· ½-1 cup milk (dairy, nut or soy), 2Tbsp 2% milk (if
desired)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Fahrenheit, and
place butternut squash halves face down on baking sheet. Add enough water to
fill the pan around the squash, around 1 cup. Bake until the skin ripples,
around 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes when finished.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan on medium heat and cook onion and
garlic for about 5 minutes. Place the sautéed onion and garlic in the blender.
Scoop the baked squash into the blender, and put remaining ingredients in, too.
Blend until smooth.
Serve hot and top with roasted squash seeds
Simple Roasted Fall
Vegetables
· 1 head cauliflower
· 2 sweet potatoes
· ½ lb Brussels sprouts
· 1 onion, sliced
· 3 beets
· 2 large carrots
· 2-3 tbsp olive oil
· 1 tsp Italian seasoning or
rosemary
· salt and pepper to taste
· roasted red pepper flakes to
taste (if desired)
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut all vegetables in uniform size, around 1 inch thick. Place in a large bowl
and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings on top and stir to mix.
Immunity Smoothie
·
1 large ripe
banana, previously peeled, sliced and frozen
·
1 cup frozen or
fresh pineapple
·
½ cup strawberries
·
1/2 Tbsp fresh
ginger (1 small knob, peeled)
·
1/4 tsp ground
turmeric (or sub cinnamon)
·
1 handful spinach
·
Juice of 1/2 small
lemon
·
1 cup unsweetened
almond milk
Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth! Add ice to make it
colder
Adapted from "Deliciously Ella"
Immunity Chicken Soup from
the ”Healthy Chef”
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric (or ¼ tsp dry)
1 litre (35 1/4 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock
1 litre (35 1/4 fl oz) water
1-2 lbs chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
¼ cup rice wine (optional)
3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
Directions: Combine the garlic, turmeric, ginger, stock, water and chicken into a
large pot.
Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes over a low heat
until chicken is cooked through and flavors have infused into the stock.
Add rice
wine, tamari and coriander just before serving.
Serve in large bowls and sip slowly. Enjoy.
Notes: Vegetarians can use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and use silken
tofu in place of the chicken
Pumpkin Energy Balls
·
3
cups dry, uncooked
oatmeal
·
1
cup all-natural Pumpkin Puree
·
1
cup all-natural Peanut butter
·
2/3
cup pure maple
syrup or raw honey
·
1/2
tsp cinnamon
·
1/2
tsp pumpkin pie spice
·
1/2
Tbsp vanilla extract
·
4-6 Tbsp
ground flax seeds
·
1
cup small chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, coconut flakes, or
any combination of mix-ins that equal 1 cup total.
·
1/2
cup mini dark
chocolate chips (if desired)
Directions: Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very
thoroughly mixed. Roll into balls of about 1″ in diameter and place on cookie sheet. Freeze for one hour and
store at room temperature.
Adapted from Clean Food Crush
Ideas for left over Turkey
Turkey stir-fry- combine with carrots, peas, ginger, bell peppers, and broccoli.
Add soy sauce and serve over brown rice or in lettuce wraps!
Turkey Cobb salad- place cold turkey on a bed of spinach, boiled egg,
shredded carrots, diced avocado, shredded beets, and fresh bell pepper with
salad dressing of your choice.
Turkey Mexican Soup- combine with Mexican spices, corn, black beans,
tomatoes and green chiles.
Turkey Mediterranean Wraps- Tuck turkey in a pita with hummus, olives,
spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese! Top with plain greek yogurt.
Thai Turkey Curry- Mix with curry spices, coconut milk, zucchini,
carrots, and peas and serve over brown rice.
