Want to integrate a few healthy routines this month as you create special memories?
It's nice to not feel like you have to do a giant lifestyle overhaul on Jan 1st, and you don't need to stress or go crazy - it's all about having a good little plan. 

Here are a few strategies, recipes + a Holiday Workout to help you keep that healthy body of yours glowing & full of energy.

 Plan Your Meals:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
This is an essential part of being healthy and is even more important to do when the calendar heats up.
Take one day out of your week to plan out your upcoming meals.
Staring at the cupboards when you’re in a rush will always lead to poor decisions & bad takeout.
Fill up that fridge with a monster salad, cook up a big batch of oats and a big pot of healthy soup. Your body & mind will thank you on those days that have you running from work to mall...to mall. {you can see my meal prep in action in my Healthy Sustainable Kitchen Webinar/eBook}
And CLICK HERE to view my collection of Healthy Holiday Recipes

 Fiber up before the party:

Don’t show up to that holiday party on an empty stomach!
Make sure you have a healthy breakfast & lunch and then a small fiber rich salad before you leave the house.
There is no good that comes with starving yourself all day and then consuming all your calories in one meal.
This type of “banking” is a sure way to gain an extra layer of body fat. 

Festively Glowing Kale Salad:

- 1 large head of kale (about 6 cups)

- 2 cups fresh spinach

- 1 large red onion chopped

- 1 red bell pepper chopped 

- 1 red delicious apple (optional) 

- ½ cup mixed cranberries & goji berries 

- ½ cup toasted walnuts 

Dressing: Mix the juice of 1 lemon (or 2 drops pure lemon essential oil), 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp Olive Oil & 3 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup.
Massage the kale with the dressing to help soften it and then mix in the pepper, onion, apple, berries & walnuts

 Make your Liquids Count:

Instead of waiting in line for 10 minutes at the coffee shop while trying to juggle all your purchases, blend up a power smoothie before you leave the house. It will give you all the energy you need to get the job done and will save you all those empty calories. And while we’re talking about our liquids....how’s your water intake coming along? Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces. Regular water intake throughout the day keeps your metabolism humming and helps you know if you’re actually hungry. And if you’re going to drink alcohol, have a glass of water in between each drink.

Gingerbread Power Smoothie:

Blend up the following, pour into a reusable tumbler + be the envy of everyone at the mall:

- 1 cup non-dairy milk (try almond or coconut)

- 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- ¼ tsp ground ginger or 1 drop pure ginger essential oil

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- 1 scoop of protein powder {grass fed whey}

- 1 cup fresh spinach

- 1 frozen banana

Slow down + chew your food:

There’s a lot of love that goes into the big event meal...but there’s also ton of calories.
Did you know the average Holiday meal can pack away 3500 calories...or as we come to know it, 1 pound of body fat?
And if you really like math, you’ll like to know that this works out to about 14 hours spent walking on a treadmill just to burn off this one meal.
One of the best practices to avoid inhaling all these calories is to slow down your eating.
Focus more on enjoying your family and great conversation, than on mindlessly putting the fork in your mouth.
Chew each bite of food 20 times, put your fork down in between bites and let your brain catch up with your belly so you know when you’re full.

 Practice safe snacking:

Now that you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve, your last tip is to not deny yourself anything at all!
So many of our memories happen around food, especially at this time of year. The key here is to not take whole portions of everything that’s been prepared - have 3 bites and then move on. No feelings will be hurt, you’ll still be satisfied and that January guilt can take a hike!

And don't forget to get sweaty to help keep those stress levels low and release zippy endorphins! Grab a set of weights and do this in the morning before the day gets away from you:

Wishing you a very special week jam packed with memories and being present with those you love!!
xx

Ange