TIPS TO AVOID THE HOLIDAY HANGOVER!

The month of Holiday season seems more like a journey from the acclaimed movie of Charlie and the Chocolate factory on steroids! It’s the season of Temptation with advertisers and stores promoting sales non-stop on the most gluttonous foods and drinking fest soirees in town! It’s quite easy to fall into the trap of the Holiday Hangover which includes all of the following symptoms weight gain, fatigue, procrastination, guilt, mood swings, and feelings of emptiness. Falling victim to the holiday hangover is pretty easy if your mind and body are not at one.  Here are some tips to help create a healthy balance, and ensure that you are centered toward a jolly season!

TIP 1:  PRIORITIZE AND BALANCE

It’s important to prioritize your holiday schedule. From attending business parties and events to hosting your own holiday party, to cooking for family gatherings, to decorating the home, and to keeping kids entertained can be quite demanding. Create a to-do-list that prioritizes of what’s important to you for the season.  Remember to leave room for a little rest and relaxation, so you don’t feel stressed.  Often times when one is stressed out they will often eat more, drink more, and lash out on others.

TIP 2: ADD FUN AND GAMES

Take the focus off eating and drinking and getting your family and friends more active during the holiday parties and season. Think ice-skating, sledding, museums, board games, dancing, creating a trivia game or scavenger hunt, or having a theme focused party with an element of a non-drinking or eating activity to take center stage. It could be something as simple as setting up a station which allows one to create an art inspired present for others like painting or jewelry.

TIP 3: FORGET THE NOTION OF TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE

So many times when holidays come around people feel the need to go out on an extra limb when it comes to spending time with everyone, excessive spending on presents, and going over the top with holiday parties, and just trying to please everyone by being at a million places at once.  Just know it’s impossible to meet everyone’s expectations for the holiday season, so forget that notion and do not make your decisions based off pleasing others, rather do it based off your needs. Often times we don’t listen to what we really want to do with our time and money for the holidays and go with the demand of others.

TIP 4: DON’T USE THE HOLIDAYS AS A FREE PASS TO OVER INDULGE- BE PRESENT

Be the exception to the rule when it comes to holiday eating and drinking.  Rather than going in with the mindset that your just going to give in temptation and focus on your new years resolutions of leading a healthy life after the holiday focus in the moment. When we are consciously present we tend to have a better grasp on our emotional spectrum and can make better decisions across the board especially when it comes to holiday activities like eating and drinking.

TIP 5: DON’T SKIP MEALS AND FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND FIBER

Before going to any holiday party or gathering it’s important that you’re not skipping meals and saving up calories for the event.  This way you won’t over eat, or be down in the dumps because your blood sugar is too low before the party starts.  Fill up with foods that are rich in both fiber and protein all day and especially in the meal you eat prior to the party so that way your hunger will be somewhat satisfied so drinking and eating guilty will be in moderation. 

TIP 6: EXERCISE AND MEDITATE

I’m a big believer exercise and meditation is key to helping you be the best version of you.  Exercise increases your endorphins, calms your central nervous system down, and promotes better wellness for your mind and body to be at one.  On the other hand mediation, will quiet those random and negative thoughts that result into stress, drama filled fights, and constant worrying of things that are out of your control. Both help you be the best version of you!

TIP 7:  GUZZLE WITHIN REASON

Too many times you hear people say they are saving their calories for alcohol, and not food.  Alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories and  have no nutrient value, besides red wine, so drink mindfully.  Alternate between alcohol and water.  Have a healthy limit of 1- 3 drinks depending on your gender, age, and size.  Go for lighter calorie drinks like a glass of champagne, red wine, or a light beer rather than a sugary martini or heavy eggnog. Also, remember drinking too much affects the blood sugar, which then results the next day in fatigue, depression, and cravings for bad white carbohydrates and foods loaded with saturated fats and sugars. Excessive Drinking really pushes you away from your mind and body being at one.

TIP 8: SUBSTITUTE HEALTHY INGREDIENTS IN RECIPES

Eating healthy during your own holiday party or during the season doesn’t have to be a challenge.  Without sacrificing taste just change out heavy ingredients for lighter ones.

• With eggs you can use egg whites
• For flavor to recipes that call for butter like on potatoes try chicken broth, sun butter or coconut butter
•  For flour recipes stay away from white flour and look for grain flour or gluten free flour like coconut, rice, or tapioca, which are lighter
• You can also use applesauce for recipes that call for butter, and heavy oil.
• For recipes that call for cheese use low fat versions
• Another way is focus on gluten free, vegan, or paleo dessert because they tend to be lighter in calories and sugar than other desserts
• For chips use vegetables and for dips focused on plant based dips like bean, guacamole, and hummus, over creamy buttery dips

 RECOMMENDED RECIPE FROM

 VANILLA-POMEGRANATE PARFAITS FROM EATINGWELL.COM

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vanilla_pomegranate_parfaits.html

Remember you can also make swaps for healthier ingredients in the recipe

NUTRITION

Per serving: 209 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 88 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 15 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 48 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 1/2 fruit

For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com

HOW TO EAT HAPPY ALL THE TIME

What if I told you the key to eating happy is super easy. With the holiday season in full force that means tons of gatherings for fun filled eating and drinking binge fests. Who can resist chocolate mousse, apple pie, cookies, and other savory tasting dishes? For some it's another outlet to fuel their emotions with delicious tasting foods to beat the holiday blues, stress, or even another way to boost serotonin. In essence, holidays are very centered around emotional eating.  However, when it comes to eating happy the science boils down to reversing what most of us were initially taught as little kids.  Most young kids are programmed from an early age to equate happy eating with candy, cookies, fast food, ice cream, rich pastas, and heavy buttery foods. Of course all kids crave sweets and part of their youth revolves around that. I have great memories of my birthday cakes, and ice cream stops in the summer, and yes I still indulge in my weekly ice cream stop in the summertime.  A kids past time should be about that , but fast forward as an adult and that lifestyle  doesn’t work into demanding schedules between juggling work, school, finding time to be physically active, and even managing kids for some. The mindset needs to change what happy eating is. Instead, happy eating becomes the component that is going to contribute to the most successful version of you! Happy eating should be defined as foods that are going to boost long-term energy and longevity, stabilize moods, provide an overall balance of essential vitamins, and of course satisfy a craving or two! So our definition of happy foods was learned at an early age from our families, upbringing, and emotional events that happened during these times. If your one that has been struggling with diets, overeating, under eating, or using food as emotional outlet try this technique. Therefore, try applying the technique of looking at foods that are natural, unprocessed, and come from the pyramid food chain as foods that are going to properly fuel you and provide nourishment, whereas reprogramming your mindset about those past time foods you were taught as children. Remind yourself those foods long term are going to wreak havoc on your body and prevent you from being the most successful version of you. By reprogramming your mindset to what happy foods are you will never feel like you are on a diet again and your ideal thin will naturally occur. However, it’s ok to indulge weekly or 20 percent of the time within reason, and I call this mindfully eating.  It’s impossible to deprive yourself of your old favorite foods or an occasional drink or two.  Once you become comfortable with changing your mindset to eating happy all the time, your cravings for those foods will diminish and the switch for mindfully eating those sinful foods or drinks will be in moderation.

                             SATURDAY'S HAPPY LUNCH 

                         1 veggie burger, side of hearts of palm salad, few potatoes,

                        2 mini pieces of feta, and side of pineapple and fruit

                        Portions vary based on genetic makeup

                        This lunch follows the clean eating princpals which make it 

                        easy for you to recreate

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional, fitness, and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

TIPS TO FINDING YOUR DIVINE LIGHT

Enlightenment, divine light, pure bliss, paradise, and pure joy are all one wants, but the question is how can one experience this. I know these awe-inspiring feelings of happiness seem too good to be true, and it sounds more like a fictional book, fantasy, or even a movie, but what if I told you that experiencing happiness and finding your divine light is really simple. First, you have to make the choice to be happy and know that you truly deserve an amazing life no matter who you are, what the circumstances are, or where you have come from. If you don’t truly believe you deserve happiness and an amazing life then it will never happen.  Second, you have to let the past be in the past no matter how hard or painful your story has been, now is a new moment to let go and change your thoughts. So many people let their subconscious do the manifesting, unaware of their own wants and destructive behaviors which often come out in the form of other addictions like eating disorders, over eating, anger issues, alcoholism, drug use, violence, sex addiction, extreme gambling, excessive spending, and other codependent behaviors, because they are so out of touch with their own feelings, and don’t want to let go of their past.  This comes with my third point stop feeling pity for yourself, and waiting for life to happen.  The moment you take accountability for all your choices and actions in your life and put “the blame game” in the past is the moment you will empower yourself into a higher light.  The Fourth point is learning to embrace difficulties and challenges as a part of the journey of life.  Those individuals who are the happiest and strongest look at life’s challenges as a doorway to growth which leads to something bigger and better, and isn’t overwhelmed by the struggle.  The Fifth point is focusing on yourself and making that relationship the most important. Always be kind to your self and feed yourself with self compliments rather than verbiage that is self depreciating, and similarly surround yourself with people who support you not belittle you, or talk about you behind your back. Finally, perhaps the most important point is to always “March to the tune of your own beat”, and not the tune of others. Stop comparing yourself to what others are doing, or basing your decisions off the approval of others. Ultimately if you keep following others and not tuning into your mind and body, you’re digging a deeper hole of unhappiness. My so-called definition of  The Divine Light is really following your passions and taking actions to empower yourself based on what makes you happy.  So many times people equate the word happiness with relationships, money in the bank, career, and fame, but the real meaning of happiness is finding your divine light.  Here are some powerful tips that I practice daily to help me achieve my divine light.

• MEDITATION-Wake up and meditate for 1-10 minutes to clear your thoughts.
• MORNING ACTIVITIES-Doing morning activities with the intent towards yourself like working out, putting makeup on, or listening to your favorite music.
• PRACTICING GRATITUDE- Remind yourself of at least three things that your grateful in the morning and as the day goes on.
• EMBRACING A CHALLENGE- When a challenge or struggle hits embrace it and be fully present with the uncomfortable feelings. Try to fight reacting in a negative way such as resorting to unhealthy behaviors to cope like drinking, drugs, over eating, yelling, ect. This is not solving anything and eventually makes the problem worst. Accept what is at the moment, feel your feelings in a healthy way like writing it out, meditating, working out, calling a trusting friend to talk to, taking a walk, or reading a self help book. Remember to tell yourself the feeling is temporary and will pass.
• LEARNING TO LET GO- Learning to let go is probably the hardest thing one can do. Accept what is and know that you can only control your thoughts, and cannot control outcomes, events, or people. I remind myself of this the minute I start worrying or wanting to control every detail of my life or the reaction of others.
• ROUTINE, GOALS, & PASSION- Try to have a consistent routine in your life with work, school, gym, hobbies, social events. Sticking to some form of routine is good for the mind and body. Write a goal list every few months and check back to see where your progress is. Figure out what your interests are and what your passionate about.
•  JOB /CAREER- Find a job or career that somewhat meets an area of work that you enjoy or that your passionate about. In a perfect world we would all have our dream job, however there is no such thing as perfection, but if you can focus on a couple key elements that your passionate about and find it in a job it will make the job enjoyable.
• TREAT YOUR BODY AS A TEMPLE- Eat with the intent to nourish, energize, and purify your mind. Everything you put in your body affects your mind, so treat it with care and thats also saying no to drugs, and avoiding excessive drinking.
• EXERCISE- When your stressed, sad, or upset exercise is the easiest and healthiest way to increase our endorphins and make us feel better.

• BALANCE – When you start to feel overwhelmed with priorities and duties in your life rebalance what you can handle and what amount of time you want dedicate to certain activities.  Just know that it’s impossible to do everything.
• DON’T PLAN THE FUTURE-Stop worrying and planning every detail of your life. It’s good to set goals but please learn the moment your mind starts worrying and planning too far ahead turn your focus on the moment, and look at the details of your surroundings.
• DON’T GOSSIP AND COMPARE - When you gossip about others it’s negative energy and insecurities on your own end. Remember the focus is on you and not what other people are doing. The minute you stop talking about others in a negative light your creating positive energy by shifting the focus on your needs and wants. Also, stop comparing yourself to others, because you are your own unique lovable individual and when you compare, it often weakens self-esteem, so again keep the focus on you.
• MANIFEST A PLAN- Envision a plan actually happening and believing in yourself no matter what!
• DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF- Accept that nothing is perfect in life and it’s impossible to achieve perfection, so stop beating yourself up. Always feed your mind with positive kind thoughts, and don’t be so hard on yourself when you make mistakes just let it go. Also, don’t be around people who belittle you, make you feel insecure, and don’t promote goals that empower you on to your own path of success.
•  TRUST IN YOURSELF- Trust in yourself that you are capable of making the best decisions without anyone else’s advice.  Don’t second-guess yourself and always go with your gut instinct.
  
  DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 
  
   For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com 

SNACK ATTACK THE HAPPY WAY

Snack or not to Snack? Typically snacks can make or break your diet, however once you’re finished reading my article you will be all about the snack attack!  I’m talking snacking with the intent to fuel your mind and body. Unfortunately, it’s not those yummy chocolate chip cookies, creamy ice cream sundaes, crisp French fries, or your favorite candy bar. Those low nutrient sugary snacks are what I call “ bad fuel foods”, which provide one with a quick jolt of energy that is followed by a crash and burn leaving one hungry, cranky, sleepy, and unable to concentrate.  Luckily, there are so many yummy and better snacks out there to be the driving force of your wellbeing. These nutrient dense snacks are what I call “good fuel foods” which will keep your metabolism revved up, normalize blood sugar, increase energy, and balance out moods. If snacking is done right it prevents overeating at meals, aids in weight loss, helps maintain an ideal weight, and prevents that crash and burn what I call a food hangover! 

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO SNACK ATTACK THE HAPPY WAY!

•Stay away from calorie dense and high sugary snacks that contain no nutritional value

•A snack should be anywhere from 100-250 calories depending on your activity. However, if your workouts are high intensity like training for a marathon, competitive swimming or biking you may want increase a bit more

•Avoid those so-called pre-packaged “light snacks” at the grocery store for 60-90-100-calorie snacks that have lots of additives and very little nutrition. These will provide that crash and burn due to the additives and no nutrient value

•Choose snack combos wisely. Make sure snacks include complex carbohydrates for energy, a lean protein to feel full

•Look for snacks that are higher in fiber like fruits and vegetables because they take longer to digest 

•Always try to pair a vegetable or fruit with a protein, because protein helps slow the release of sugar. For example, sliced apples with almond butter or an orange with a few pieces of turkey is better than the fruit on it’s own. Another example could be tofu with green beans

•Look for low glycemic snacks like Kind Bars which are foods that don’t hit your blood stream for a while 

•Portion control applies to snacks as well. Make sure your following serving size portions especially when creating combos 

•Initially, stick to making your own snacks over buying packaged foods

•Plan your snacks ahead of time with a list before you go to the grocery store, and prepare them so you can bring them to work or on the go in order to ensure that you won’t grab junk food

•Resist buying junk food, so that way you won’t snack on it. Instead if your craving sweets buy ingredients for a healthy dessert recipe that you can cook and  try throughout the week. When you cook your own desserts they are a lot healthier 

•Snacking doesn’t constitute a meal, so make sure your eating regular meals

• Don’t view snacks as a treat instead view it as fuel to bridge you between your meals so you don’t overeat or become lethargic 

• Make sure your snacks are at least 3- 4 hours after a meal

Remember snacking when done right will boost your metabolism, increase your energy, and ensure a proper balanced diet of all essential nutrients and vitamins. Most importantly, when you snack attack the happy way. blood sugars will be stable which in turn prevent you from getting snappy, forgetful, or upset easily, and puts you in better spirits which then transcends outward into the universe for greater abundance and bigger accomplishments! 

QUICK AND EASY SNACK IDEAS

-Apple and a cup of skim milk

-half an avocado and cottage cheese

-Edamame

-handful of almonds

-100 calorie Greek Yogurt with a serving of low sugar or high protein granola

-Kind Bars

- Hummus with veggies

-high protein oatmeal with blueberries

-Gluten free rice cakes with almond butter

-banana with a serving size of peanut butter

-seaweed salad

-cup of lentils with field greens

-asparagus, strawberries, and walnuts,

-Oats with Greek yogurt and blueberries

-One slice of mozzarella cheese and few slices of tomato

-One/half cup of cottage cheese and berries,

-One Multi-grain waffle with a serving  sun butter or almond butter

-Hardboiled egg and a gluten free rice cake

-Two egg whites with 5 whole grain crackers

-Two pieces of Salmon with 6 whole grain crackers

RECOMMENDED SNACK RECIPE FROM HEALTH.COM

Pear With Ricotta Cheese and Cinnamon

http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000002002233,00.html

Calories per serving: 170

Fat per serving: 5g

Saturated fat per serving: 3g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 1.5g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0g

Protein per serving: 8g

Carbohydrates per serving: 27g

Fiber per serving: 5g

Cholesterol per serving: 20mg

Sodium per serving: 80mg

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com

HIP HIP HOORAY FOR PROTEIN !

HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HOORAY for Protein! The word is out and fans such as myself can’t get enough of this essential macronutrient. It’s practically everywhere in the food world and there is so much buzz from the latest protein bars, to innovative recipes for high protein smoothies. Bodybuilders and fitness addicts are guzzling high protein shakes to be at their best physique, dieters are eating the latest protein bars to drop weight, and many people like myself eat an ideal amount of protein to maintain a healthy weight in order to not look too skinny, while ensuring an overall balanced diet. You don’t have to follow a high protein diet to reap the benefits of protein associated with managing weight. Increasing protein intake at meals with higher protein foods can provide a feeling of fullness.  Many health and fitness experts believe protein increases thermogenesis, which is when the body burns more calories just to digest and process higher-protein foods, so every time you eat protein your body burns more calories because it requires more energy to break down the protein.  Protein is important in the overall health of one’s well being for the following reasons:

• It is a component of every cell in your body and your hair and nails are mostly made of protein
• The body uses protein to build and repair tissue
• The body needs protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.
• Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH PROTEIN ?

(Information below and chart taken from the article The Best Protein Sources from Women’s Health

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/protein-sources?adbid=10152891480756788&adbpl=fb&adbpr=34834516787&cid=socFO_20141208_36872647

The question becomes how much does a normal person require on a daily basis, and how does one prevent from going into overkill mode with their protein intake.  I have included an excerpt and a chart from the Women’s Health Article, which you can use as a healthy guideline

“The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for protein is .8 grams per kilogram of body weight, says Lisa Young, PhD, RD, a nutritionist in New York City, and author of The Portion Teller. If you’re trying to lose weight, she recommends upping your intake to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight (that comes to 59 grams a day for a 130-pound woman) and consuming a variety of different protein sources. And, of course, you’ll still need to exercise.”

To increase your protein know-how—and manage your weight more effectively—make this your go-to guide:

MONDAY’S HEALTHY LUNCH IDEA

My lunch consisted of a healthy serving of chicken salad, lentil salad with spinach, gluten free rice cake, and sesame vegetable mix.  My protein was in the lentils and the chicken salad. You can recreate this at home, and if you don’t like chicken salad or lentils you can replace it with other options like tofu, tuna, turkey, or another protein item.  The same goes with the lentils you can replace with other beans too! Always go back to basic and simple food dishes to maintain a diet of eating clean without counting calories. 

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com

GET READY TO GO CUCKOO FOR QUINOA!

As a young kid every morning I used to go “Cuckoo for Coca Puffs!” However, as years have passed my mindset towards fueling my body and mind to be at one with healthy food has diminished my taste for high fructose sugary cereals. If your one that craves high sugary cereals, loaded pastries, or breakfasts loaded with high saturated fats, surprisingly Quinoa is a great breakfast food to start your day.  Pair it with an omelets, throw it in smoothie bowl, or put in a recipe to create a healthy morning muffin the options are endless! Here are some reasons why you need to start going Cuckoo for Quinoa!

• Quinoa is a Queen of grains because it’s packed with an ideal protein and carbohydrate that contain nine essential amino acids.
• Since Quinoa is so high in fiber and protein it can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time, which make it an ideal weight loss food
• Quinoa is loaded with magnesium, calcium, iron, folate, and vitamin B6 and phosphorous all which are an impressive combination that reduces the risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
• Easy to digest and is gluten free
• Perfect replacement for white carbohydrates preferably white rice
• Add it to any meal, recipe, or eat as a snack
• Easy to prepare
• Keep  blood sugars steady and balanced which aid in maintaing healthy weight and improve cholesterol
• Quinoa contains healthy carbohydrates in each serving, some of which comes from fiber. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 30 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 5.5 grams of protein

Recommended Recipe is Healthy Breakfast Quinoa and Broccoli Egg Muffins from ifoodreal.com

http://ifoodreal.com/healthy-breakfast-quinoa-and-broccoli-egg-muffins/

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 12

Amount Per Serving = 1 muffin:

Calories: 82.8

Total Fat: 2.5 g

Cholesterol: 48.6 mg

Sodium: 214.0 mg

Total Carbs: 7.1 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g

Protein: 8.0 g

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional, fitness, and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

 For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com