healthy living

Christmas Treats Giving You The Sugar Blues? Get Through the Holidays With Your Waist Intact

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With Christmas just around the corner, the sugar season is in full swing.  We’ve got cookie exchanges, office parties and family dinners to look forward to (or not).  So, how are we going to keep off unwanted pounds without depriving ourselves of all those Christmas treats?  Learn my go to holiday health tips to keep you feeling good going into the New Year!

Make A Switch

We don’t want to deny ourselves the pleasure of all those tasty treats, especially when it comes to the season of hors d’ oeuvres and desserts.   So, we tell ourselves that we will spend extra time in the gym or starve ourselves before the party in order to justify a splurge. But what we really need is a holiday mindset makeover.  Here are a few simple mind switches to make this holiday season: 

Deprivation

Instead of thinking you will deprive yourself of flavor and enjoyment when you pass by the triple decker, deluxe, death by chocolate cake. Think of the diabetes, heart disease, heart burn, joint pain and mood swings you will not have to worry about. Yes, you will be depriving yourself of a life of pain and suffering, but I’m guessing you’d be okay with that. 

Click here to read, “Sugar And Cancer – How One Affects The Other.”

Flavor

You don’t have to eat the whole cake to enjoy the flavor. Choose smaller serving sizes. You still get the mouth feel, pleasure and taste but with fewer calories which means less weight gain. 

Click here to read, “Sugar – Are you singing the sugar blues?”

Balance

Healthy behaviors don’t make up for unhealthy behaviors. There isn’t a scale where you put broccoli on one side and balance it with sugar on the other side. Healthy actions won’t erase the consequences of unhealthy actions. Exercise because it makes you feel good and energized. Not because you want to binge at the cookie exchange. Engage in intermittent fasting because it reduces inflammation in your body. Not because you want to save up all your calories for pigging out at a party.  

Click here to read, “How Processed Sugar Destroys Your Body.”

Health Tips For The Holidays!

Now that we’ve changed our minds about a few things, here are some tips to getting through the season with your health intact: 

1. Plan Ahead

You know what to expect, so plan how you will respond; write it down and say it out loud.  

2. Use Positive Language

Instead of saying, “I won’t eat the death by chocolate cake,” say, “I will eat two or three bites of the death by chocolate if I feel like it.”

Your brain doesn’t register negative words, so when framed in the negative, it will just hear death by chocolate cake and you will end up eating the whole thing. When framing it positively, the brain will hear two or three bites of cake and it will be easier for you to stick to a smaller serving as you and your brain will be on the same page. 

3. Change What You Can

If your friends want to do a cookie exchange, suggest a fun sock, holiday mug, or ornament exchange instead. It’s just as much fun, a whole lot less work and easier on the waistline. If you get to bring a dish to share, choose something without added sugar because there will be plenty of people bringing dessert. 

Now you are all set to enjoy the holidays with all the flavors, textures and fun!  Be sure to check out Family Health Advocacy daily in order to see today’s tasty holiday treat that’s also healthy as part of our 12 Day’s of Holiday inspired natural health recipes.

For more information click here to read, “Finally Quit Your Sugar Addiction With These Top Tips.”

Does Health After Marriage Exist?

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healthy lifestyle

Society tends to normalize the idea of getting comfortable after marriage and ‘letting yourself go’ with the person you love.  Whether you are busy putting in crazy hours at the office, shuttling kids to and from events or just not finding enough hours in the day to get it all done, it’s easy to allow your health to take a backseat.  However, how good is this for you?  Does loving your better half unconditionally mean you accept to see them run their health into the ground?  Follow these Healthy Lifestyle Tips For Good Health After Marriage.

If you are looking for a way out of this rut, the solution may be working together.  This could begin with just you and your partner or can be a family wide approach.  The key is togetherness.  When you work as a team, you will gain support and accountability to stay on track with a healthy lifestyle while limiting temptations that may have previously led you to fall off the wagon.

5 Tips For Families To Achieve A Healthy Lifestyle

  1. Identify Your Goals

As your relationship and family dynamics evolve, you will, too.  Whether you are struggling to navigate a food sensitivity, trying to lose weight or looking to reduce stress, your health needs to be just as much a priority as going to the dentist or showing up to work.

We tend to forget that how we treat our bodies ultimately decides at what capacity we can carry ourselves through life. The food you are choosing to fuel your body with, the lifestyle choices you make and the thoughts you have are all affecting your overall health.

Remember, it is not selfish to put your health first.  It is necessary.  It’s important to recognize your individual needs and openly share them with your partner.

2.  Commit Together

This is the most crucial part.  Too often, clients will share that one of their biggest obstacles is watching their partner or children indulge while they are trying to be “good”.  As if it isn’t hard enough to pass up the refined sugar donuts in the staff room all day.  The last thing you need is to come home and watch your partner eat a bag of chips while you’re trying really hard to stay on track.

The only way to overcome this is to create a household that supports the food choices you want to be making.  One of the easiest things you can do is to plan a pantry clean out.  As a family, decide what good quality foods you plan to restock it with.

When it comes to kids, this can be surprisingly easy.  Kids only know what they are exposed to.  The younger they begin to enjoy healthy eating, the more likely they will ask for it.  Pre-packaged snacks may be convenient but chopped fruits, veggies, good quality cheeses, seeds and nuts are easy solutions that pack tons of health benefits.  They’re good for mom and dad, too!  For further reading, click here to discover “#Relationshipgoals”.

3. Meal Plan Together

At first, this may seem like work but it will soon become a routine that you’ll be thankful you started.  You can invite your kids into this discussion as well.  Develop a repertoire of easy meals and snacks that can be rotated throughout the week or month.

To start, consider what you already enjoy eating.  Even if that answer is Mac & Cheese or chicken fingers.  There are tons of recipes out there to make it healthy and enjoyable for the whole family.  It is all about the small steps to start your journey.

4. Get Moving Together

This one is so important and easily attainable with a little creativity.  You need to get your family up and moving.  This doesn’t mean you need to sign up for a triathlon or drag your kids to the gym.  Simply get outdoors!  While you may be tempted to stick the kids in front of the TV and plop on the couch, a quick walk in your neighbourhood will do the whole family some good.  Being active for at least 30 minutes a day is crucial to lower your risks of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

5. Communicate

We know you’ve heard this one.  You need to communicate throughout your health journey.  Identify what’s working, what isn’t and what’s next.  Perhaps you didn’t love the kale smoothie your partner prepared for you – and that’s ok.  What’s important is not to sub that kale smoothie for your old habits.  Instead take the time to figure out a different healthy alternative.  Click here for a mixed berry smoothie the whole family is sure to love!

Communicating your changing needs is the only way to get the best results out of your health journey.  If you find you need more support making healthy choices, meal planning or identifying your specific dietary needs, consider working with a Holistic Nutritionist or Health Care Professional to help you attain your optimal health.  Click here to connect with a health professional near you.

More questions? Click here to connect.  We would love to support and guide you on your health journey!

Victoria Day BBQ Recipes

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Victoria Day BBQ Recipes

It’s that time of year! Summer Barbecue season is here and it’s time to fire up the grill!! But with so many choices of what to cook, it’s easy to get stuck in a hot dogs and hamburgers rut that don’t offer many nutrients.

Here are some taste-bud blowing recipes that will make your mouth water, but are also packed with nutrients to fuel your body for summer fun!

Zucchini halves stuffed with minced meat and vegetable

Zucchini Boats

Find the largest zucchinis that you can. Slice longways down the middle and scoop out the largest seeds.

Cook hamburger meat in skillet.

Cook onions, garlic, peppers and mushrooms in another skillet and add 2 handfuls of spinach when it’s almost done cooking. Add hamburger meat to skillet once it is cooked and mix together.

Fill zucchini boats with mixture and barbecue until the zucchinis are softened. Top with your favourite herbs and spices.

Chicken Kabobs

Chicken Kabobs

Slice free range, organic (if possible) chicken breast into chunks fit for a kabob skewer. Keep them fairly small so they don’t take a lot longer to cook than the vegetables also on the grill. Slide the chunks onto the skewer and sprinkle with pepper.

To other skewers, add a mixture of fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, chunks of pepper, celery, zucchini, onion and pineapple. Add a very light brushing of extra virgin olive oil before they go on the grill to help them get a bit crispy.

(I like to keep the meat and veggie skewers separate due to raw meat juice contamination, and they tend to cook at different speeds).

Grill and Enjoy!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Grilled Corn on the Cob

There are two ways to do this, so experiment and see what you like best…

#1 – Grill with the husk on – just throw it on the barbecue and turn it often. The result is more of a steamed corn and just a little grilled-ness. Should be cooked in 10-15 minutes, or when you feel that a knife easily pierces the kernels.

#2 – Husk the Corn and then grill it. This creates a much more grilled effect, where the kernels become darkened and absorb more of the grilled flavour. Turn them often, and they are cooked in about 10 minutes.

You can drizzle with a little bit of garlic butter and salt for added flavour. Or lime and hot sauce. Or your favourite topping!

Refreshing LemonadeRefreshing Lemonade

Grab your high speed blender and fill with 1 L of water.

Cut the rind off of a lemon, leaving the white pith. Put the whole lemon into the blender and blend until smooth.

Strain the lemon-water mixture with tiny mesh strainer into a pitcher. This will catch the small pieces of seeds, etc that didn’t break down in the blender.

You don’t need to add anything to sweeten it, it is not sour, just pure flavour! Serve over ice and enjoy!