 Here's everything you need to have a healthy holiday mind and body: from my 7 fave ways to keep you on track to my MUCHO, healthy, low carb alternatives to your fav T-Day drinks and dishes and Conscious Communication guide. LMK what works for you! And happiest, healthiest holidays to you and your loved ones. 7 fave ways to keep you on track during the holidays! Be mindful, gracious and grateful:
1.Hydrate! Have your low sugar green juice/protein shake with MCT oil only that day 2.Move! Do a HIIT upon rising to get in good frame of mind. Take a long Finish the day with a set of squats, 3.Fill up on lowest carb options: the meat (turkey, ham, etc) and the low carb vegetables (salad, spinach etc). 4.Remember to eat slowly deep breathe and chew well. 5.Avoid ALL grains // Skip the stuffing, breads, and high sugar/carb desserts and vegetables. 6.Bring your own alternative: a bread, side dish, or dessert from my selection. If you can not bring your own, stick to the basics, just eat more of that. 7.Use coconut charcoal capsules: 1 before first bite or drink + 1 for every alcoholic drink + 2 after last bite/sip + 2 upon rising. Healthy T-Day Menu // Low Carb Recipes for your favs How to make any recipe healthier: Meat: Remember to use only grass-fed, gmo-free and organic whenever possible. Cheeses: make them grass-fed, raw as well whenever possible. Instead of bread crumbs // Use ¼ cup of almond meal Instead of mashed potatoes // Mashed cauliflower Instead of sugar // Monkfruit in the raw Cocktails Pumpkin Pie Martini from All Day I Dream About Food Low Carb Cranberry Juice from Fluffy Chix Cook Cranberry Ginger Mulled Wine from All Day I Dream About Food Pumpkin Spice Hot Buttered Coffee from Healthy Living How To Organic wine if going to drink Appetizers Cheddar Cheese Straws from All Day I Dream About Food Low Carb Sausage Rolls from Up Late Anyway A very Italian style Antipasto: Appetizer tray Skip the cheese if you are dairy-sensitive!! Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Ham This would be an easy finger food to pass around before dinner Fav Turkey Recipes A must read post to bake the perfect turkey: 17 Thanksgiving Turkey Mistakes Everyone Makes A great keto-bacon-lover recipe: Bacon Blanketed Turkey (skip the root veggies or give them to a non-keto guest!) Mushroom and Sage Rolled Turkey Breast from All Day I Dream About Food Smoky Paprika Bacon Wrapped Turkey from Cooking on the Weekends Dry Brined Turkey from That Skinny Chic Adobo Butter Turkey from Nutmeg Nanny The Best Roast Turkey from Bakeaholic Mama (Paleo and Whole 30) Garlic Aioli Roasted Turkey with Lemon Parsley Au Jus from Epicurious Roast Turkey with Wine and Herbs from Barefoot In the Kitchen Beer Brined Turkey from The Beeroness Herbed Mayonnaise Roast Turkey from Nutmeg Nanny How to Smoke a Turkey from Foodie with Family Citrus and Herb Butter Roast Turkey Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey from She Wears Many Hats Turkey Breast Roulade with Grain-Free Herbed Stuffing Easiest Thanksgiving Turkey from West of the Loop Flavor Injected Herb Roast Turkey from Yours and Mine are Ours Duck Fat Turkey Breast with Green Onion Puree Porchetta Style Roast Turkey Breast form Bon Appetit Oven Roasted Cajun Turkey from Sassy Southern Yankee Roast Turkey Legs from Vodka and Biscuits Garlic Herb Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast from Whitney Bond Crockpot Turkey Breast from Chelsea’s Messy Apron (skip the carrots) Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Turkey from Flavor the Moments Gravy This is a great post about making gravy: How to Make Low-Carb Gravy How to Keto-Vivica - modify it: DO NOT use corn starch or any other flour. Your best option for gravy thickener is: Psyllium Fiber Excellent thickener. Tip: make sure you do give it time to expand before adding more, or you will end up with a rubber ball gravy! Stuffing Gourmet Stuffing - The Nourished Caveman Sausage Stuffing YUM! (skip the parmesan for dairy-free option!) Food Network Shrimp and Bacon Dressing To make it low-carb use coconut flour instead of tapioca flour. Southern Cornbread Stuffing from Buttoni’s Low Carb Recipes Grain-Free Paleo Biscuit Stuffing from Deliciously Organic Sides Sour Cream & Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower from All Day I Dream About Food Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash from A Sweet Life Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin from Kalyn’s Kitchen Hazelnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts from All Day I Dream About Food Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter from A Sweet Life Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Casserole from A Sweet Life Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce from A Sweet Life Green Bean Casserole from Peace, Love and Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole from Maria Mind Body Health Bread and Biscuits Cheddar Jalapeño Cauliflower Muffins from I Breathe, I’m Hungry Garlic Parmesan Biscuits from Satisfying Eats Cranberry Jalapeño “Cornbread” Muffins from All Day I Dream About Food Mile High Keto Biscuit Mix from Fluffy Chix Cook Cheesy Skillet Bread from All Day I Dream About Food Desserts The Ultimate Low Carb Pecan Pie from All Day I Dream About Food Pumpkin Chai Mug Cakes from I Breathe, I’m Hungry Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake from Healthy Indulgences Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars from All Day I Dream About Food Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling from No Bun Please Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars from Healthy Living How To Maple Walnut Creme Brûlée from Bob’s Red Mill Crustless Pumpkin Pie Dairy free option: Use coconut cream instead of cream -Nourished Caveman Pumpkin Pie Pudding - Nourished Caveman Pecan Pie Fudgy Macadamia Chocolates (These will be the highlight of the party) -Nourished Caveman OR Order from Paleo On the Go! Practice Conscious Communication Other resources: Travel Well Tips Healthy Snacks No hangover
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 What we most need now is to take good care of our precious hearts, minds and bodies by getting back to the basics of healthy living: hydration, sleep, choosing whole foods, exercise and, of course, stress management.
In order to be our kindest, most loving and compassionate selves, we need to be balanced, healthy and strong - mentally, emotionally and physically. This balance is necessary in order for us to “be the change we want to see in the world.” - Ghandi Stress can trigger us to turn to more caffeine, carbs, sugar and/or alcohol. These are all comforting in the short term but the unfortunate irony is that they are also depressants that often lead to more anxiety. If you do plan to indulge in the “fun” food and drink, please follow my advice on how to avoid a food or drink hangover. Already too far gone?...here’s a list of my latest fav ways to snap out of the carb/sugar malaise. Today I’m sharing 5 great ways to calm yourself. Please click on hyperlinks for more information on how to’s and where-to-gets:) As always, please share with me your favs! 3 Easy B’s for Calming Yourself Quickly 1. Breathe deeply with Essential Oils - Lavender or Bergamot are great for stress + inhale from the bottle, or place a drop into your hands or use a diffuser. My complete guide here. I’ll always refer back to deep breathing as the number one favorite way to calm the mind and body and manage stress bc you can do it anywhere, anytime and it really works. The more you do it, the better it works. So, get started with one round of 4-6 counts of nasal breathing. 2. Bach’s Rescue Remedies - Along with 1 or 2 of your fav essential oils, I reco carrying the original Bach’s for stress wherever you go. I like the sleep and energy ones too! Couple squirts will do. Dr. Oz swears by the one for his kids too! 3. Binaural Beats Click here for the playlist More of my stress management favs:
Enjoy the chill!  Cause of Cravings Carbohydrate cravings can result from a complex myriad of causes, many of which are inextricably linked. In short, cravings are a result of imbalance(s) in the mind and/or body. Emotional, hormonal (it’s that time of the month), not enough sleep/leptin resistance, low levels of serotonin and/or endorphins) and/or gut bacteria imbalances. This is why the solutions are not as simple as just removing sugar and processed food from your diet. And when it comes to overcoming our addiction to sugar or most things for that matter, it is not about willpower. It’s equal parts correcting the underlying imbalances and changing our behavioral patterns. One, without the other, will not create sustainable change. Check out my recommendations below for a quick fix for carb cravings, then explore the five steps and other tips for kicking the addiction to sugar. Explore more by clicking on the pink links.  Quick Tricks for Killing Carb Cravings These are my latest, fav go-to solutions for nipping a craving in the moment: -Drink 1 packet or 1 tsp. of CALM magnesium in 12 oz filtered water. Take 500 mg 2 x a day ongoing for optimal health. -Take 1 tsp of Glutamine or open 2 capsules under the tongue. I can't overstate the role magnesium and glutamine play in my MBR program protocols. Take the time to click on the links to learn more and for my specific Glutamine dosage recommendations. -Peppermint Essential Oil - place 2-3 drops on the tongue Eat a low-carb+protein+fat snack: 8 sprouted almonds or walnuts or a package of Justin’s Regular Almond Butter (keep those in your bag at all times for emergencies), a whole avocado with sea salt (the ultimate perfect snack protein/carb/healthy fat-wise) 1 tsp crunchy sunflower butter (similar to peanut butter but MUCH healthier). Sugar is a Toxic Drug. It is 8 x more addictive than cocaine. “Eating sugary foods, and even salt (hello chips!), (study) increases the production of endorphins in our bodies. Endorphins are basically opiates that make us feel relaxed. And when we eat carbs, our bodies makes more serotonin, the feel-good hormone. So when we eat these foods and experience this feeling, we want more—similar to the way drug users get addicted to narcotics. In fact, a recent study shows that sugar can actually have a more intense feeling of reward than cocaine (study).” - Kris Karr Your body can burn sugar for energy...or it can burn fat for energy. Which would you rather? It’s a no-brainer, right? Make the below five changes and your body will begin to burn fat more efficiently, you’ll lose excess weight, have more physical and mental energy, and your mood(s) will stabilize. My Fav Tried and Tested Solutions for Kicking A Sugar Addiction Here's how to make the process a wee less painful:)  1) Ditch Sugar for Stevia or even better, Monk Fruit Sweetener
 2) Hydrate Hydration is the Mind Body RE BOOT Program's third Healthy Habit. Your muscles, joints and organs, (including your brain), cannot function optimally without it. Your overall hydration can be tricky; even the healthiest people I know do not get enough fluids resulting in backaches, moodiness, sluggishness, late afternoon and other unnecessary cravings. Proper hydration is not just about having enough fluids, it’s about having the right mineral balance. And many of us are magnesium deficient. See my suggestions below for best ways to hydrate and remember this rule of thumb: You need to drink approximately one-half your body-weight (lbs) in ounces each day. Best ways to hydrate:
3) Eat a Low-Carbohydrate (20-100 net carbs) Diet rich in protein, high fiber veggies, beneficial fat and probiotic rich foods In short, net carbs are total carbs without fiber (the indigestible portion of plant foods). The reason to use net carbs (aka available carbohydrates) is because it is widely believed that dietary fiber doesn't affect blood sugar and our body cannot derive any calories from it. The most important factor in successful weight loss on a low-carb diet remains its appetite-suppressing effect.  Clean Proteins Listed in order of my preference for staying healthy while being humane.
 Fiber From Green Things and Sprouted Nuts 35-40 Grams Per Day Start consuming more high-fiber foods, Fiber helps you stay fuller longer. It also supports detoxification by helping waste move through the body. And it can also reduce candida symptoms in your body. Candida is a major cause of sugar cravings. Just a few of my highest fiber favs.
 Get Your Healthy Fats In
 Add Sour or Probiotic-Rich Foods to Your Day Sour, Probiotic-rich foods like apple cider vinegar and fermented vegetables are sour because of the good bacteria found in them. They help fight off and reduce candida in your body, which helps reduce sugar cravings.
 4&5) Breathe/Practice Mindful Awareness// Manage Stress I’ve combined tips 4 and 5 because they are both forms of “meditation” and stress management. So often we reach for something unhealthy not because we truly want it but because we want to feel better emotionally right now! We’re sad, angry, frustrated, exhausted, stressed...right? And it’s a habit we’ve developed over time to just reach for something crunchy, salty or sweet...high-carb. It’s so easy because very often there’s a bowl, or a bag, of that something within reach:) Unmanaged, or unchecked, emotions cause conflict externally or internally, and sometimes both. By internally I mean, repressing our feelings. Not validating and dealing with our own feelings can lead to illness. Sometimes very serious illnesses. At the very least, it can lead to emotional eating. In truth, a person or a situation does not have the power to make us feel stressed. It’s our perception that does that. How we choose to react to a given person, a situation...whatever it may be, can either cause conflict and more stress. Or not. It’s up to you. Yeah, yeah, you know...but I had to say it. So if we don’t learn how to calm the mind and manage our emotions effectively, we will never kick the sugar addiction or achieve optimal wellbeing. The first and easiest recommendation on this list is also the most powerful and it can be used anytime, anywhere. The others are great, too :) Deep Breathe whenever you are feeling tired, stressed or anxious:
 Practice Mindfulness Awareness By practicing this one, simple exercise you can change your brain, the way you react to difficult people and emotions. You can change your stress response. But you need to practice every day for 60 days to rewire the neural pathways of your brain, and the way you habitually respond. As with physical exercise, you don’t get results from just doing it once in awhile, it’s requires real dedication and consistency for true change. Mindfulness Practice For Dealing with Difficult Emotions.
Helpful Apps & Programs:
Nom Nom the Paleo Keto Calculator Keto Diet Food List-What to Eat and Avoid Mind Body RE BOOT App and Program Change is hard. And changing the way we eat, the way we deal with emotions and the way we manage stress are the hardest changes of all because most of us have been doing what we’re doing for a long time, right? Let me know if you want some help getting started and getting through the first and most challenge phase. |
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