Holiday Survival Tips

As the holiday season is upon us and your schedule gets extra busy! Here are some tips to help you through the holiday whirlwind.

Holiday Preparation Burns Calories

Schedule time and sneak in time to stay active throughout the holidays! Although, also embrace the other ways that you will burn calories during the holiday season preparing for gatherings. For example, one hour of wrapping presents burns about 90 calories, one hour of cleaning burns about 150+ calories, one hour of cooking burns about 240 calories.

Calorie counts based on 150-pound person. Click here for a calorie calculator.

Stock up on healthier snacks!

Sure there will be extra snacks and treats around throughout the holidays. Also stock up on healthier staples like: almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc. They are perfect to put out at holiday gatherings or grab to take with you to keep your energy up while running errands.

Other quick and easy ideas to have on hand: clementines, bananas, fruit and nut bars (opt for lower sugar varieties), popcorn, whole grain fig bars

It’s all about balance!

Holiday celebrations often come along with drinks! Balance out alcohol by mixing in a glass of water or club soda between drinks. It will help to keep your overall intake in check, hydrate you, and leave you feeling better the next day.

Plus remember the calorie count that comes along with drinks to help balance out your intake! For example: long island iced tea (8 ounces) 780 calories, eggnog with rum (8 ounces) 370 calories, gin and tonic (7 ounces) 200 calories, light beer (12 ounces) 95 - 135 calories, red or white wine (5 ounces) 120 calories,

If you are throwing a party, serve up a fun non-alcohol “mocktail” like a Sparkling Holiday Mule! See the recipe below.

Sparkling Holiday Mule Mocktail

Sparkling Holiday Mule Mocktail

Ingredients:
Ice
Poland Springs Ginger Lime Mule Seltzer
Fresh Lime Slices
Whole Cranberries (for garnish)
Sprig of rosemary (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Muddle a lime slice in a copper mug (or other serving glass).

2. Add ice and fill with ginger lime mule seltzer.

3. Garnish with whole cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Cheers!

Summer Pesto Pizza

Skinny Rules Pesto! 

This delicious pesto takes perfect on top of pizza for a light and delicious dinner or even appetizer. This recipe is from The Skinny Rules (Publisher: Harlequin Non-Fiction, see page 108), it's a recipe from a cousin of mine, Kristine Schoembs. What I love about this recipe is that it is only 45 calories per serving, which is much less from traditional pesto that can be loaded with calories. While the calories in pesto mostly come from healthy fats from nuts and oil, it can be hard to save enough calories in a day for a rich pesto. 

Skinny Rules Pesto

Serves 8 (1 oz servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend! Store pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Nutrition facts (per flatbread pizza*): 50 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, <5 milligrams cholesterol, 100 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

Photo by luchezar/iStock / Getty Images

SUMMER PESTO FLATBREAD PIZZA

Serves 1 

Ingredients:
Whole grain flatbread of choice (approximately 150 calories)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 oz Skinny Rules pesto (See recipe above)
Toppings (your pick!): sliced olives, mushrooms, zucchini, olives, arugula, basil leaves, etc. 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place the flatbread on a baking sheet and top with pesto. Spread the pesto evenly around, then top with feta, and toppings of choice.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is warm and melted. Slice and serve.

Nutrition facts (per flatbread pizza*): 273 calories, 9 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 30 milligrams cholesterol, 620 milligrams sodium, 39 grams carbs, 22 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 12 grams protein

*Nutrition facts based on a Millet & Flax Flatbread (150 calories) and sliced zucchini for a topping, note: the flatbread selected, and the toppings will impact the nutrition fact data. 

Weight, COVID, and Steps YOU Can Take

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In this time of frustrating headlines and things around the world spiraling out of control. There are things YOU can control to prevent and lessen your risk of severe illness from Covid-19 and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is on the list.

Data is showing that there is a much higher risk (7-fold increase) for the need for mechanical ventilation in patients with Covid-19 that have a high body mass index (BMI >30) and increased risk for being admitted to critical care. (Sources: CDC) Scientists and researchers are concerned as well that the vaccine may not be as effective in those with a higher body weight (Source: CNN).

Here are some ideas to help you be the healthiest version of you:

ADD-IN ACTIVITY

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Being routinely active is an important part of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Plus being physically active helps with mental health as well and can lessen feeling stressful. In fact, there is consistent research that links exercise with stress reduction - for example, people report feeling calmer after a 20- to 30-minute bout of aerobic exercise and even better yet, the calming effect can last for several hours after exercise. (ACSM Health & Fitness 2013)

In need of some workout ideas that you can do at home? Check out Fitness Blender, which is a great free platform for all different workout ideas from yoga to high intensity interval workouts. There is a wide variety of workouts too for all fitness levels.

Or check out walking or hiking trails at local or regional parks where you live to enjoy the beautiful summer days, it can be easy to social distance while walking or running!

TRY NEW RECIPES

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Challenge yourself and your family to try new recipes! Healthy eating CAN taste great and there are so many wonderful resources to find new recipes from sites like: Delish.com, EatingWell, and check out my blog archive for lots of recipe ideas too.

This is a perfect time to learn a couple of new recipes to have in your rotation! Or if you have kitchen gadgets that are in your home that you haven’t used in awhile, get them out of the cupboard and learn how to use them! Like an air-fryer - here is a favorite new recipe for Jicama Air-Fried Fries or Instant Pot - here is a delicious Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe!

DRINK MOSTLY WATER

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Over half of your body is water! EVERYDAY your body needs water! While all beverages (other than alcohol) - yes, even coffee and tea - are hydrating to the body… too often a whole day can go by when all someone has had to drink is anything but plain, hydrating, and refreshing WATER!

Plus if all you are drinking is sweetened drinks (even if it’s sugar-substitutes like diet beverages) you aren’t necessarily helping your health. Researchers are still trying to sort out why but there is a link between diet soda and diabetes - so surely, diet beverages are helpful to reduce sugar and calorie intake,yet data still suggests there is a need to limit diet beverages. (Journal of Curr Dev Nutrition 2018)

Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day to make hydrating with water an easy choice. And if you do have diet beverages - limit the amount and frequency.

For more tips and ideas to help you be the healthiest version of you, check out my book, The Skinny Rules (Harlequin Non-Fiction 2011) and for recipe ideas, Skinny-Size It (Harlequin Non-Fiction 2014).

Holiday Tips: The Drinks

Another holiday tricky spot that came up was around alcohol and keeping drinks in check! Here's a holiday drinks tip sheet for you!! 

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season! 

Holiday Tips: Portion Control

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Earlier this fall, I asked friends to share with me their holiday struggles! My present to all of you this holiday season are healthy holiday survival tips to help get you through the season without packing on the pounds.

I'll be tackling some of the holiday struggles my friends shared including: portion control, drinking, making time for exercise, snacking, the drinks, appetizers, and more!! Stay tuned to the blog for tips and tricks for your healthiest holiday season yet!

First up, let's tackle portion control:

The best tip I can give is to arrive to a party or meal, hungry but not starved! Skipping meals leading up to a party is kind-of like a set-up for failure. Instead have a filling breakfast like whole wheat toast with avocado, grab a light lunch – like some broth-based soup, and an afternoon snack like a handful of nuts or a whole grain granola bar. This way you’ll arrive to the party, hungry – but not starved!  

Hydrate! Sip water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Even mix it up with unsweetened teas, herbal teas, or naturally flavored seltzer water. Then, at parties and gatherings consider the calories that you’re drinking! Calories from drinks can pile up in a hurry (stay tuned for a holiday drink tips sheet... coming soon!). If you are throwing the party, have lower calorie and a mix of non-alcoholic drink options on hand like naturally flavored seltzer water!

Lastly, food and celebrations do bring us together – focus on enjoying the time with family and friends instead of focusing on the food! To help focus on time together, try these quick tips:

- Play a fun game to help shift the focus away from food and instead having time together!

- Get moving and take together, take a walk, hike, or play a game of football.

- Keep the food in one area and skip little bowls of snacks throughout the house to help everyone cut down on mindless snacking!

Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy holiday season! Stay tuned for more tips!!

Recipe Round Up!

here's a Few delicious and nutritious recipes For You to Try!

Freekeh, Kale, and Peach Salad

From Alex Caspero MA, RD, click here for the recipe (shared with permission)

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Cheddar, Pesto, and Tomatoes

From CabotRD, click here to view the recipe (shared with permission)

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Fingers 

A twist on my Skinny Chicken Fingers from The Skinny Rules, check out the recipe below.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 cup pretzel crumbs*

4 egg whites (whip with a fork)

*Pulse the pretzels in a food processor or blender until crushed and crumbled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place whipped egg whites in a dish and the pretzel crumbs in a separate dish.

3. Dip ti chicken fingers into the egg mixture and then into the pretzel crumbs.

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip each of the chicken fingers, and back for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.