Wednesday, November 25, 2009

>> 12 TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY FOR THE HOLIDAYS <<

1. Take a healthy and delicious dish to share with everyone at holiday
gatherings.

2. Stop eating when you are 80% full. There are always plenty of
leftovers during the holidays. You'll probably get a chance to taste
it again.

3. Fill your plate with smaller portions of each dish. Overeating is
one of the culprits of holiday sluggishness and extra holiday pounds.

4. CHEW each bite 20-25 times or more (no matter what you eat). This
can keep you from overeating and give you more time to enjoy mealtimes
with friends and family. It also leaves you more satisfied with what
you eat.

5. Eat a healthy meal before going to holiday parties, and take a
healthy dessert with you. It makes all that decadent (and fattening)
holiday food easier to resist.

6. If you eat snacks at parties, SIT DOWN to eat your food. Our bodies
process and digest food better when we are sitting down.

7. Use rice syrup, barley malt, maple syrup or agave nectar to replace
the sugar in your holiday desserts.

8. Set holiday GOALS for your health with a friend or family member.
It is always easier to resist temptations when you have a buddy and
someone to whom you can be accountable.

9. Take time to tell someone how much you appreciate them.

10. Holidays are usually busy and stressful. Treat yourself to a
shiatsu or healing massage to help you relax.

11. Make a list of things for which you are thankful.

12. Take time to reflect on what is really important to you in your
life. (And make sure you are spending at least some time doing these
things)

Enjoy your holidays! And remember the rule:

If you eat something that you know is not the best for you....
SAVOR and ENJOY every bite, and leave the guilt out of it.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Rebalance Yourself After Overindulging

Overdid it this Halloween and turned yourself into a sugar zombie? Here's what you can do...

Eat simply for a little while: focus on a plant-based diet such as whole grains, beans and bean products, vegetables, sea vegetables, and naturally fermented pickles.

Try a macrobiotic home remedy called ume-sho-bancha.

Ume-Sho-Bancha

This tea is reputed to help relieve fatigue and obtain relief from over-consumption of sugar, fruit, or acid-forming foods and beverages.

½-1 umeboshi plum (no msg, sugar, or food coloring)
½-1 tsp traditional handmade shoyu
hot kukicha tea*

Place umeboshi in a cup and mash with a chopstick. Add shoyu. Pour in hot tea and stir well. Drink liquid and eat plum while hot.

*Kukicha is a Japanese tea made from the stems and twigs of the tea bush and can be found in your local health food store.

This remedy is very strong, so do not drink too often.