Beat the Holiday Weight Gain (Yes, You Can Still Have a Cookie!)

It has been a long, long time since I have spent some time with this blog...where have I been?

Well, folks, it has been a time of unbelievable change for me which will lead to a completely fresh start in the New Year. In just three weeks, I will give up my much-loved role as Nutrition Operations Manager at Choices Markets, a position I created and have had the utmost privilege to hold. I have been working on a shiny new website, www.desireerd.com, which is almost ready. When it's ready, I will move my blog to my new website so be sure to subscribe for lots of great tips and some special surprises too! 

In the New Year, I will embark on a new journey - both as an entrepreneur and as Education Specialist for the wonderful Bio-K+ Probiotics. I appeared on the Natural Health Show this past weekend talking about Inflammation and Probiotics on their behalf and you can listen to the show here. I will continue to do talks throughout North America, write, work with conscious natural food companies and I will be able to spend more time seeing private nutrition clients here in Vancouver. 

I hope you will continue on in this journey with me...I am deeply thankful for all of your support over the years! 

And lest you think that post title was a bait and switch, never fear! This past Sunday I was featured in The Province giving my tips for surviving the holidays without packing on the pounds. See the feature here. 

As a bonus, I want to share my top 10 healthy holiday foods with you...so here goes!

1. Cranberries

Cranberries, minus the pound of sugar, are incredibly anti-oxidant rich and the pigments in cranberries help prevent certain types of bacteria from adhering to the mouth, stomach and urinary tract.

2. Satsumas/Mandarins

Citrus fruit are seasonal, if not local, and come with plenty of phenolic compounds and vitamin C to help strengthen your immune system and possibly help prevent stomach cancer.

3. Almonds

Nuts are delicious and nutritious - just try not to eat them roasted and salted! Keep raw nuts on hand for snack attacks and for a healthy holiday treat, lightly toast raw nuts and toss with either tamari or a blend of your favourite spices.

4. Figs

Figs are a holiday delicacy worth eating year round. Figs are rich in fibre and contain a host of minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

5. Turkey

It's not the turkey that weighs you down, it's the gravy! Turkey is a lean protein source that helps to bust the carb fest we all take in December. Whenever you can, buy ethically raised (organic if possible) birds to ensure a better life for the animals that feed us. 

6. Chocolate

Dark chocolate, 80% cocoa or higher is a perfect after dinner sweet that satisfies without a lot of sugar. For the true anti-oxidant benefits of chocolate however, you need to buy raw cacao, which you can make into truffles and chocolates in no time flat.

7. Pomegranates

Fresh pomegranates are available around the holidays and they are the perfect snack for munching as you watch a holiday movie. They take plenty of time to eat and each seed is packed full of fibre and potent anti-oxidants.

8. Spices

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger are all incredibly satisfying, anti-oxidant rich and lend a festive flavour to healthy foods. Use them to create a mulled wine or cider as a healthier alternative to heavier drinks like egg nog. Use them in homemade whole grain baking or scent the air by boiling cracked, whole spices and citrus slices on the stove.

9. Peppermint

Peppermint soothes the digestive tract and may even bring relief to IBS sufferers. You can find the pure, edible oil in gourmet shops to flavour homemade dark hot chocolate or even tea.

10. Sweet Potatoes and Yams

When roasted with a touch of maple syrup and olive oil, yams have a caramel-y sweetness that satisfies without going to the extent of making the traditional candied variety. Yams, with their skin, are a great source of fibre and vitamin A for healthy skin and immunity.

UnDiet...Week 52

Merry Christmas UnDieters!


This week, you have only one task: eat, drink and be happy. Get close to your loved ones; whatever food you choose to prepare as you celebrate, use the best quality ingredients possible and prepare foods with love. That way, you are guaranteed to nourish your soul (even if all not all the foods you eat this week nourish your body!)


Thank you so much for following along this year. At certain points, you might have strayed...at certain points, I have strayed! When beginning this project, I never realized the dedication it would take to keep going all year long - what a good reminder that any commitment you make to yourself requires passion, perseverance and willpower to keep it going. The lovely thing about an UnDiet is that there is no true beginning or end point: should you feel the need to reinvest in your health in 2012, simply start back at week one! 


Health is a journey; no one (not even a dietitian) eats "perfectly" all the time or exercises religiously, gets enough sleep or manages stress all the time. The key is tipping the scale in your favour. Always strive to be healthier today, in any way that you can. That is key to true health. 


I hope you enjoy the remaining days of 2011. Be sure to keep tuning into EDBH in the New Year for plenty more delicious adventures.


All the best of the season,
Desiree


PS - should you have any thoughts on what you would like to see on EDBH in 2012, let me know!

Be Happy...Healthy Holiday Gifts

For the last of my three healthy holiday gifts posts, I won't be sending you running to the mall to fight the frazzled, pushy, un-festive crowds. If you have people on your list that you haven't bought for yet - why not go another way?


With a full time job, a toddler,  a husband and a time consuming writing habit...I don't have a lot of free time. I am looking forward to some time off in just a few days and I think some of the best gifts you can give are time spent with friends and family doing something fun. So for this holiday gift instalment, here are my suggestions for the best healthy holiday gifts you can give: quality time.


1. Snowshoeing at Grouse Mountain - I have desperately wanted to try snowshoeing for the last 4 years and every year seems to pass without me hitting the alpine. Maybe this will be my year? Grouse Mountain offers nightly guided snow showing tours that end with a fondue feast. Okay, so heaping pots of cheese and chocolate aren't the pinnacle of health but the broth course is healthy and you did just complete an hour of snowshoeing... 


2. Wander through Van Dusen Festival of Lights - Bundle up, fill up a thermos with hot chocolate (spike it with Baileys...I won't tell) and take friends for a long evening's walk through the thousands of glittering lights at Van Dusen Gardens. Take girl's night out to a festive new level. Nightly until January 2nd. 


3. Sign up for a cooking class at The Dirty Apron and invite your friends over for a New Year's tapas party. A little gift for you...and some great fun with friends post Christmas, when everyone needs a lift!


4. Offer an evening of babysitting to friends who have children. If you have children, I needn't explain further. If you don't...marvel in how inexplicably thankful your friends will be when you send them out for a night on their own. Feel smug and thoughtful and help yourself to treats after the kids go down for the night.


5. Treat a friend to a yoga, Bar Method or any other fitness class, followed by a stop at your favourite cafe. My favourite spot is YYoga...where you can go for a class, get a sauna and have a cup of tea, all in one locale. Perfect way to get fit and reconnect all at once!


Here is to a healthy holiday,
Desiree

UnDiet...Week 51

Hello UnDieters!


I hope you are all snug and toasty with your loved ones this morning, enjoying a warm cup of tea or coffee and saying to yourself, "TGIF!" Take a moment this morning to relax and get ready to UnDiet, holiday style.


For your festive mission this coming week, I would like you to eat one holiday superfood each day. Because, what are the holidays without a celebration of food? I have chosen 5 foods that are readily available, nutritious and absolutely delicious for you to enjoy. When you eat your daily superfood, think of all the nourishment that good food (and good spirits!) can offer. Appreciate. Savour. Nourish. Enjoy.


1. Citrus - a delightful seasonal (if not local) treat, enjoy satsumas, moros, clementines, Meyer lemons, ruby grapefruit and kumquats. Squeeze yourself a bit of upliftingly scented vitamin C. The scent of grapefruit might even help to curb appetite. Any help around the holidays is appreciated :)


2. Cranberries - a potent bacteria fighter the colour of holiday lights. Make a lightly sweetened compote with apples for dessert or a snack; drink unsweetened, not-from-concentrate juice with sparkling water or dice raw cranberries into salads, pilafs and casseroles for a tart hit of nutrition.


3. Nuts - enjoy a 1/4 cup of your favourite raw nuts. Go holiday style and crack them right from the shell or take it easy and buy shelled nuts to eat on oatmeal, with dried fruit or on their own. Healthy fats will moisturize from the inside out and provide plenty of micronutrients to keep you resilient during all the holiday festivities.


4. Turkey - not just for the big feast, enjoy easy-to-prepare turkey roast as a nutritious and delicious main, slice for sandwiches, wraps and scrambles before you are totally sick of leftovers.


5. Yams and sweet potatoes - without all the sugar and marshmallow (say it ain't so!), these super spuds are super nutritious. Use them in place of other grains or starches: baked, roasted, boiled or mashed, these colourful tubers are a rich source of vitamin A.


Enjoy the holidays,
Desiree