Written by Kristin Tait, B.A. KIN, RNCP, CFSP
The holidays are officially upon us and with them come magic and joy, excitement and generosity of spirit… and oftentimes some stress too. Whether it is in the form of exhaustion and overwhelm, travel, challenging family relationships, striving for perfection, or grief and other emotions that can increase in magnitude at this time of year, stress is often a part of the holiday package. A holiday stress that can easily be overlooked is the stress on our bodies and minds from all the holiday sweets and salty treats we eat. We all know the feeling we get when we eat too many sweets or too much food. These treats are a tasty and joyful part of the holidays, and we are probably going to indulge in them, so here are a few suggestions to help balance the excess that can come from holiday eating and the stress it can place on our bodies and minds. Michael Pollan put it best when he said, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
| If you have been eating… | Try balancing with… |
| Too much sugar | Focus on plenty of colourful vegetables, including some protein, grains and beans if they agree with you |
| Too much alcohol | Avoid alcohol for a few days and drink plenty of warm clear teas, and/or warm water with lemon or lime and/or ginger, eat lots of green vegetables and exercise or sauna to sweat |
| Too much salt | Focus on steamed vegetables, lots of greens, fresh fruit which can be cooked and fresh juice which can be warmed up at this time of year |
| Too much meat | Focus on cooked vegetables and soups, including grains and beans if they agree with you |
| Too much of everything | Simplify your diet by eating fewer ingredients and eating light soups and broths, warm tea and warm water sips throughout the day. |
*Adapted from ‘Food and Healing’ by Annemarie Colbin
Other ways to nourish your mind, body and soul this holiday season:
- Take a few deep breaths to center yourself before you get out of bed in the morning and throughout the day
- Set an intention for your day, perhaps something around presence, peace, joy, love, compassion for yourself and others.
- Meditate or practice mindfulness in any way that works for you. This can be a walk, a run, a moment of stillness, watching your breath, practicing yoga or anything that brings you closer to yourself.
- Use guided meditation recordings when it is more challenging for you to sit or practice on your own. Try apps such as Wildflowers* with Angela’s guided meditations, Headspace*, or Tara Brach’s online meditations*, also available on her podcast
- Take a short walk outside in the fresh air
- Spend time with people who nourish your soul
- Take a bath or hot shower and imagine the stresses of the day going doing the drain and freeing you to relax and be.
- Cook something healthy and comforting to nourish you and your family
- Get back in your body with mini movement breaks such as 5 minutes of sun salutations/yoga, climbing stairs at work, or strength/cardio exercises – lunges, squats, step ups, core work or pilates exercises
- Make time for relaxation, a holiday movie with loved ones and healthy hot chocolate*, baking or making crafts with your kids or friends, or time to curl up with a great book and a cup of tea
- Listen to music or an audible book while cooking or simply resting
- Plan ahead and bring healthy snacks like nuts and fruit with you so you don’t get hangry when you are shopping or out and about
- Say no to optional invitations or requests that will create additional stress for you or your family. Make sure that when you say yes to something you are not saying no to yourself or your immediate family.
*Mindfulness and meditations apps:
Wildflowers Mindfulness
Headspace
Tara Brach Guided Meditations
Recipes:
Healthy Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp of raw unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 tsp organic coconut oil
- 1-2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp medicinal mushrooms tincture or powder (chaga, reishi, maitake, lion’s mane, turkey tail etc. optional)
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/8 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a pot and whisk until all ingredients are combined or you can place all ingredients in a nutribullet, a blender, or use a hand blender and blend for 10-20 seconds.
- Serve and enjoy.
The Best Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)
(adapted from www.minimalistbaker.com)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (137 g) almond meal (ground from raw almonds / I used half almond flour!)
- 1/4 cup (30 g) vegan dark chocolate (bar or chips), loosely chopped
- 1/2 cup (40 g) finely shredded (desiccated) unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup (73 g) organic brown sugar (or muscovado sugar)
- 2 eggs, whisked ( substitute flax of chia
- 3 Tbsp (45 g) coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond meal, dark chocolate chips, coconut, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs (using a handheld mixer or whisking vigorously) until light and fluffy and loose peaks have formed. (Add a little cream of tartar to help them along if not whipping.)
- To the eggs, add the melted coconut oil and vanilla and beat or whisk to combine. Then add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. You should have a firm, semi-tacky dough
- Loosely cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Scoop out 1 /1/2-Tablespoon amounts of dough and form into small discs
- Place on a bare or parchment-lined baking sheet with about a 1-inch gap in between each cookie to allow for spreading. There should be about 12 cookies.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Be careful not to burn (especially on the bottoms).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then carefully loosen with a spatula – they can stick a little to the bare pan.
- Enjoy immediately or let cool. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature up to 4 days or 1 month in the freezer. These are insanely delicious when warm and dipped in almond milk or hot cocoa!