The holidays are all about coming together with friends and family. And regardless of which holidays you and your family are celebrating, the social gatherings have a tendency to focus on large meals and home-cooked food. Some of which isn’t terribly good for you.
Here are some delicious, healthy Christmas recipes that you can bring to your next holiday party, family event, or even to the office to share with your colleagues. This way you can enjoy the tastes of the season while bringing along something wholesome to help keep your loved ones healthy during the holiday season.
Welcome back to another Links You’ll Love post as we head into the end of 2016. It’s hard to believe that the year is nearly over, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up or let your goals fall by the wayside. It’s time to finish the year on a strong note – Healthy and happy!
Health & Fitness:
Love to follow your favorite healthy living gurus on Instagram? See what a few of them say about their personal food rules over at Women’s Healthy Magazine.
Don’t have time during the last month of the year for a new workout regime? Try this full body circuit from Shape that you can do multiple times a week!
At the end of July I published a post setting out some goals for myself for August – My 30 Day Challenge.
So what goals did a I lay out for myself? I made a list of three things that I wanted to try to incorporate more of in my life going forward, starting with August, all of which have a single purpose.
Slowing down.
Relaxing.
Enjoying the moment.
So how did I do during my 30 Day Challenge this Summer? Pretty good, actually. I could have done better, of course, but I have to say that I’m pretty proud of the positive changes that I’ve made this month.
Changes that I hope to push forward with for the rest of the year.
My goal was to meditate once or twice a day and I found that I do MUCH better at this in the mornings. I set an Outlook calendar reminder for myself daily, popped into a conference room, and zenned out for a few minutes.
At night I usually remembered a few times a week. I found that I did better at night after enlisting my boyfriend’s help actually. Once he started asking “did you meditate?” each night when we got in bed, I got more consistent with my evening meditations.
Gratitude:
I journaled every morning of August without fail. While my morning affirmations are usually all over the place in terms of content – August was all about gratitude. The people, the places, the experiences – I reminded myself just how lucky I am to have them all in my life. I also showed myself some love and wrote about my gratitude for different things that I do for myself as well.
While I only made it to a few formal yoga classes in August due to travel and scheduling issues, I very consistently did an at-home practice. Tara Stiles videos on YouTube, short sequences to warm up before a workout, restorative yoga stretches after my runs… I incorporated the various movements into my life a few times a week even outside classes.
Which is a good reminder for those who don’t have the time or money or drive to get a membership for a yoga studio. There are TONS of other options that can improve your practice and get you all the wonderful benefits of yoga without a price tag.
So tell me – How was YOUR Summer? Have you set any goals for yourself?
Did anyone else LOVE hearing about Ricky Rebel’s fitness routine and healthy living suggestions in Fitness with Ricky Rebel?
I want those abs!!
Today he’s back sharing nutrition and health tips and giving us a peek into his day-to-day diet.
Do you have any go-to supplements, protein powders, mixes, superfoods etc that you try to include in your smoothies and meals?
I love VEGA Protein. It’s vegan, has tons of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and it’s delicious. I live on blueberries. My favorite smoothie is a combo of blueberries, bananas, peanut butter or Almond Butter, almond milk, and VEGA Protein. That’s literally my favorite thing to eat of all time. The combination is perfection to me.
What does a day of eating/drinking look like for you?
I wake up with a green tea and a smoothie. For a snack I eat a GOMacro Bar a delicious bar that is gluten-free and macrobiotic. For lunch I eat a lean protein like fish or chicken with brown rice and black or pinto beans. For a snack I eat a fruit and/or fresh veggies. For dinner I eat a lean meat and a pita bread. If I’m still hungry at night, I will snack on some fruit.
When you’re constantly teaching and performing, you don’t really get “days off” or “cheat days.” How do you approach your diet so that you’re satisfied with your health & nutrition choices, without feeling deprived?
While traveling, I try to scope out healthy food options. If I see a Whole Foods, I get super excited. That means I am in the clear, they’ll have everything I need. If not, I have a great technique of going to restaurants and basically just getting bits and pieces of the meals that they provide on the menu. For instance, I do not get the full plates with the big buns and dressing added on etc. I simply order the turkey patty by itself, slices of avocado, broccoli, etc. I get small pieces of full meals which ensures that I provide myself with proper portion control.
A lot of the reason why some of the restaurants across the country are helping to make people fat is not necessarily because they are offering ONLY unhealthy food. It’s mainly because the portions they give people are usually incredibly big. Our stomachs are the size of our fists. We really do not need all of that food. It’s up to us to take control of what we put in our bodies and do not allow restaurants to decide how much food we should eat.
A lot of people overeat then feel heavy and bloated afterward. Try instead eating smaller portions of food spread out in 2 hour increments throughout the day. You will have a faster metabolism, which will give you a leaner more svelte physique, and you won’t feel the need to gorge on your food when the waiter sets in on the table.
What does your wind-down routine look like in the evenings?
In the evening, I love to wind down with a cup of hot Ginger Tea. It helps settle my stomach and digest my food so that I have that “I feel skinny” feeling in the morning. I hate to feel bloated.
I try to mix things up regularly when it comes to my diet. I tend to eat similar, if not the same, foods on a daily basis, so I like to mix in new products to complement those meals. Like… Vegan protein powders!
The human body uses protein to make enzymes and hormones, and to build bones, muscles, skin, blood, and even cartilage. Eating high-quality, easily-digestible protein on a regular basis does everything from helping you maintain energy levels & manage weight to improving your workout recovery time & keeping you satiated after meals.
So rather than have the same protein powder every day, I mix in different versions and try out new brands.
Here are a few of my all time, tried and true, favorite protein powders.
