Article:  6 Powerful Tips for the Happiest Healthiest Holidays Ever!

1. Drink more water!  One of the easiest ways to keep your energy high, your attitude positive, and your food cravings low is to drink water.  Water is the single most important factor in elimination through the skin and the colon, so increasing your hydration will help your body to quickly and easily release toxins so you can feel great!  Drink an entire quart first thing in the morning when you get up, another quart by noon, another quart by 3, and another quart by 6.  Also remember to alternate alcoholic beverages with water throughout the evening!  During the winter and holiday season, the heat is very drying, we take hotter, more dehydrating showers, we have increased intake of alcohol and salty and sugary foods (which are all extremely dehydrating) so extra water will make a huge difference in how you look and feel!
2. Curb cravings immediately.  Just because you indulge at a party and enjoy foods that you wouldn’t eat on a regular basis doesn’t mean you need to maintain those habits in between parties and events.  It is easy to slip into that habit, as unhealthy foods create strong food cravings, and if you give in to them the next day, they will grow stronger very quickly.  Try to eat as healthy as possible during the day leading up to the party so you can enjoy your indulgence, and then the next day get right back on your healthy diet so the cravings are curbed immediately.
3. Attitude is everything.  An interesting research study showed that when subjects were given chocolate fudge ice cream sundaes and then after eating the sundaes reported back their emotions about the experience, the physiological responses in the subject’s bodies were drastically different, and completely dependent on their attitude.  The subjects that enjoyed the sundae thoroughly without guilt had very little fluctuation in cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and the subjects that had guilt and negative feelings about eating the sundae had huge increases in cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and other negative markers.  The lesson here is that if you choose to indulge in food or alcohol, line up with that choice!  Enjoy it thoroughly, savor every bite, express gratitude for the abundance that you have, and simply enjoy the bliss that the substance provides you.
4. Create your reality.  Your attitude not only affects how your body responds to foods, but also how you interact with the people in your lives.  You can not control how other people behave, but you can control how you respond to it.  Relatives and other people with whom you spend the holidays will only stress you out if you choose to let them.  If you want to have fun and peaceful interactions with your loved ones this holiday season, ‘pre-pave’ your experiences with them.  Here are two powerful exercises that will transform your relationships.  If you know you will be seeing someone who challenges your ability to be the happy loving person you are, before seeing them write a list of every positive aspect you can think of them.  Even if it is something small, like ‘Aunt Ginnie has beautiful eyes’.  Make a list of at least 10 wonderful things you can think about them and read it to yourself many times before seeing them, just taking in the feeling of each item on that list.  When you interact with them, no matter what they do, just keep reciting and feeling those positive aspects in your head, and pay NO attention to the things that annoy you.  You will be amazed at the transformation you see in the person.  If there is a person in your life that is especially challenging, write the list down, stick it in your purse or pocket, and glance at it frequently when you are around them if you need a strong reminder! The second exercise is to set your intentions before going to events.  You can do this at home, or on the drive there, but get very clear on how things will go for you, what you want to give and receive, what you want to learn or appreciate, etc.  Visualize and feel the events unfolding with joy, peace, laughter, and connection.  These exercises are very simple but will help you to powerfully create the reality YOU want this holiday season.
5. Take time out.  Make sure you get plenty of private time to meditate, express appreciation, write lists of goals or intentions, be in nature, exercise, or do whatever it is that brings you into balance.  Spending just 5 minutes a day writing a list of all the things you appreciate about your life, your family, your job, your friends, your home and your health will help to quickly bring you to a positive state of mind, and will begin to draw more positive experiences to you.
6. Bring a healthy option to parties.  Offer to bring something healthy that you would love to eat when you go to parties.  I typically offer to bring a salad, and that way I know that I can fill most of my plate with something healthy, and then have small portions of other things in which I would love to indulge.  I find that other people love to have salad as well, because so many holiday foods are so heavy and filling.  Try making a hearty salad with mixed greens and herb roasted vegetables (yams, zucchini, brussel sprouts, potatoes, onions) with a homemade balsamic herb dressing.  Another option is to bring a healthy dessert, and in the recipe section of this newsletter I have provided a recipe for a delicious raw apple pie.

Remember that the holidays are a time to celebrate and express gratitude.  We have so much to appreciate, especially here in sunny, abundant, and conscious San Diego!  Enjoy! 

After a heavy holiday meal, your guests will be thrilled to have a healthy and flavorful dessert that is guilt free!  Serve with raw vanilla cashew icecream (in the freezer section at Jimbos, Whole Foods, and other health food stores).

 

Crust

1 Cup Almonds

1 Cup Pecans

1 ½ - 2 Cups Pitted Medjool Dates

 

Filling

7-8 Apples (Braeburn, Fuji, and Honey Crisp are great!)

4 Medjool Dates, Pitted

½ Cup Raisins

1 TB Cinnamon

1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice

1 TB Fresh Orange Juice

 

To make the crust, you will need a food processor.  Add almonds and pecans to food processor and grind with ‘S’ blade until a crumbly mixture is made (partly powdery with very small pieces of almonds and pecans).  Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture and set aside.  Add the medjool dates to the food processor a few at a time and blend with ‘S’ blade, continuing to add dates until a dough forms that is sticky enough to press into a pie pan.  Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of ground nuts evenly into the bottom of the pie pan; these help to keep the crust from sticking.  Press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides, and if you would like you can pinch or curl the edges to make the crust look prettier.

 

For the filling, there are two parts.  The first part is the apples.  Using a grater or a food processor with the grating blade in, grate 4-5 of the apples, and set aside in a bowl.  Core and thinly slice two of the apples (about 1/8 inch thick) and set aside in another bowl.  You can leave the peels on, or if you do not like the texture of the peels, you can peel the apples.  The remaining ingredients will be blended together in a vitamix, high speed blender, or food processor to make a paste/syrup that will hold the filling ingredients together.  These ingredients include:  1 apple (cored and sliced), 4 pitted medjool dates, ½ cup raisins, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice.  Blend all of these ingredients until a creamy paste is made. 

 

Add the grated apples and the paste to a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add the sliced apples and mix thoroughly again.  Put half of the mixture into the pie crust and spread evenly.  With the remaining mixture, add it to the top arranging the apple slices in a pleasing design (as pictured, or however you would like).  Let the pie sit covered in the refrigerator overnight so the apples will soften and cure.

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Why wait until January 1st to begin creating the healthy lifestyle you deserve?  Commit to keeping yourself healthy and energetic through the holidays by doing a gentle but powerful 30 Day Herbal Cleanse between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and by doing weekly Colon Hydrotherapy sessions over the next couple months.  It's time to feel better than ever! Save your New Year's Resolutions for bigger and better things, and make your health something you stay on top of the whole year!