Clean Eating Apples and Yams

Here's a great healthy alternative to candied yams...taken from the Gracious Pantry BLog (http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-apples-and-yams/)

Ingredients:

2 very large yams

2 apples

1 tbsp. Molasses

2 tbsp. Agave or maple syrup

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. corn starch

1/2 cup prepared orange juice (no added sugar)

2 tbsp. walnuts – chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Boil your yams with the skins on for about 40 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool. Peel your yams and your apples. Remove the core as well. If you have an apple peeler, all the better as it will do both jobs at once! Slice your yams and apples about 1/4 inch thick. Spray a casserole dish with a light coat of olive oil. Then, layer your apples and yams in rows. In a sauce pot, combine your remaining ingredients (except the walnuts) using a whisk. Be sure to dissolve your corn starch so you don’t have any clumps. Heat as you whisk until the sauce is nice and thick. Pour sauce over yams and apples and top with walnuts. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Staying Healthy this Holiday Season

Now that the holiday season is upon us, many people are trying to figure out how to enjoy themselves without overindulging at parties and getting run down from squeezing in too many festive activities. Here are a few tips to keep you feeling healthy, while still being able to have fun!

1. Get your greens - wake up in the morning with the intention of either having some greens in the form of a salad or smoothie. Keep veggies pre-cut in your fridge to help avoid making excuses about not having time to throw something together. This should help prevent you from grabbing fast food on your way home from shopping.
2. Get enough sleep - most of us will have some late night parties to attend, but make sure to try to maintain your regular sleep schedule as much as possible.
3. Find time for exercise - even on Christmas day you should be able to find time to take a walk; suggest heading out before dinner with other family members; this will also help you avoid pre-dinner snacking.
4. Avoid grazing - allow yourself to enjoy some holiday appies and treats, but limit yourself to a plateful. If you fill a little plate when arriving at the party and graze off of that all night, it'll help you keep track of how much you've eaten.
5. Construct a healthy holiday menu - if you are hosting a get together or dinner, make sure to include healthy alternatives to the heavy, high fat dishes. It's a great opportunity to introduce your friends and family to some great vegetarian and raw food dishes, that taste great!
6. Go easy on the alcohol - if you are choosing to indulge in desserts, having a drink or two less than you normally would is a great way to balance out your caloric intake for that day.

Staying healthy during the holidays is entirely possible, with a little preparation and self control!

In good health,

Wendy

Healthy Snacking

Most of us snack during the day...and there's nothing wrong with snacking, if you're snacking for the right reasons. Snacking can bridge that gap between meals, so that you don't experience that blood sugar drop that can lead you to unhealthy meal choices.

There are some things you want to consider to make sure that you are getting everything out of your snack and that you are not just mindlessly binging. Snacks should be considered as an important part of your daily food intake; not just a chance to have a treat. Before you reach for a snack, there are a few things to consider:

1. what have you already eaten for the day? Was your breakfast lacking a certain nutrient? Have you had enough fibre or calcium? Snacks are a great way to ensure that you are getting all the proper vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy.
2. why are you snacking? Is it out of boredom or because of a craving? If you find that you are having certain cravings every afternoon, you might want to look at what you are eating for lunch...it could be that you are missing balance in your lunch time meal leading to cravings later on.
3. don't plan on hanging around, snacking in the kitchen...this is a recipe for trouble, as you will often find yourself reaching for "just one more piece", if it's available. As with any other meal, go sit down somewhere and be mindful of what you're eating.
4. choose slow to digest foods; complex carbs, protein, fibre...something that will fill you up and not leave you looking for more. You want to make sure that you will be ready to eat when the next meal time comes around.

Sedentary days

• ½ cup 1% cottage cheese and a handful of sliced grapes/strawberries or small piece fruit
• ½ cup sliced fruit or 1 whole piece of fruit & 15 almonds
• ½ cup, low fat, plain yogurt & ¼ cup blueberries
• ½ cup cooked Edamame & 1 orange
• 1 pear & 15 TLC Honey Sesame crackers
• 1 apple & 2 oz cheddar cheese or 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 Kashi TLC granola trail mix bar (or homemade granola bar) & ½ cup sliced strawberries
• 2 Plums & Nuts and seeds (small handful)
• 1 cup snow peas & 3 tbsp hummus

Active Days

• protein shake, with a banana
• Hummus and pita (1/4 c hummus)
• Peanut butter and banana on rice cakes
• 1 small whole wheat tortilla, with 2 tbsp almond butter, roll up with ½ a banana
• 4 ounces deli turkey, 1 soft cheese wedge and 1 apple
• Dried fruit and nuts
• Hardboiled egg and raw veggies with dip

In good health,

Wendy