Category: Health and Wellness

Seasons greetings to all my fellow holiday health nuts out there! I’ve been thinking about this post for awhile and thought it particularly apt for this magical time of year when sugary goodies seem to be falling lovingly out of the sky. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday!

Admit it–at some point you’ve probably gone an extra mile or taken an extra class to “burn off” that row of cookies you ate out of the box last night. Or maybe you exercise solely so that you can eat whatever you want. I used to think this way–that it was as simple as burning a greater number of calories than you consume.

Sorry, it don’t work that way, ya’ll.

We can’t simply exercise away poor food choices. Using exercise to lose weight without changing food habits is asking for failure. If you exercise but keep those patterns of unhealthy eating, sure–you may improve endurance, gain muscle, and be fitter overall, but you won’t shed many pounds. You may very well have a six pack…hiding under a muffin top. And, without changing food habits, your workouts will likely feel sluggish and your recoveries not very recovering. Our bodies are kinda like expensive, high-performance cars in a way–our performance (physical and mental) is directly related to the quality of the fuel we put in our bodies. Junky fuel yields clunky performance–and not just when we’re working out. High-quality, clean fuel yields optimal performance–during workouts AND throughout everyday life.

And think about this: when we workout–especially if we do moderate to intense exercise–we are gonna be HUNGRY! It’s easy to fall into the trap of eating whatever you want and more of it “because I worked out HARD today!” AKA, the exercise loophole.

Did you know that a lot of marathoners-in-training actually GAIN weight during their training? Often, it’s because they are invoking the exercise loophole.

Developing healthy food habits–NOT exercise–is key to shedding unwanted weight and keeping it off.

This in no way means that exercise is a waste of time. Completely the opposite!

Here are just 5 of the many, many compelling benefits of exercise:

1. Body reshaping–when combined with healthy food habits. Just because you now eat lots of veggies doesn’t mean your butt will automatically lift or your triceps will stop waving themselves.
2. Lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and maybe even certain types of cancer.
3. Miracle Gro for your brain: better memory, concentration, and actually works better than Prozac and other meds for many people with depression. Oh, and definitely a great way to manage stress and work out any negativity and aggression. Tis no coincidence that the words “exercise” and “exorcise” are just one letter apart, my friends. I notice a DEFINITE shift in my mood and outlook on life when I go several days without exercising / exorcising. It ain’t pretty.
4. Energy boosting: sounds counter-intuitive, but if you want MORE energy, then get some exercise!
5. Slowing down of the aging process: abandon the Botox and get moving! A recent study has found a link between exercise and damage to telomeres–part of our DNA that associated with health and longevity. Exercise is linked to healthier telomeres, and therefore linked to slower aging.

So, if you were disappointed to learn that exercising will not compensate for a not-so-healthy diet, I hope this post helps reframe what exercise can do for your body, heart, and mind. It’s so worth the investment, with a huge rate of return!

photo credit: Aaron Tilley Aaron Tilley/Guardian

If you love simple no-bake recipes using a few quality ingredients, you are going to love what we have for you today! Our Healthy No-Bake Holiday Dessert Recipes by our health coach Andrea Hood are easy to make and super good for you – so there is no need to feel guilty about indulging in dessert this holiday season. That’s right, dessert that is actually good for you! Who’s excited?!

Both the Milk Chocolate Truffles and Gingerbread Bites are raw, organic, vegan, gluten-free, and take approximately 5-10 minutes to make. Plus, they also contain protein and healthy fats, thanks to the nuts, and superfoods like coconut oil, cacao, and spices, so your body will glow from the inside out this holiday season. Bonus!

 

Healthy No-Bake Holiday Dessert Recipes: Mint Chocolate Truffles

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: none!

Makes approximately 16 Tablespoon sized truffles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw organic almonds
• 1/2 cup  + 1 Tablespoon pistachios, shells removed organic and raw if possible (I had trouble finding them)
• 1 cup fresh medjool dates, pits removed  (found in your produce section)
• 3.5 Tablespoons raw organic cacao powder
• 1.5 Tablespoons virgin organic coconut oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil OR 1/4 teaspoon + 1 drop pure peppermint extract

Directions:

• Place almonds, 1/2 cup of pistachios, 2 Tablespoons of cacao, and 2 drops of peppermint essential oil (or 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract) into a Vitamix, high speed blender, or food processor. Process until the mixture is in tiny pieces, with a consistency similar to flour.
• Add the dates to the Vitamix, blender, or processor, and process until they are in small pieces and are well incorporated into the flour mixture.
• Empty mixture to a medium sized bowl. Using a Tablespoon measuring scoop, take a Tablespoon of the mixture and use your hands to roll it into a ball. Repeat this process until all of the mixture is used, setting the balls onto a large plate. Note: If the mixture is not sticky enough to do this, you will need to add more dates. The fresh medjool dates work best for this recipe, however, if you are using sundried dates you will most likely need to add more to make the mixture more sticky.
• Place the coconut oil into a small glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until it is melted and in liquid form. Add 1.5 Tablespoons of cacao and 1 drop of peppermint oil or extract and whisk together with a fork until combined. Voila – melted raw chocolate!
• Use a fork to dip a ball into the glass bowl, evenly coating the ball with the melted chocolate. Place the ball back onto the plate. Repeat until all of the balls are covered in chocolate.
• Top with 1 Tablespoon crushed pistachio pieces.
• Put the plate in the refrigerator and store there until you are ready to serve the truffles. Note: the coconut oil will melt if it warms up, so it’s important to keep these stored in the fridge.

Healthy No-Bake Holiday Dessert Recipes: Gingerbread Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: none!

Makes approximately 12 tablespoon-sized bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh medjool dates (pitted)
• 1 cup organic almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• Place almonds and spices into a high-speed blender or food processor. Process on high until ingredients are a flour-like consistency.
• Add the dates to the blender/processor, and blend on medium to high until fully incorporated into the dry ingredients.
• Dump the mixture into a bowl. Take a tablespoon worth of the mixture in between your hands, rolling to form a ball. Repeat until all of the mixture is used.
• Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. (If they can last that long!)

Enjoy your yummy Healthy No-Bake Holiday Dessert Recipes! Happy Holidays!