Take a look.....

at a healthy holiday dinner (you will notice that a good portion of the plate is made up of vegetables and a very small amount of starch (potato)and a small serving of protein(chicken)

Remember...........

that you control your weight this holiday season!!!

Heart Healthy Eating

Lifestyle Basics List found on worldhealth.net

stay slim

Avoid trauma

Snub out the cigs

multivitamin, multimineral supplementation

Antioxidants

Water quality

The brain is a muscle

Moderate, responsible drinking

Wear sunscreen

Cut Your Cellphone Use

Laugh through life

Live life at a leisurely pace

Maintain social connections

Banish stress

Get a good night of sleep every night

Be selfish

One Pot Holiday Dinner from gloriousonepotmeals.com

Ingredients

1/2-3/4 lb. turkey tenderloin or boneless breast filets
1/3 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 dash ground white pepper
1/3 cup shelled walnuts
1/4 cup chicken broth
8-10 pearl onions, peeled
1 med./large sweet potato or yam, scrubbed, 1/4" slices
20-30 green beans, trimmed
1 sprig sage leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray inside of a 2-quart cast iron Dutch oven base and lid with canola oil.

Set turkey pieces into base in a single layer, trying not to overlap pieces as much as possible. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

In a food processor or blender, pulse cranberries using chopping blade (shaped like a backwards "S") until berries are in large chunks. Add marmalade, lemon juice and white pepper and pulse two or three times to mix together. Pour in walnuts and broth and continue to pulse until walnuts are roughly chopped and you have a chunky liquid.

Pour about half of cranberry mixture onto turkey. Toss in onions and layer in sweet potato slices. Again, lightly salt. Cover with rest of cranberry mixture. Top with green beans up to the brim of the pot. Tuck sage sprig into crevices.

Cover and bake for about 38 minutes. You'll know it's ready 3 minutes after the aroma of a finished meal escapes your oven. Spoon "gravy" from bottom of pot over food before eating.

Not everyone wants to cook for an army on the holidays, but there is something about having a traditional holiday meal that evokes a feeling of celebration. This is a great solution to getting the meal with all the trimmings, yet without spending hours and hours in the kitchen or facing a week of leftovers.

Tips:In a pinch, substitute pulpy orange juice for the orange marmelade. You'll just end up with more "gravy" at the bottom of the pot. The turkey, cranberries, pearl onions and green beans can all be used fresh or frozen (without thawing) and it won't change your cooking time or most things about your meal.

Food Counts
Nutritional information per serving (2 servings per recipe).
Calories: 487Protein: 39 grams Carbohydrates: 51 gramsFat: 13 grams Cholesterol: 78 milligrams Sodium: 368 milligrams Fiber: 7.3 grams

Remember..........

Remember... Every day is a gift, and the quality of your life is your gift to yourself.

Healthy Snacks That Taste Great

More Holiday Tips

From: CBC Health
To avoid disappointment from unrealistic goals this holiday season, focus on weight maintenance instead of weight loss. By allowing yourself small samples of holiday treats you will prevent the over-consumption of calories while still getting a taste of the holidays. By setting yourself realistic goals instead of an all-out ban on holiday indulgences, you are also ready to feel better about the holidays once they have ended.
And don't forget the importance of exercise. Regardless of how you celebrate, healthy eating habits combined with physical activity can help ward off the party pounds and allow you to celebrate the holidays feeling your best.

Food Preparation Tips

Food preparation can go a long way toward keeping holiday weight off. You can cut calories without sacrificing flavour by:
Using broth to sauté instead of butter — 104 calories saved per tablespoon.
Using non-fat milk instead of whole milk — 60 calories saved per cup.
Using plain, non-fat yogurt instead of cream — 720 calories saved per cup.

What Your Dinner Plate Should Look Like

If I could pick one tip worth passing on, then this is the one - picture your plate in four sections(or three like the photo above) - and I am talking about an 8" dinner plate. Along with portions, plates have also grown in size. Some dinner plates are 10" or even more. Anyway, think of your plate in four sections and 2 sections should be your vegetables, 1 your meat (protein) and 1 your starch (so you pick either dressing or bread or potatoes for your starch - not one of each). In the photo above you have 1 section protein, 1 section starch and 2 sections vegetables (could also be vegetables & fruit). This is also how a person who is diabetic is taught to eat. I have an earlier post (probably when I first began blogging) on portions and this tip was mentioned. I thought it was worth passing on again.

Wii Fit Trailer

This looks like fun but keep in mind that it won't replace a trip to the gym where you are sure to burn a lot more calories. It would be something to do in the comfort of your home especially during the winter months and also something for the whole family to do. I don't have one myself but someone in my family happens to be getting one this Christmas so I will check it out and let you know.

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

Top 10 Ways To Add Fiber To Your Diet

as posted on wheatfoods.org

1.Start the day off with a bowl of your favorite, delicious high-fiber cereal, such as frosted shredded wheat or whole grain raisin bran. (I like Fibre One myself)


2.Put fruits, such as berries, raisins, or bananas, on your cereal to increase your fiber intake by about 1 to 2 grams.


3.Combine the great taste of both whole grain and enriched grain breads in your family’s diet. For example, introduce whole grain taste to the family by using one slice of white bread and one slice of 100% whole wheat bread when making sandwiches.


4.Next time you are making any type of pasta, instead of using traditional pasta, choose whole wheat pasta. Even macaroni and cheese lovers can use whole wheat macaroni.


5.Substitute wheat bran for one-third of the all-purpose flour when making pancakes, waffles, muffins, or any other flour-based food.


6.When you feel the urge to start snacking, reach for a delicious muffin, pretzels, or baked pita chips instead of a candy bar.


7.If rice is what you crave, then steer toward brown rice, which offers increased amounts of dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Plus, it tastes exquisite.


8.Believe it or not, popcorn can be a healthy snack for you and your children. Just don’t use too much butter or salt on this whole-grain treat.


9.A great substitute for desserts is a bowl of fruit (especially raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries). Try whole wheat bread pudding with fruit, or perhaps a treat as tasty as a whole grain muffin strikes your fancy.


10.Leave the skins on fruits and vegetables such as pears, apples, peaches, and even potatoes, as opposed to peeling them off. Most of the fiber is in the skin, which will help the digestive tract and may prevent colon cancer.

Trailer For The Movie "You Can Heal Your Life"

I really enjoyed this movie. I have also read the book (borrowed it from the library) and have since put it on my "Christmas List". The movie really gives you lots to think about. The book has mostly affirmations where the movie goes into Louise Hay's life as well as the lives of a few other spiritual teachers - Dr. Wayne Dyer, Cheryl Richardson, Gregg Braden and others.

Quick, Easy & Healthy Lunch (Hummus-Red Pepper Wrap)

Hummus-red pepper wrap

• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• 3 tbsp hummus
• ½ cup spinach
•¼ cup sliced red pepper

How easy is that? Just spread the whole wheat tortilla with hummus and top with the spinach and sliced red pepper.

Deep Breathing

Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach and breathe. If the hand on your chest is the one that is moving - you are only taking a shallow breath. When you breathe deeply the stomach rises and falls. If you want to see someone do it properly then watch a baby sleeping. They do it with ease.

Breathing deeply is a simple practice that you can use regularly.

Inhale deeply, slowly, (over a span of about 4 seconds), through your nose
Hold it for a count of 16 seconds
Exhale through your mouth, (over a span of about 8 seconds)
Repeat this process nine times.

It's important that this be a conscious activity for maximum effect. Remember to consciously control your body's responses. For example, if you're trying to relax your muscles, then you need to focus on the individual muscles telling them to relax. Often tension is an automatic response that turns into a state of being,so you have to remind your muscles how to behave.

Deep breathing lessens your physical response to stress — use it whenever you feel stress setting in. Relieving stress also helps to relax your bowels, helps to keep your mind clear — (use it whenever you feel unfocused),it increases the levels of oxygen to your organs — for this reason alone it should be done on a regular basis.