Holiday Decision Making

The holidays are fast approaching and I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week!! Not all of us will be able to host our own Thanksgiving or holiday dinner and therefore are at the mercy of all the temptations that will be set in front of us, from the dinner rolls, to the green bean casserole, to the pumpkin pie! Here's a few suggestions on how to survive this holiday season without putting on an extra 10 lbs of bloat or causing yourself annoying and uncomfortable health complications such as stomach aches, headaches, gas, IBS... you get the picture. And for those of you who are able to bring something to dinner or are hosting a dinner of your own, I've included a few of my favorite holiday recipes. Enjoy!

1. Protein. Load your plate with turkey and ham. Protein is the highly satiating, meaning it fills you up quickly. So, by starting with protein you are less likely to overeat.
2. Make sure to eat your veggies! The antioxidants and other micronutrients from the vegetables will aid with digestion and inflammation. Hopefully there are real veggie options to choose from, like grilled, steamed or sauteed vegetables. Green bean casserole and mashed potatoes don't count ;)
3. Walk away from the dinner rolls! Don't waste your appetite on these anti-nutritious, little suckers. They're just not worth it. After all, you need to save room for dessert!
4. Dessert: Use discretion here. Try to avoid items containing wheat or flour, like cookies, brownies and cakes. This is where moderation is key.   

Finally, when making your decisions about what to eat this holiday season, ask yourself the following:

1. Is it worth the possible health irritations? (i.e. stomach ache, headache, bloating, lethargy) 
2. Will eating this start a spiral effect and cause you to go completely off course and have to scramble to get back everything you have worked so hard for? 

• If you answer “no” to both: EAT IT!!
• If you answer “yes” to 1 and “no” to 2: EAT IT!! 
• If you answer “yes” to both: DON’T EAT IT!
• If you answer “yes” to both, but still think it’s worth it: EAT IT!! It’s the holidays 

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag of Cranberries

2 large Oranges (enough to yield 1 cup of liquid)

1 cup of Honey or Pure Maple Syrup

Allspice

Directions:

1.Juice oranges and finely grate orange zest from peel.

2.Place cranberries, orange juice, zest, and sweetener in sauce pan.

3.Bring to a boil for 10 minutes or until you hear cranberries pop.

4.Turn to low and add allspice and simmer for 15 minutes.

5.Let cool and serve chilled.

        

          Bacon Wrapped Asparagus 

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Asparagus Spears

Package of organic, nitrate free Bacon (I like Applegate Farms)

Olive Oil

Black Pepper

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.Drizzle olive oil on asparagus spears, sprinkle with pepper, then wrap each spear with one slice of bacon.

3.Place spears on slotted broiler pan.

4.Bake for 12 minutes.

       

         Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup of Almond Flour

½ cup of chopped Pecans

Pinch of Sea Salt

¼ cup Coconut oil or butter softened

2 TBSP Honey (optional)

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine almond flour, salt, pecans, in large bowl.  In another bowl combine oil, honey, and vanilla extract.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until completely combined.  Using fingers press the dough into a 9 ½ inch pie pan.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool completely before filling. 

Filling

1 – 14oz can of organic pumpkin puree (nothing added, just pumpkin)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

2 eggs

1/2 cup raw organic honey

1/2 cup coconut milk

While the crust is in the oven, whisk all of the pie filling ingredients together.  Pour into the crust that has been baked for 10 minutes, return to the oven and bake for and additional 45 minutes.