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Healthier Holiday Eating Strategies to Help You Enjoy the Season (without undoing all your hard work)

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

As a holistic nutritionist, the topic of healthier holiday eating is coming up in literally ALL of my 1-on-1 and group program calls this month! So I thought I would share some of my top strategies for holiday eating that help you enjoy the festive season without putting your body through the ringer.

But first, an important PSA: The holidays are NOT a time to start a diet, go on any crazy restrictions, or generally adopt a deprivation mindset. I’m not a fan of these tactics at any time of the year, but now is literally the worst time to put yourself through that. On the flipside, the holidays are also not a time to undo all the important work you’re (hopefully) doing throughout the rest of the year to maintain your health and feel your best. It’s not the time to abandon your healthy eating practices, movement routines and stress management tools. The key here, as with everything, is a middle ground. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Follow the 80/20 rule (which may look more like 70/30 this time of year). This is my favorite approach to moderation with all things wellness. Stay on your healthy eating game 80% of the time, which gives you way more flexibility with the remaining 20%. On days when you’re not partying, fill up on brightly colored veggies, lean proteins and whole grains. Before you head out for a night on the town, make sure you’ve fed your body healthy, satisfying foods, so you’re less likely to overindulge while you’re out. The same rule applies to movement and all your other healthy habits — stay on track 80% of the time, and give yourself some more leniency the rest of the time.
  2. Make healthier versions of your holiday favorites. If there’s a delicacy you LOVE this time of year, but you know you tend to overdo it (or it just makes you feel like crap), make a healthier version that won’t cause your body so much trouble! This could be keto or paleo versions of holiday treats, dairy-free nog, etc. Check out some of my favorite recipes below:
  3. Be mindful of the alcohol. Alcoholic beverages add tons of added unnecessary calories and can contribute to holiday fatigue, depression, and digestive upset. Instead of sugary cocktails, opt for simple but festive concoctions with lower sugar alcohols (vodka, whiskey, tequila) mixed with soda water and a citrus or splash of a festive fresh juice. Low sugar canned cocktails are my personal party favorite as well.
  4. Manage your stress. Your stress levels are directly related to your eating habits and cravings, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself this month (check out my post from earlier this week for tips). Get enough sleep, move your body, schedule in some downtime, and BREATHE. Adding a high quality adaptogen and probiotic this time of year is also really helpful for mitigating the effects of seasonal stress on your body.
  5. Don’t stress about a few extra holiday lbs. It’s totally normal to put on a couple of pounds over the holidays, and ultimately it’s NOT A BIG DEAL. Put away the scale (forever, but especially now), and just focus on what makes your body feel it’s best. Everything will go back to normal once you return to your healthy routine in January. (That said, the holidays are not a time to go haywire and throw all your hard work under the bus. Moderation is key!)

Don’t have a healthy routine yet? Schedule a free initial consultation with me to outline the ideal routines for your body that will help you look and feel your best!

Yummy Cold Busting Salad

Yummy Cold-Busting Salad

I finally broke down and got my first cold of the season last week, and though it thankfully only lasted two days, my poor hubby caught it and has been suffering for a good 4+ days. In an attempt to make him something comforting and immunity boosting, while making use of the relatively meager contents of our fridge, I concocted the following super healthy dinner salad for him. Low and behold, today he’s on the mend!  This recipe is a perfect example of how we can use food as medicine.  There are more essential vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients in this salad than you could ever dream of getting from a supplement, and being in whole food form, the delivery system to the parts of your body that need it are much more efficient.

This delicious salad features:

  • Kale, which is full of SUPER high in vitamins C, A, and K, as well as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavanoids which boost immunity and the body’s natural detoxification.
  • Fennel, which is loaded with vitamin C, and immunity-boosting phytonutrients, including anethol, which has major anti-inflammatory qualities.  Plus fennel has antimicrobial qualities, which are perfect for beating colds!!
  • Orange or grapefruit, whose unique citrus flavanones combine with the super high levels of vitamin C which produce extraordinary antioxidant and immune-supportive results.  Plus, the zest ensures that you get the amazing benefits of herperidin, an incredibly anti-inflammatory flavanone that is only found in the peel and white pith of the citrus fruit.
  • Garlic, which is an anti-inflammatory, ant-bacterial, and anti-viral superstar, and is one of the best foods to eat when you’re sick. It’s also very high in selenium, B vitamins, and helps your body to metabolize iron!
  • Flaxseed oil, which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are very anti-inflammatory, and is also high in thiamin and manganese.
  • Raw apple cider vinegar, a true wonder tonic that helps your body beat just about anything.  It’s loaded with potassium, which helps cure sinusitis and runny nose symptoms; and it has massive antibacterial and anti fungal properties, which are obviously hugely beneficial for beating a cold!
  • Raw honey is phenomenal for when you’re feeling sick, thinning mucous, soothing sore throats, and boasting anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects!
  • Himalayan salt, which supports respiratory health and clears up congestion, is a strong natural antihistamine, eliminates persistent dry coughs, and provides your body with all the necessary trace minerals it needs to heal and be healthy!

Why Some Women Lose Weight While Breastfeeding and Others Don’t

Lose Weight While Breastfeeding

After having my first baby, I was so proud of my body for bouncing back pretty quickly. I never quite got my pre-baby abs back, but my body shed about 20 pounds within a few weeks of giving birth, and lost most of the rest within about 6 months (honestly, I don’t know exactly because I don’t own a scale!). I nursed my daughter for a little over two years, and was one of those happy breastfeeding cases — I just breastfed myself back to my former body! (Read about my journey the first time around)

Five years later, the second time has been quite different. Though I’m doing everything the same as round one — extended breastfeeding, eating super healthy (give or take a bit of extra pandemic vegan ice cream), and working out way more than usual (hello, home all day!) — my body is stubbornly holding on to more extra weight than I’d care to admit… a full YEAR after giving birth.

Why is this happening??!?! Does breastfeeding actually help you lose weight? What can I do to lose some of this stubborn weight without compromising my milk supply?

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Flourless Banana Pancakes

Flourless Banana Pancakes | The Organic Beauty Blog

We’ve been these eating flourless banana pancakes for years now, but since having a baby, these delicious, protein-packed puppies have become a weekly mainstay in our house.  They take just a few minutes to make, so they’re just as perfect for busy mornings as they are for long weekend breakfasts.  With just three ingredients, these pancakes are the epitome of clean, easy cooking.  Plus, no added sugar or flour makes them paleo, gluten-free, etc. etc. etc. — pretty much great for any diet.  And they’re a great alternative to the sugary, refined carbs of traditional pancakes.

Though I used to make a more complicated version (see my Flourless Blueberry Coconut Pancakes), now, we just opt for a pared down version.  I make little silver-dollar sized pancakes for my toddler and regular sized pancakes for us.

The key to getting them to puff up is using a super hot pan — I use my trusty cast iron.

Enjoy!

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How to Winterize Your Smoothies

Winterize Your Smoothies | The Organic Beauty

I love green smoothie. I’m not going to go so far as to say I moved all the way across the country to California so that I could have green smoothies for breakfast every day without any consequences — but that isn’t as far from the truth as you would think.  I really LOVE my morning green smoothies.  They are my absolute favorite breakfast, and I find them to be the most wonderful vehicle for getting insane amounts of nutrients and superfoods into my body in a very efficient fashion.

But as great as green smoothies are, drinking them in the colder months actually messes with your health, digestion, energy, and immunity.  Eating and drinking cold foods, especially during periods of cold weather, forces your body to work harder to warm it up and digest it.  Cold foods can throw off the delicate balance of your stomach lining, can increase phlegm, decrease immunity and cause or exacerbate digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea.  No fun.

In both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, eating and drinking warm foods is a big part of keeping one’s body running smoothly and optimizing digestion.  I get chastised about my smoothie habit by my acupuncturist every time I see her, and I am in a constant heated back and forth with the Ayurvedic practitioner inside me every time I opt for a smoothie or salad in the middle of December.

So what’s a smoothie and salad loving girl to do?

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Greens, Greens, Greens: Wintery Kale Beet Salad and Green Toddler Muffins!

SPONSORED POST: I’ve partnered with Milk & Eggs, an amazing farm direct grocery delivery service, to bring you guys some delicious, super seasonal, and always healthy recipes a few times a month.  I’m so excited to share some of my favorite dishes with you!

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In this installment of our collaboration seasonal cooking with Milk & Eggs farm direct grocery delivery, I am really excited to talk about more wintery seasonal eating, particularly of greens.  Dark leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-rich and delicious foods that come out of winter, and this is the perfect time of year to increase our intake of these blood-purifying, immunity-boosting foods.

To get the most out of the season’s local produce, specifically greens, nothing beats the Milk & Eggs Organic Farm Sampler Bag (pictured below), which is the most budget friendly way I’ve found to get a load of delicious, local, seasonal cooking going on in my kitchen and onto my family’s plates.  At the insanely reasonable price of $29.99, you get SO MUCH ORGANIC PRODUCE, it’s kind of crazy.  This week, I received a big bunch of kale, a bag of spinach, two heads of green leaf lettuce, celery, beets, a bell pepper, 3 heads of broccoli, a few bananas, an assortment of citrus fruits and a carton of strawberries.  WHAT?!  This usually costs me $50 or more at Whole Foods or my neighborhood natural foods store.

Seasonal Cooking with Milk & Eggs | The Organic Beauty Blog

In addition to being super budget friendly, the organic farm sampler is a great way to get all the fruits and veggies you need for the week!  This one bag has yielded countless salads, smoothies, soups, and toddler meals this week, and with the addition with a few other items in our standing order (organic greek yogurt, sprouted whole grain bread, wild-caught salmon), I’m able to feed our family of three delicious, healthy meals that come straight from our local California farms.  Boom!

My two favorite seasonal cooking recipes this week are lovely little showcases of winter’s bounty that made perfect use of my Organic Farm Sampler Bag!

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Fall Smoothie and Green Juice!

SPONSORED POST: I’ve partnered with Milk & Eggs, an amazing farm direct grocery delivery service, to bring you guys some delicious, super seasonal, and always healthy recipes a few times a month.  I’m so excited to share some of my favorite dishes with you!

Seasonal Cooking with Milk & Eggs: Fall Smoothie and Juice | The Organic Beauty Blog

Fall is kind of a weird time of the year for our bodies.  From Halloween through New Year’s, we can get bombarded with all kinds of festive holiday foods that are higher in sugar and fat than we would normally eat.  Even though the weather might still be nice in the fall, this can be a shock to our systems (if we’re otherwise healthy eaters) that can lead to compromised immunity, sluggishness, and a bit of a strain on our livers and digestion (not to mention our waistlines).  Since I know the fall and impending holiday season is going to bring some “off” eating, I like to be extra on my healthy eating game in between holidays, to both give my organs a rest, and offset the effects of the holidays.  Naturally, there’s nothing like some beautiful fall smoothies and green juices to do the trick!

So this week, I changed my standing Milk & Eggs order to get the Organic Cleanse Fruit and Veggie Bag, which is loaded with beautiful, seasonal produce perfect for juices and smoothies.  In addition to the usual gorgeous greens, berries and beets that I get in my regular farm sampler bag, the Cleanse bag comes with a bunch of apples, lemons, and ginger that are amazing for seasonal cleansing.  At just $20, I can’t believe what an awesome value this Cleanse bag is! I easily pay at least twice that at my co-op or health food store for this much organic produce. And the great thing is, since the food is coming directly from local farmers, I can be sure that everything is in season, which makes it so much easier to digest and assimilate!

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Seasonal Cooking With Milk & Eggs: Kale Pesto Rice Bowls and Healthy French Toast

SPONSORED POST

Seasonal Recipes with Milk & Eggs

I have to say, it is a super gratifying feeling to wake up every Monday morning to find two big bags of healthy, local, organic produce and groceries just waiting on my doorstep.  It’s like a blank canvas of healthy awesomeness.  What delicious things will I whip up this week?  It’s a surprise every time.

I’ve partnered with Milk & Eggs, an amazing farm direct grocery delivery service, to bring you guys some delicious, super seasonal, and always healthy recipes a few times a month.  I’m so excited to share some of my favorite dishes with you!

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Dinner Tonight: Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Vegan Potato Leek Soup | The Organic Beauty Blog

Even though winter in Santa Monica comes in a very mild 50-60 degree variety, the evenings do get chilly enough to light the fireplace and incite a desire for soup.  Delicious warming soups are literally the only thing that used to get me through the gross New York winters I was subjected to for years, so I’m happy that the tradition can continue here on the West Coast, if under slightly (ok majorly) less depressing circumstances.

I’ve been posting some of our soup creations on my Instagram and received a request for recipes, so I’ll do my best to post our favorites here throughout the season, to inspire you all (especially those of you who are freezing your little butts off in the rest of the country ; )

Our weekly soup is influenced in no small part by what that week’s CSA bounty was, which keeps us on our toes and keeps things interesting.

This week, we got a ton of leeks, potatoes and herbs, so this soup was pretty much a no-brainer.  I added a can of organic coconut milk at the end to make it creamier, healthy-fattier, and a touch more decadent — and I highly recommend you do the same!  Almond milk will do in a pinch, but I really like the particular flavor that the coconut milk lends.  Enjoy!

Vegan Potato Leep Soup

Serves 4

V / GF

2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 medium potatoes, cubed (any kind will do, I used a mix)
2 leeks, halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable broth (I use water and Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth Powder)
1 can organic coconut milk
1 green onion, chopped (for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the potatoes, garlic and leeks and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until leeks begin to soften.  Add the pepper, thyme and bay leaves and give it a stir.  Add the broth, and bring to a boil.  Cover, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and remove bay leaves.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Add coconut milk and salt to taste. Puree until creamy.  Garnish with chopped green onion.

Keep your Belly Happy with Chia + Probiotics

Kunachia on The Organic Beauty Blog

A happy digestive system is the basis of a slender waistline, glowing skin, and elevated mood, so I am a huge proponent of daily steps to boost digestive health.  I take my probiotics daily, I add awesome soluble fiber to my daily smoothies and oats, and I eat all kinds of prebiotic foods like greens, bananas, and alliums every day.

But when I find a way to combine some of these steps into one, I get super pumped. Enter: Kunachia, a perfect blend of organic, milled chia seeds and probiotics.  Loaded with omega-3’s, antioxidants, fiber and protein, Kunachia scrubs your intestines of toxic buildup, while populating your gut with beneficial bacteria.  This nutritional one-two punch is super powerful for all areas of your health, making it the perfect addition to your morning smoothies, oats, yogurt, and desserts!

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