Ah, Christmastime! From fond family memories to delectably sweet treats, this time of year holds a special place in many of our hearts. When I think of Christmas, one of the first things I think of is Christmas cookies.
However, the heavy emphasis on cookie recipes during this time of the year can be a disaster waiting to happen for those who prioritize healthy eating. On one hand, you don’t want to ingest all the fat, sugar and calories found in your typical easy cookie recipe. On the other hand, you don’t want to be a Grinch and thumb your nose at all that holiday cheer. What is a healthy eater to do?
Compromise, of course! This holiday season, you can have your cookie and eat it, too. When you make Christmas cookie recipes at home using wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, skim milk, all-natural margarine alternatives, you can make healthy cookie recipes perfect for the season. Here are my 10 favorite Christmas cookie recipes:
Gingerbread Men – What makes this recipe so great for your health is that it has no milk or eggs in it at all, plus it uses all-natural, no-calorie stevia instead of sugar.
Sugar Cutout Cookies – Sugar cookie recipes are usually the most dangerous baked goods because they are not filling at all. This vegan recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour and stevia to make it light and sweet, yet healthy.
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From the day after Thanksgiving up until the very last minute on Christmas Eve day, we find ourselves frantically racing around in our cars and walking for miles in the shopping mall. This tight schedule of spending, wrapping, stacking, and mailing off gifts in a busy post office where the line doesn’t seem to move at all can wreak havoc on our lower back, legs and feet if we are not careful. The following yoga poses will offer a reprieve from the stress our bodies endure while we are trying so hurriedly to be prepared for the big day.
Standing Forward Bend
It doesn’t matter if you are in your work clothes or donning your favorite shopping sweater; practice forward bending every chance you can get. Standing for hours while perusing the isles of robes, slippers and neck ties can tire out the muscles of your low back in a heartbeat. Take the stress off of it by doing a simple forward bend with both knees slightly bent and your feet hip width apart. When you are ready to come out of the pose, roll up slowly vertebra by vertebra and then roll your shoulders back and down upon standing.
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Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.
As the holiday season approaches, those new to the gluten-free diet, and even those with years of experience, can feel a sense of dread with all the opportunities for gluten in holiday gatherings and foods. How do we share the spirit of the season without the effects of an accidental “glutening?” I’ve gathered tips to make this a safe, joyous, and gluten-free holiday. 
Communication is key to staying safe and gluten-free during the holidays. Linda Etherton, the Gluten-Free Homemaker, shares tips for staying safe and gluten free when eating those holiday meals. Not only do we need to educate our guests and hosts to keep us safe, but it is also an opportunity to lovingly hint to our relatives that they may need to be tested for celiac disease or gluten issues, since this is genetic.
Planning is critical. Whether it is planning a safe dish to take to a potluck or party to planning an entire gluten-free meal.
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At age 40, Holly Mosier felt like she had hit a wall. “[It was] hard to come out of my bedroom at times. I was a wife, mother, stepmother, trial lawyer… trying to blend a family and maintain some semblance of peace, joy, health and vitality, and I was failing miserably,” says Holly. She sought solutions everywhere she could think of to find tools that she could work in to her life despite being a very busy professional and mother.
Despite searching in books, seminars, classes, medical studies, experts, and television shows, as she looked for practical, efficient solutions, and Holly never found the answers she was looking for, she was able to develop her own set of tools to create a “lifestyle that balances the needs of the mind, body, and spirit in a practical, efficient way.” After working these techniques into her own life and seeing the result, Holly put them together in her book Stress Less, Weigh Less. Holly has now expanded her techniques to create the following tips for handling holiday stress.
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The staff at DietsInReview would like to share some of our favorite holiday articles with you today. You can think of it as our little Christmas gift to our fans and readers. We know that Christmas is not a day most people want to think about counting their calories. Besides, taking a day to indulge will help you stay on track with your weight loss goals in the long run. So, here are some fun ways of making your holiday just a little healthier.
Holiday Eating
Avoid Holiday Stress
The Skinny on Parties
Just in case you’re going to end your day with a workout, be sure not to miss this awesome Christmas Workout Mix, which we’re sure could also liven up any holiday party.
