Watching Weight on your Wish List?

    
Last week Molson Canadian 67 revealed the results of their latest nationwide survey. It appears that
during this holiday season 66% of people said they expect to gain between one and nine pounds. Nine
pounds is certainly extreme, but it's fact that on average most people do gain one to two pounds. A
pound or two isn't such a big deal if you take up and stick to the New Year's resolution of getting
healthy and fit. However this usually isn't the case. In fact, it's been proven that weight gainers over
the holidays don't seem to lose the weight, and even worse, it tends to accumulate year after year.
Holidays are a time to enjoy friends, family and food, and contrary to what many think, you can have
all three without putting on the extra pounds! Through mindful eating, moderation and with a few
simple tips you can avoid the belly like a bowl full of jelly this holiday season.

One of the most important things to do is plan ahead. Start at breakfast. Be sure to have a good
one, i.e. a balanced meal and certainly don't skip it! Those who indulge in the first meal of the day
tend to consume fewer calories throughout the day. If time is an issue start to prepare something
the night before. Baked beans, a veggie fritatta, or fruit salad take very little time and serve as great
leftovers, plus they won't put extra strain on the already tight purse strings. Skipping any kind of meal
throughout the day is a common practice this type of year, but also a big no-no. Often it results in
overeating, and over time it can interfere with the way your body processes food, storing it as fat. At
home, keep a good stock of healthy, lower calorie snacks in the fridge. The holidays can be such as
busy time, and so it's a great idea to have a 'healthy snack bin', or container of ready made grab and go healthy eats. Healthy snacks can double as mini-meals to keep you energized during busy days.

Ideal bin items can be fruit, vegetables, soups, low-fat yogurt and cheese, skim milk, hummus, whole-grain crackers and breads, and nuts and seeds. Always think ahead. If you know you're going to a holiday party and going to be consuming more than usual make extra effort in the days prior to. Remember the 80/20 rule. Eat nutritious higher-fibre, lower-fat foods 80% of the time so you can indulge in a few treats about the other 20%. When at an event, use a smaller plate. It allows you to put less food on there and encourages proper portion sizes. You can also start by filling your plate with vegetables and salad before going to the entrees and desserts. Eat slowly, and taste each bite. Wait about twenty minutes before going back for more. It takes about this much time for your brain to catch up with your stomach.

Equally important as foods are fluids. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after meals.
This is important for watching our weight because it can help us feel full and reduce the amount of
food we eat. People tend to not get enough fluids, and many often confuse hunger for thirst. Before
reaching for holiday goodie have water first to be sure it's food (and not fluid) your body is really
asking for. Alcoholic drinks are fine in moderation, but they can be loaded with calories and can
dehydrate you. Drink them in moderation. Plan to have water or soda water with a slice of lemon or
lime between each drink to pace yourself. If you're hosting an event have one or more non-alcoholic
options, such as sparkling water with lemon, cranberry juice spritzers, 'virgin' Caesars, non-alcoholic
beers, and lower-fat eggnogs and hot chocolates.

Equally important to eating healthy is being active, so be sure to let the holiday spirit move you. Make plans with family or friends to get regular exercise during the holidays- at least 30 minutes a day. It won't just burn calories, but be a fun way to help destress and unwind from the holiday bustle.

As seen in The Telegram December 19, 2011

Healthy Holiday Gifts

    
Think you might be on Santa's naughty list this year? One way to get on the opposite side might be to
give a gift of health. You're likely going to pick up something for the people on your list anyway, so
why not make it great and a chance to improve their well-being? A gift of health is truly something
that keeps on giving. When you think about it, really, there's no better gift you can give than that. Did
I mention healthy gifts also add personal touch and make a thoughtful lasting impression? Getting out
of the routine of buying a Pot of Gold box, or fast food gift card probably seems difficult and more
work, so let's see if I can encourage you with some of my experiences and ideas for healthy holidays.

Last season I experienced a gift revolution one might say. I really wanted to give meaningful things to the very dear people on my list, but who also happened to be hard to shop for. Surprisingly it took a while to figure it out. The answer however was actually quite simple. A gift of health. So off I went making antioxidant rich vegetable soups, high fiber winter warming stews, and omega-3 rich nut breads and muffins complete with handmade labels to show what they food was, and what made it healthy. Like any sort of change, I wasn't sure how this would go over instead of 'gifts'. But truth be told it was a hit and preparations are well under way for the same this year. The purpose of this story is just to remind you that doing something simple and thoughtful for those you love, while making homemade gifts and goodies (and feeling like a kid again!) – it's really what the holidays are all about and meant to be.

More homemade healthy eats sure to go over well can include jam from berries picked over the summer, freshly made nut butter with almonds, walnuts, or cashews, personalized trail mix with dried fruit, nuts and small chocolate pieces, and favorite cookie and muffin recipes made with fun modifications for reducing sugar and fat (such as applesauce, can pumpkin and even avocado). Don't feel like being Santa's elf in the kitchen this year? Not to fret, there are still other great gift ideas for health. Take for instance a fruit basket, or even simpler yet, a box of clementine's in place of chocolates or fruitcake. Assortments of fine coffees or teas instead of hot chocolate and sugary drink mixes are sure to have more antioxidants with less calories. Ideas could also be a spice, oil or nut assortment, a cookbook, or kitchen gadget like a slow cooker, bread machine, or blender filled with recipes someone might enjoy. Don't forget about stockings! They can be part of the fun and healthy giving too. Does anyone remember having an orange in the toe in their stocking on Christmas morning? Whatever happened to that tradition? Along with the dark chocolate, mark it on your list to pick up some fruit this year too. Oranges, bright red pomegranates, a green apple, or perhaps some dried fruit leathers or raisins, fruit and veggies washes are alternate stuffer ideas. Be creative! Last year I included chocolate flavored vitamin D tablets in my loved one's stocking. I wouldn't recommend this for kids, as we wouldn't this to be confused this for candy, but it's a great idea for adults.

There will be lots of treats and goodies throughout the season, by giving healthy choices this year it's
sure to be a welcome change that will leave a lasting impression. You never know, it might even spark a tradition for a family trend of healthy gift giving, like it has for mine. The holidays are certainly a time for fun, but it doesn't mean health and nutrition has to go down the chimney. Here's to health and happiness with gift giving this ho ho ho season.

 As seen in The Telegram December 12, 2011

Extreme Grocery Couponing for Healthy Holidays

  

When it comes to holiday store midnight madness and tax free savings you've likely seen, and taken
part in some of the great deals this year already. The Bank of Montreal 2011 Holiday Spending
Outlook last week predicted there will be less under the tree and more on tables this year. Each year
it seems we spend more and more on food. It shouldn't come as a surprise really. The cost of food
has continued to increase, and in addition a lot of us are still eating more than we should. But in
putting portions aside for this discussion, what if I told you there are deals similar to tax free savings
all year round at one of the places you shop the most. Yes that's right, the grocery store. Remember
couponing? It's making a big comeback. Perhaps you've seen TLC's show Extreme Couponing? Well
there's actually a way to get some deals similar to this but do it the healthfully too.

A common misconception among people who don't use coupons is that the value of the coupon really
isn't enough to make a difference in the long run. Nothing could be further from the truth my healthy
eating friends. As a rule in our house the priority list for grocery choices it's always nutrition first, and saving money second. As an example, last week's groceries included lots of fresh and can fruits and veggies, assortment of nuts, haddock, yogurt, cottage cheese, whole grain cereals and bread, and a few miscellaneous products like dish detergent and baggies. Had we not used coupons and shopped sale items total spent would have been over $75, but because we shopped wisely we paid only $41.43.

So how can this be done? Plan your meals for the week by using Eating Well with Canada's Food
Guide. Shop flyers and then use both these and the guide to make your grocery list. Match coupons
only with the foods you are going to eat and buy. The key is to only buy what you intend on eating,
and not because there is a sale. This is how you avoid the pitfall of ending up with 'junkier' cheaper
foods. If you consider the food guide, there are tons of choices here that regularly have coupons.
Juices, canned fruits and veggies, whole grain cereals, breads, pasta and rice, yogurt, fortified soy
beverages, canned meats and fish and nuts butters are some of the popular ones. From time to time
there are also coupons for fresh produce too believe it or not. But how do you really get the deals? As
in food for free, or better yet, making money towards the rest of your grocery purchase? (And yes it
can be done, because I have done it). It's takes a little of what's called grocery cart and supermarket
smarts.

When I say couponing I don't just mean using one coupon here or there to save a dollar. I mean really
using grocery coupons to their full advantage to get the healthiest eats for the absolute lowest dollar
possible. For example, did you know that in some stores you can use a manufacturer and store coupon. That's called coupon stacking. Other stores during a buy one get one free promotion will allow you to use coupons on those items too. Some stores will not only match sale prices from others, but they will also accept competitor coupons too. Combing a sale price, or something that is 50% off (say day old bread or about to expire yogurt) with the above coupons tips and tricks is really the key to big savings.

To become fluent in this try to shop at the same store and get to know their coupon policy.
So where can you find coupons? Just about anywhere really. Newspapers and magazines, grocery
stores, the internet, products (especially cereals) are places to keep your eyes open. Certain food
manufacturers have also been known to send coupons to loyal customers who have contacted them.
It's somewhere around 2% of coupons that are distributed actually get used. If you ask me, that's big
savings that a lot of people are missing out on. If you looking to save money and eat healthy this
holiday season (or all year for that matter) grocery coupons are the way to go. Saving $20 a week is an extra $1040 a year, which is enough to make anyone's season a little more jolly.

As seen in Telegram December 5, 2011