So here we are at 19 days until Christmas! Deep into the holiday season; surrounded by treats at every turn. Should I eat this one? What if I just have one or two or ten? It is the holidays, I’ll start over on 1/1/17.
Okay. Reality check. I would say it’s safe to say 99% of us will have some type of holiday treat from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. It is the best for your body? No it is not, but it is real life. And we all need to celebrate , just not constantly.
I live and teach my clients the 80/20% rule. Eighty percent of the time you eat the right, healthy foods that keep your body going strong. Twenty percent of the time you enjoy the treats in life because life is about balance. Nothing is perfect 100% of the time and that’s okay.
One of the techniques I teach my clients when trying to navigate special sweets is to eat half of what you take. We eat with our eyes first and will be satisfied with a few bites. By eating half of a portion you have given yourself the taste you wanted and saved your body from the not so good stuff!
We call the 20% foods red light foods most of the time. Those are the foods in Traffic Light eating that should be stop and think, eat once in a while. They include sugary pastries, desserts and holiday fare.
You may be asking yourself, what exactly is Traffic Light Eating? Well I can teach you all about it and how you can restructure how you eat your meals and snacks according to the this particular style of eating. It has worked for me and my guess it may work for you.
So use your 20% wisely this holiday season and enjoy the time with family and friends. When you are ready to start back on your path to better health, contact me to set up a health coaching program for you. My Healthy Solutions program is four weekly sessions that begin with Traffic Light eating and more! Visit my event page for more info. Happy holidays to you all!
Here’s my version of the classic chocolate chip cookies with a Kim twist for the holidays!
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4-1/2 cup smashed candy canes or peppermint candy pieces should be very small but not dust
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg or flax seed egg flax seed egg: 1 tbsp. flax seed, 3 tbsp. water, let sit in the fridge ten minutes
- 1 cup chocolate chips I use semi sweet but use your fave
- Heat oven to 350 degrees In a mixer add the softened and brown sugar, beat until well combined. Add the vanilla and the egg or flax seed egg, mix well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt until combined. With the mixer on slow, add the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces until fully mixed. Mix by hand if the pieces are clumped together. Place the batter on a baking sheet using a teaspoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are just light brown and the tops done. Remove from the oven and cool two minutes; place the cooled cookies on a baking rack and enjoy! This recipe makes about 24 cookies and may be doubled.
*Disclaimer:
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Kim Gerhardt, Certified Health Coach, does not take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
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