10 HEALTHY FOODS TO BRING TO A HOLIDAY SOCIAL OR PARTY

1) Veggies with low fat dip, salsa or guacamole.
2) Whole wheat pita chips with low fat dip or salsa
3) Mixed unsalted natural nuts
4) Fruit platter
5) Bruschetta on whole wheat bread or on a flat pita bread
6) Lettuce wraps
7) Healthy deviled eggs (made with avocado rather than mayo)
8) Whole wheat crackers with light crème cheese and cucumber
9) Lean ground chicken/turkey balls with a healthy tomato sauce
10) Shrimp with shrimp sauce (not battered or fried)

A creamy apple pie flavor, the yogurt adds a tart flavor that accents the crisp sweet cinnamon-apple garnish perfectly

Vegan, makes 2 servings.

½ cup pure apple juice, not from concentrate

1 cup vanilla soy yogurt

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup ice

garnish sliced apples and cinnamon

Blend until smooth. Pour. Garnish. Serve.

People work so hard throughout the year trying to keep that nasty weight off by eating healthy and exercising so why stop it all over the Christmas holiday season???

People naturally have a tendency to start eating and drinking way more then they would on any other time of the year. Between the drinking, the extra calories, the poor food choices, the different social events ect., the end result never ends good.

I am here to give you some healthy tips on how to make your holiday season enjoyable yet still staying on track with your fitness goals and not letting them go to waste and having to restart them January.

1. Never go to a holiday social hungry. Have a light meal before leaving the house and drink lots of water to keep you feeling full. You will eat much less if you are not starving walking in the door.
2. Bring a healthy dish with you to a social event. You never know if there will be healthy food options when you go out. If you bring your own healthy dish, you know that you have sometime healthy to munch on during the event. Veggies with dip or salsa are always a great option.
3. Try to stick to protein and vegetables for your meal rather then high starchy carbs or sugary foods.
4. Skip or limit your alcohol intake. If at a social event, try to have only 1/2 – 1 glass of wine and then drink plenty of water. You could also use flavoured water in a wine glass as well.
5. Exercise during the holiday. Try to stay on your routine as much as possible. If you are eating or drinking extra calories, at least try to burn them off with some exercise. This will also help prevent you from feeling guilty for indulging over the holidays a bit.
6. Ignore the pressure from friends and family to drink or eat desert or try this food ect. You are the one with the fitness goals so be strong and remind yourself why you are doing what you do.
7. Don’t let one bad meal trigger a week of binging and eating bad. One day is okay but one week is not. Have your day and move on with the rest of your week continuing to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
8. Don’t feel guilty: Christmas is a time to enjoy and spend it with your loved ones. Indulge a little and love it then back at it tomorrow. Don’t feel bad for one day of fun. Life is too short and remember how hard you work 11 months out of the year.

The truth is good fat will actually help rid the bad fat that you have been trying to conquer your entire life.

There are so many wonderful health benefits to eating the “good” fat including:

1) Better body composition,
2) Increased lean muscle,
3) Easier fat loss,
4) Better reproductive health,
5) Increased brain function and mood,
6) Stronger bones,
7) Better cholesterol levels,
8) Reduced heart risk,
9) Reduced cancer risk,
10) Better skin and eye health,
11) Stronger immune system.

You may be wondering how fat can actually help with fat loss.

The answer to this is: Fats digest slow in the body so you will feel satisfied and full for a longer period of time. Try having some healthy fats with every meal. 25-30 percent of your daily caloric intake should come from healthy fats.

These healthy fats are:

1) Polyunsaturated Fats: Are your Omega 3s and 6s.

Omega 3

-Fish
-Canola Oil
-Walnuts
-Flaxseeds
-Tofu

Omega 6

-Safflower Oil
-Poultry
-Farmed Fish

2) Monounsaturated Fats

-Olive Oil
-Canola Oil
-Almonds
-Cashews
-Peanuts
-Peanut Butter
-Sesame Seeds
-Avocado

The Fats you want to stay away from are the saturated fats and trans fats.

Foods containing saturated fats (bad fats) are:

Meat and poultry, Dairy products like cream, butter, whole and 2 percent milk, and palm oil.

Foods containing trans fats (the worst fats) are:

Shortening, margarine, doughnuts, french fries, and processed foods such as crackers, cookies, chips, and cakes.

So remember if you are trying to lost weight, reduce fat, build some lean muscle mass, improve your mood and bodily functions and much more.

Include those healthy fats into your diet because they are vital to your health.

Feel free to email me anytime with any fitness or diet related questions. I am here to help =)

Amanda Robar, PTS, PFS

Coconut oil is considered a “superfood” due to its powerful medicinal properties.

Below are a list of health benefits of Coconut Oil:

1) increases energy which helps you burn more fat
2) Increases immune system
3) Kills hunger which makes you eat less
4) The fatty acids in Coconut oil is turned into ketones, which helps reduce seizures
5) Improves Blood Cholesterol
6) Lowers the risk of heart disease
7) Great for you skin, hair and nails
8) Boosts brain function in Alzheimer’s patients
9) Helps with fat loss especially in the mid section area

Try adding coconut oil into your diet to experience some of these wonderful health benefits.

I recommend buying the organic virgin coconut oil rather than the refined stuff.

Feel free to email me anytime with any fitness or diet related questions. I am here to help =)

Amanda Robar, PTS, PFS