However, this Christmas break has also reminded me how much of a challenge health can be during Christmas time. Christmas parties with Christmas sweets are definitely my biggest challenge. To overcome the Christmas splurge, I strive to make my own healthy meals as much as I can. Here are some of my healthy tips, recipes, and happenings to share with you!
Two of my favorite gifts this Christmas are my new Spiralizer and Cuisinart Food Processor! I am so happy to finally have my own food processor. I love making my own sweets, like the Date Fig Balls above, to avoid all the processed sweets. If you can't tell, I definitely have a sweet tooth, especially a chocolate sweet tooth. Dates are a great substitute for chocolate because they taste like nature's candy and help balance sweet cravings!
Another great way to eat healthy at home over Christmas time or anytime is to make beautiful fruit salads for yourself and to share with your family. I love fruit because it has such vibrant colors that can light up any dish. Additionally, using a diverse range of fruits lets people pick the fruits they like so there is something for everyone!
Make a conscious effort to make a healthy treat to take to parties. Here are some of the Date Fig Balls I made for one party using a friend's food processor. To make the balls, I processed dates, figs, walnuts, almond butter, agave, vanilla, and cocoa. The dried figs definitely added a sweetly unique flavor. After refrigerating for about an hour, I decorated with cocoa nibs, coconut, or goji berries. They were definitely a hit!
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| Date Fig Balls |
Two of my favorite gifts this Christmas are my new Spiralizer and Cuisinart Food Processor! I am so happy to finally have my own food processor. I love making my own sweets, like the Date Fig Balls above, to avoid all the processed sweets. If you can't tell, I definitely have a sweet tooth, especially a chocolate sweet tooth. Dates are a great substitute for chocolate because they taste like nature's candy and help balance sweet cravings!
Additionally, I love my Spiralizer. The first time I ever had spiralized zucchini pasta was at Be Raw in Dallas! Since then I have been dying to try Fully Raw Kristina's raw pasta recipes. I gave my new Spiralizer a whirl the other day and look how beautiful the noodles turned out.
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| Spiralized Zucchini |
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| Spiralized Squash with Pineapple, Red Bell Pepper, Basil, and Lemon Juice |
Another great way to eat healthy at home over Christmas time or anytime is to make beautiful fruit salads for yourself and to share with your family. I love fruit because it has such vibrant colors that can light up any dish. Additionally, using a diverse range of fruits lets people pick the fruits they like so there is something for everyone!
If you have a say in the restaurants your family eats out at, then encourage restaurants with healthy choices. One of my new favorite restaurants is the new True Food Kitchen that opened in Dallas at the intersection of Preston and Northwest Hwy. There menu has something for everyone with a multitude of healthy options such as juices, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and numerous entree choices. My favorite juice is the Kale-aid made with kale, apple, cucumber, celery, lemon, and ginger. Some of my other favorite menu items are the Caramelized Onion Tart flatbread, Harvest Chopped salad, and Butternut Squash pizza. Go check out this new awesome restaurant!
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| Kale-aid |
One week this break, my family visited my Aunt and Uncle's ranch. While there, my Aunt taught me how to make a beautiful Kale Salad inspired by the True Food chef Andrew Weil. Kale is a great food to add to your fridge because per calorie, it contains more calcium than milk and more iron than beef as well as numerous vitamins and minerals!
Here is how to make the salad! First, wash, destem, and chop the kale. Then, massage the kale with olive oil. Let sit for a few minutes and then sprinkle with Tony Chachere's or salt and pepper. Let chill in the fridge until ready to eat. Finally, toss with grated Romano cheese and serve!
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| Kale Salad with Blueberry, Banana, Coconut Milk Smoothie |
Because I enjoyed the Kale Salad my aunt taught me to make so much, I decide to try another kale salad recipe. This time after massaging with olive oil, I sprinkled with salt and added lemon and orange juice. Then, I topped the salad with oranges, avocado, and slivered almonds! Loved it! This is a sweeter kale salad, while the previous one has a kick from the Tony Chachere's, but both are great!
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| Kale Salad with Oranges, Avocado, and Almond Slivers |
Lastly, I have also been enjoying hot yoga at Gaia Yoga Flow this break. I even got my mom and brother to go to a class. These hot yoga classes are definitely a challenge and a great workout. Even my brother who is a football player and track runner admitted he thought it was a challenge. Hot yoga is fun because it makes you sweat but has all the great benefits of a normal yoga practice, including strength, balance, and flexibility.
Overall, the New Year is right around the corner, so keep in mind your health when making your New Year's Resolutions. Here is an inspirational quote to start off your new year!
Lots of love,
Alexis
Reading this made me reminisce on all the great memories that I have made over the past Christmas seasons. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and the food is one of the best parts! I would love to incorporate these fresh new ideas you talked about into our menu this year. I can feel your passion for healthy living beating through your words...keep it up pretty girl:)
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