Home for the Holidays

Man, vacation feels good! Two whole weeks off of work and getting to spend the holidays with my family, I am a lucky girl.

But being home for the Holidays means, no set workout schedule, no mercury method, tons of holiday parties, wine, food, food and more food.

I am constantly talking about how to stay healthy over the holidays, but still enjoy all the delicious food. And it’s so hard to stay motivated to exercise when all I want to do is cuddle up on the couch with my puppy and a cup of hot chocolate.  

Ruger - he is getting so big!

For me, there are two HUGE pieces of advice to get through the holidays.

1. Figure out what you need to get to the gym and GO!

2. Eat your favorite holiday foods, but lighten them up when you can.

SO – First thing is first, exercise over the holidays…

Just finishing my paleo cleanse, I was high on my health kick and as soon as I got home to Michigan, joined a gym for 2 weeks.  Step one to holiday exercise motivation:  if I spend money on it, I feel guilty if I don’t use it. The two week membership was only $20, but to a twenty-something with tons of student loans that is a good chunk of change. 

Also, gym time is essential to me over the holidays so I can get out of the house and have some "me" time. I love my family, but a little escape over the holidays is always welcomed.  

Another way I motivate to workout over the holidays is so I don’t feel bad eating that cookie, or that delicious dinner roll. Let’s be real, I run so I can eat. 

Finally, my most fool-proof way to keep working out over the holidays is to buy myself a present (or three) and get some cute new workout stuff! I always want to show it off! I couldn’t wait to put on this sassy new tank top and my brand new neon running shoes, and so I couldn’t wait to get to the gym!

New shoes! Lululemon pants! Awesome Fashlectics tank that says, "Weakness is a choice, I choose strength." And Fashlectics headband that says, "Live. Love. Lift." Awkward pose to highlight the shoes.

Amazing new Newton running shoes. Killed my calves the first few runs, but improved my strike and my stride.

To recap:

1.       Don’t waste your money

2.       Me time

3.       FOOD!

4.       Cute new stuff :-)

Moving on to lightening up your favorite holiday foods! It is surprisingly super easy! One sneaky thing I do is hide mashed cauliflower in my mashed potatoes. I use 1:1 potato to cauliflower and if you season them and use nonfat greek yogurt instead of sour cream, they have great flavor and great texture. No one will know! Some things you just can’t change though. My mom makes her famous mint chocolate brownies every year and I wouldn’t touch that delicious and decadent recipe. Make good choices. Go for a walk after dinner, come inside and warm up with hot tea and a brownie. We keep a nice balance.

My favorite and not-so-healthy holiday dish is spinach dip, normally made with mayo and sour cream. Here is an amazing new, healthy recipe, full of veggies and delicious roasted garlic! I would never give up my bread bowl though…but you could dip veggies in it too! 

Roasted Garlic Spinach Dip

Hands on time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

What you need:

• 1 bulb garlic
• 16 oz plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 2 medium onions
• 1 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed, with excess water removed
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 2 T olive oil, divided

Preheat your oven to 400 and cut the top off your garlic bulb, exposing the cloves. Wrap this is tin foil, cover with 1 T olive oil, twist the foil to close it up and pop it in the oven to roast. Meanwhile, heat the other T olive oil on the stove top and thinly slice your onions. Add the onion to the hot oil, stirring often, until they are a translucent, caramel color. Place onions in a bowl to cool. After the garlic roasts for about 45 minutes (it will be soft to the touch) and the onions are completely cool, squeeze the roasted cloves of garlic into the bowl with the onions. Add the yogurt and then stir in your spinach, combine well. Finish with the white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste (I used about 3/4t salt and 1/4t pepper). 

What you get:

LOTS of protein from the greek yogurt, as well as calcium and vitamin D, heart-healthy garlic and spinach, which is in my opinion, a super food. Spinach is full of fiber, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Interestingly, spinach also contains flavonoids, nutrients that slow down cell division in some human tissues, and can thus, help prevent some cancers. There is a evidence that spinach can also lower blood pressure by inhibiting an enzyme in your body, angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE-I). Blocking ACE-I helps blood vessels dilate and therefore lowers blood pressure! Finally, spinach is a great source of Vitamin A (vision) and Vitamin K. Vitamin K is important in blood clotting, bone health, and protecting our nervous system!