In December, delicious treats are hidden everywhere. Advent calendars, Christmas markets, pastries and the like don't make it easy for you to take care of your health. We'll show you how to enjoy them in moderation and stay healthy through the holiday season. Don't worry: cookies are allowed. A delicious recipe awaits you at the end.
What actually is enjoyment?
According to the definition, enjoyment is a positive sensory sensation. It is associated with physical or mental satisfaction. If enjoyment is related to food, then the positive sensory perception is tasting the aromas. But enjoyment is also individual. For one person, coffee is an absolute delight, for another, it's a bitter slurry.
Have you ever asked yourself what enjoyment means to you? If you can express this more precisely, then it will be easier for you to enjoy in moderation. Good taste has nothing to do with quantity. Even small portions can make for enjoyable moments. You can use this knowledge for the Christmas season, because this is when a lot of sweets and opportunities for gluttony are lurking.
But enjoyment doesn't always have to refer to food. You can also enjoy a book, music, scents or a massage. And that's our first tip for a healthy Christmas season full of indulgence. Look for moments of pleasure away from food that get you in the mood for Christmas.
Recognizing nutritional traps: Healthy through the Christmas season
Simply going on a diet in December can't go well. But there's a middle ground between dieting and constantly indulging your taste buds. Maintaining your weight while taking care of your health are realistic resolutions for Christmas season. Enjoying food in moderation is the key to success. But you have to recognize typical traps. We give you some tips and tricks for an enjoyable yet healthy Christmas season.
1. sugar in abundance
Sweets are a big problem during Christmas season. For many, the day already starts with chocolate from the Advent calendar, followed later by cookies, gingerbread and hot chocolate or mulled wine. At the end of the day you take in way too much sugar and calories. This is not only noticeable on the scale, but can also promote inflammations, lead to exhaustion and bring your blood sugar out of balance.
Our tips: An Advent calendar without sugar is no problem. There are many alternatives. How about tea, good deeds, 24 yoga exercises or beautiful pictures. With homemade cookies, you can control the sweetness and use sugar alternatives. Little sugar and plenty of spices also give cookies a delicious taste.
Learn more about alternatives to sugar
2. snacks at every corner
During Christmas season, there are many opportunities for unhealthy snacks between the main meals. This way, you take in a whole lot of extra calories, quickly digestible carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.
Tip: Eat your fill at the main meals, so it's much easier for you to do without snacks in between. Sufficient exercise keeps you fit and helps to burn the extra calories. You can also make sure you have healthy snacks for Christmas. Make sure you choose a protein source that will fill you up. For example, how about low-fat yogurt (or a vegan alternative) flavored with cinnamon, ENDO BIOTIC orange and chopped almonds?.
3. Pre-Christmas stress
No time for a balanced diet, because one appointment chases the next?Unfortunately, Christmas season is a time of reflection for only a few people. Instead, the four weekends before Christmas are jam-packed.
Tip: It's your time. You can decide which invitation, which Christmas party and which people are important to you during this phase. People often forget that saying no is also okay.
4. listen to your body
The flood of goodies and the hectic pre-Christmas period do not allow us to consciously notice enjoyment. Quantity often takes precedence over quality, although it should be the other way around. Too many stimuli can overwhelm us. It's quite possible that you don't notice fullness, the urge to move, and exhaustion as body signals.
Our tips: Take conscious breaks. Listen to yourself. How are you feeling? What needs does your organism have right now? Choose quality over quantity more often. This does not only have to be related to nutrition.
5. Raise your cups: Mulled wine, punch & co.
In December, there is a lot to celebrate and therefore also a lot of alcohol. That brings lots of extra calories and gives the liver a hard time.
Tips: It doesn't always have to be alcohol. Have you heard about the trend of non-alcoholic spirits? This can be a great opportunity to try out the new drinks. If you prefer something more classic: tea is ideal for getting through the Christmas season in a healthy way. It warms you up and tastes delicious. If you did drink too much alcohol during Christmas season, a rest for the liver can be a good idea. Milk thistle can support you in this.
Healthy cookies for Christmas season
Enjoying in moderation also means that you don't have to do entirely without. This means that cookies are still allowed. Baking cookies is fun, gets you in the mood for Christmas and doesn't have to be a no-go for your health. We'll show you a cookie recipe that only needs a little sweetness. Make sure you use high-quality ingredients, because they refine the sweet moment of pleasure even more.
Vegan coconut spice cookies
Ingredients for 15 cookies:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups coconut flakes
1,5 cups almond flour
1-2 pinches of spices of your choice (cinnamon, chai spice mix, ginger, matcha powder, cinnamon blossom, pulp of a fresh vanilla bean, cocoa powder, mulled wine spice or turmeric)
1/2 cup maple syrup or rice syrup
6 Tbs apple sauce (without sugar)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 160 °C/320°F top/bottom heat (140°C/300°F for a convection oven). Line a baking tray with baking sheet. Melt the coconut oil.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add syrup, apple pulp as well as coconut oil and mix to a sticky dough.
Divide dough into 15 portions with moistened hands. Shape each portion into a ball. Then place on baking sheet and flatten (for example, with the bottom of a cup).
Bake cookies in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. Then let them cool.
15 cookies are eaten up quickly, but we recommend that you don't bake more at once. This way you can try out different variations and you won't be tempted to overeating. 15 little moments of pleasure for you or to share with your loved ones. We hope you enjoy them.