Fabulous Foods and Fantastic Tips to Beat Holiday Weight Gain

Marissa Vicario, Founder and Wellness ExpertMarissa’s Well-being and Healthwww.mwahonline.comwww.whereineedtobe.com

© 2012 Marissa’s Well-being and Health

What You’ll Learn

• How to manage your hunger so it doesn’t manage you

• How to control your sugar cravings around the dessert table

• How you can sneak the good in to crowd out the “bad”

• Simple delicious recipes that will keep you satisfied

• Why dieting won’t work

Manage Hunger

• What Causes Ravenous Hunger? – Dehydration– Focusing on calories, fat and sodium – Blood sugar spins out of control

Manage Hunger • Dehydration– Many people live in a constant

state of dehydration– Staying hydrated helps control

hunger and appetite– How much water? It’s personal

but a good rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces

Manage Hunger

• Hydration Tips– Set a timer to remind you– Use an app on your phone that tracks your water

intake (ex: Water Your Body)– Carry a reusable bottle in your bag or car

Manage Hunger• Focusing on calories, fat and

sodium - NOT on micronutrients– Heavy reliance on processed

foods – The purpose of food is to

provide nutrients and nourishment

– When we’re used to eating packaged foods without any nourishment, our bodies are never truly nourished. They send hunger signals all day looking for missing nutrients

Manage Hunger

– Start to think about food in terms of its nutrient density and how it benefits your body – not just caloric value

Manage Hunger

• Blood sugar out of control – Foods like refined sugar and

flour that lack micronutrients cause peaks and dips in blood sugar leading us to crave more of the same

– Leaving the house without eating can lead to a desperate situation causing blood sugar levels to drop. Unable to find anything healthy, we grab fast food instead

Manage Hunger

• Tips to control blood sugar – Be mindful of which foods throw you off balance

and which foods keep your blood sugar stable– Eat before you leave the house – even if it’s

something small – Bring a healthy snack with you while you’re out

Avoid Cravings for Sweets

• Avoid a sugary breakfast• Start the day with nutritionally

dense foods – Fuels the body– Reduces cravings– Controls appetite

• Don’t save yourself for dinner– Eat a good breakfast and lunch so

you don’t binge at dinner • Add plant-based options to the

holiday dinner table – Soups, salads and veggie sides

Why Diets Don’t Work• Diets are like an event – they last for

a little while then we tend to fall back into old habits

• Instead, learn how to get high quality foods into our diet and make a lifestyle out of it (see recipe addendum for help)

• Develop new routines to support you for a lifetime

• When we eat good food and understand how it affects our bodies, our lives will become completely different, because what we eat changes everything

Weight Loss Beyond Food

• Making dietary changes without making lifestyle changes is superficial.

• The converse is true also – making lifestyle changes without dietary changes is counterproductive

• Stress contributes to weight gain

Weight Loss Beyond Food• Tips for Managing Stress– Schedule alone time – Rejuvenate with a hot

bath, yoga, a massage– Make your time special

• Light a candle• Play music• Epsom salts – muscle

relaxer and detoxifier• Essential oil - lavender

Recipe Addendum Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms• 1 medium onion, sliced• 2 medium carrots, sliced• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts (optional)• 2 cloves of garlic• 2 tsp. fresh ginger• 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock• 2 Tbsp tamari or shoyu• 3 cups shredded Swiss Chard or spinach• 1 package of Buckwheat soba noodles• Cilantro leaves (optional) Instructions:

Combine all ingredients, except the greens and the noodles in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or 4-5 on high. Next, prepare the noodles according to the package. Add the noodles and the greens. Cook for another 5 minutes until greens are wilted. Top with cilantro leaves for garnish.

Recipe AddendumSalmon Avocado Omelet

Ingredients:• 2 eggs• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced• 2 sliced smoked salmon• 1/4 avocado, diced• Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: Beat eggs in a small bowl. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add eggs, turn heat to low and cook for 3-5 minutes until eggs are mostly cooked.Distribute salmon and avocado evenly across the eggs. Use a spatula to fold the omelette in half and cook 30 seconds on each side.

Recipe Addendum

Berry Red Smoothie

Ingredients:• Juice from 4 large oranges• Half a cup of blueberries• 8 fresh strawberries• 1 slice of raw beet (to give it extra color)• Handful of greens Instructions:Combine in a high powered blender. Mix until all ingredients are liquefied.

Recipe AddendumSimple Green Smoothie

Ingredients:• 1 cup green grapes• 1 orange, peeled• 1/2 pear• 1 banana, fresh or frozen• 1 cup kale• 1/2 cup water• 2 cups ice cubes

Instructions:Combine in a high powered blender. Mix until all ingredients are liquefied.

Recipe Addendum

Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Ingredients:• 4 bananas• 2 cups of water (or coconut water)• 1 Tbsp of raw cacao• 2 handfuls of mint• Instructions:Combine in a high powered blender. Mix until all ingredients are liquefied.

Recipe AddendumCinna-babies

Ingredients:• 2 cups of raw almonds, finely ground in a food processor• 1/3 cup of cinnamon• 1/3 teaspoon of sea salt• 3/4 cup of raisins• 1/4 cup of dates• 3/4 cup agave nectar• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil• Instructions:Combine the almonds, cinnamon, salt, raisins, dates. Mix well. Add the agave nectar and coconut oil. Mix until a dough like consistency is reached. Using your hands, roll the mixture into ping-pong sized balls. Serve as is or freeze until firm.

Recipe AddendumFennel Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients: • 4-5 cups fresh spinach leaves• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fennel• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion• 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds• 3 tangerines, supreme-style• Dressing:• 1/2 cup of olive oil• 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar• 1 tsp Dijon-type mustard• Dash of good quality sea salt• Fresh ground black pepper• Reserved fennel ferns for garnish

Instructions:Mix all salad dressing ingredients together in a small glass container. Tighten the lid and shake. Next, combine all the salad ingredients. Toss with the dressing. Garnish with the fennel ferns.

Recipe AddendumPuree of Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:• 3 large parsnips sliced• 2 onions sliced• 1 teaspoon cardamom• 1 T olive oil• 1T or more butter or ghee salt to taste Instructions:Sautee onions in olive oil until fragrant, then add parsnips and sautee 10 minutes. Add water to cover and gently boil until soft add cardamom, butter and salt. Puree with a hand blender until smooth- taste and adjust spices.

Recipe AddendumImpossible Brownies

Ingredients:• 1 1/2 cups grain sweetened chocolate chips• 2 cups garbanzo beans (cooked)• 2/3 cup agave nectar• 1/2 tsp baking powder• 4 eggs Instructions:Preheat oven to 350. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans and eggs. Add agave nectar, baking powder and chocolate and process until smooth. Pour into a 9 inch non-stick pan. Bake 45 minutes and allow to cool before serving.

Recipe AddendumOrange Millet with Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:• 1 cups dry millet • 1/4 cup raisins • 2 navel oranges, zested • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds • 3 1/2 cups veggie broth • 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:Rinse the millet in a fine mesh strainer. Combine broth, oil, millet, and raisins. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to low, cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and toss in orange zest, parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds.Slice zested oranges and serve them after dinner, or use them in place of the tangerines in the Fennel Pomegranate Salad.

Recipe AddendumHoliday Nut Nog

Ingredients:• 1 cup raw almonds soaked overnight, then drained• 2 cups water• ¼ cup dates, soaked for 20 minutes if hard• 1-2 fresh or frozen bananas (depending on preference)• ½ teaspoon nutmeg• 1 tsp vanilla extract• ½ tsp cinnamon• Dash sea salt (optional)• ¼ tsp turmeric• Additional sweetener if desired –try agave nectar

Instructions:Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend well and strain through a fine meshed sieve. Alternately, use 3 cups almond milk instead of the raw almonds and water. Proceed with blending, but no need to strain. Serve this nog in festive glasses or mugs and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and nutmeg.

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