Keeping The Holidays Holistically Healthy

Wholehearted Holidays

To wholeheartedly celebrate this holiday season, be sure to take care of your whole self and your loved ones with natural lifestyle practices that keep us healthy in body, mind, emotions, and spirit.  Holistic health involves the understanding that everything we do, feel and think, has an impact on our state of health.  It is directed to the well-being of our whole being; how we live, how and what we eat, our sleep habits, how often we exercise, our emotional and mental attitudes and beliefs, our environment and relationships, our routine habits, and stresses, and daily spiritual practices.

Go With The Flow

While the holidays can be times of increased stress in our lives, why not make it your intention to keep it simple and as low stress as possible.  Since the real meaning of the holidays is ‘holy days’, remember to practice the principle, “Let Go and Let God”.  Release expectations and the need to control situations, allowing and accepting things more. As we stay heart centered with feelings of love, appreciation, and joy, keeping our thoughts optimistic, we will uplift everyone around us, too.  The attitude of gratitude is contagious, so catch the holiday spirit this season instead of the flu.

Keep It Fresh

Consider new and better ways of doing things instead of being a slave to tradition.  Decorate your house when you feel inspired instead of obligated.  Do what you love and forget the rest.  Do remember however, to get your rest.  Take naps and get a good night sleep to keep your energy levels up, as well as to strengthen your immune system.  With the increasing darkness and colder weather, it is more an inward time of being instead of an outward time of busy doing.  Enjoy the opportunity to relax and have some quiet introspection.  You will accomplish more when you slow down.

Stay Flexible

Our bodies tend to get stiff when the weather is colder, so keep limber.  Keep flexible by stretching and doing yoga positions, everyday if possible. Going for a daily walk is a helpful exercise to keep us moving, too.  Drink more pure water to stay hydrated.  Take nutritional supplements for extra support; especially a multi-vitamin and mineral combo, with extra vitamin C & D, a green drink formula, and essential fatty acids.  Remember the old adage, ” an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Make healthy food choices by thinking of your food as fuel.  You would not put sugar in your gas tank and expect it to run. Sugar is over-rated and over consumed during the holidays.  Choose maple syrup as a healthy alternative in recipes. Be willing to change your unhealthy eating habits. Avoid high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, hydrogenated fats, fast foods, and GMO’s. Eat more organic vegetables and fruits, nuts, and whole foods instead of processed foods.  Think of your food as medicine as you eat to live, eating balanced meals that are both delicious and nutritious.  Enjoy making healthy holiday meals with your family.

Healthy Holiday Recipes 🥗

Here are a few recipes to make sweet treats that are good for you this holiday season;

Fun Cacao Ideas

1. Combine equal parts raw cacao nibs with organic raisins

2. Put raw cacao inside a date

3. Make hot cacao by melting 1/4 cup of raw cacao in 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Healthy Pie

4. Make a Raw Apple Pie

    Crust – 1 cup walnuts, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup pitted dates, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp sea salt.

    Combine in a food processor until it forms a dough; Press into a 9-inch glass pie pan

    Filling – 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced into a large bowl; add 1 Tbsp  

    lemon juice, and 1 tsp of cinnamon, and toss until coated.  Place 1 cup pitted dates, 1/2 cup  

    agave nectar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp sea salt in a blender, adding just enough water to      

    facilitate blending until smooth.   Add to the apples, toss together, and spoon into the crust.

Wonderfully Healthy Cranberry Nut Bread

5. Cranberry/Orange Nut Loaf

    Combine dry ingredients in one bowl;  2 cups sprouted grain flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder,

    1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp orange zest

     Combine liquid ingredients in another bowl; 4 Tbsp butter, 1 egg, 3/4 cup orange juice,

     1 tsp vanilla, 2/3 cup maple syrup

     Combine dry ingredients with liquid ingredients, stir in 1 cup cranberries and 1 cup walnuts.

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Add mixture evenly to pan.

     Bake for 55 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

The Gift of Health

Give healthy gifts this holiday.  Remember that health is our wealth.  Make gift bags or baskets full of healthy foods, personal care products, and supplements.  Schweitzer Formula offers healthy gift packages on our site, or make your own with products from SchweitzerFormula.com.  On behalf of our Schweitzer Formula family, we wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season full of much love and joy!