THE holidays are upon us and the festivities are already in full swing — decorations, gifts, parties, food, and much more. For many, this is a time shared with family, friends and loved ones, that is usually centred on food. Christmas fruit cakes and puddings, ham, chicken or turkey, candy, chocolate, ice cream, alcohol, and all the trimmings are just a few of the foods that abound.

Unfortunately, many of us tend to overindulge during the season and try to make up for it in January with new year’s resolutions to lose weight and detox. If ever there was a test for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, then Christmastime is most certainly it!

So, how can we still enjoy all the festive fun, food and frolic while maintaining our health, energy and vitality during the season? Being constantly surrounded by an abundance of food and the expectation to join in can make the Christmas holidays one of the most challenging times to eat healthily. The traditional fare tends to be very rich and less than healthy, to say the least – and, of course, the post-dinner slump in front of the television doesn’t help. All of this eventually zaps our energy and leaves us feeling very uncomfortable, bloated, tired, and lethargic.

However, there is hope! The good news is that it is possible to enjoy the festive period without compromising your healthy food choices and stay happy and satiated in the process.

TIPS

Keep things simple. Try not to overspend. Stick to your shopping list and to your budget. Be sure to include lots of local, fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

If possible, be the person who cooks and prepares the Christmas dinner this year (or at least some of it). I know it may sound like a lot of work, but you will at least have full control of the menu and the ingredients.

Limit the number of parties, dinners and social events you attend. You do not have to be at every gathering. Plan ahead and decide which few you will attend. It may help to eat before you leave for the function. This will help curb any tendency to compromise or overeat.

Drink lots of water. As obvious as it sounds, remember to stay hydrated. The excess alcohol and refined salt and sugar during this time leave us dehydrated. Young coconut water is excellent.

“Healthy-fy” your holiday breakfast by including lots of juicy fruits before any other solids. These could include oranges, mangoes, melons, papaya, pineapple, and bananas.

Begin dinner with a mixed greens salad or raw appetiser. This will provide the body with vital enzymes and fibre that will help to digest and break down the main meal.

Resist the temptation to sit in front of the television for the remainder of the night after dinner. Even a 20-minute brisk walk post-dinner will do wonders for your digestion and metabolism.

End the evening with a relaxing night cap. No, not the rum cream! Try a cup of naturally calming chamomile tea or refreshing mint tea.

Maintain a positive attitude about it all. This means no guilt or beating yourself up over your food indulgence. There are no rules. Therefore, if you choose to take a break from your healthy eating over the holidays, then that’s fine too. At least you will be more conscious of the consequences, if any.

Be sure to enjoy, give thanks and be grateful for the food you have to eat and the people you are sharing it with.

Here are a few recipes that can be great substitutes and/or additions to the feasting over the holiday season. They are packed with live enzymes, loaded with nutrients, easy to make, and taste amazing. Share them with family, friends, neighbours, or colleagues this season and surprise their taste buds. When invited to dinner, I like to take one or two of these dishes along to share with the guests (which also puts less pressure on the host and ensures I’ll have something to eat too).

SORREL ‘LIVE’

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sorrel

3 cups cane juice

1 cup water

1-2 inches of ginger

Dash pimento, crushed

Lime to taste (approximately 1 small)

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients well in a blender. Strain through fine mesh (nut milk) bag. Serve and enjoy!

ARUGULA

CRANBERRY SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1/2-1 head of lettuce (romaine is great for this recipe)

3 large handfuls of arugula

7 sun-dried tomato halves, pre-soaked

Handful dried cranberries, roughly chopped

10 baby plum tomatoes (or other small tomatoes)

Handful sliced almonds

1 small red onion, finely sliced

1/2 medium cucumber, diced

DIRECTIONS

Finely shred or tear the lettuce and place into a large bowl.

Add the arugula and toss both greens together to ensure an even mix.

Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the chopped baby tomatoes. Also, add the cucumber, red onion, cranberries, and almonds at this stage.

Toss all ingredients together well.

Serve with your favourite dressing (a home-made one is good). I make mine by blending 1 cup of cashews, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, juice of one juicy lime, 1 garlic clove, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a pinch of sea salt. This doubles up as a sauce or dip, and you can make it as thick or runny as you wish.

NUT LOAF

INGREDIENTS

2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried sage

Dash onion powder

2 dates

1/2 red bell pepper

1 tsp lemon or lime juice

1 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Place the mushrooms in the 2 tbsp of Bragg’s and olive oil and store in an airtight container overnight.

Grind the nuts, salt, thyme, sage, and onion powder in a food processor until very processed – it should be like a coarse nut butter. Add the pepper, lemon, dates, and 1 tbsp of Bragg’s. Process again until the mixture is even. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, reserving a few tablespoons of it. Put the mushrooms, celery and sun-dried tomatoes in the food processor (no need to wash after you remove the nuts), and process until the mixture is finely chopped.

Add the mushroom/celery/tomato mixture to the nut mixture, throw in the parsley, and knead well with your hands, just as you would mix regular meat loaf.

When it’s all well mixed, place into a small loaf pan. Place in a dehydrator at 115 degrees for eight hours (you can also place in an oven at 150 degrees with the door slightly ajar).

When the loaf is done, slice into approximately 10-12 slices. Enjoy with salad or main entrée.

Holiday Nog

INGREDIENTS

2 cups almond cream*, unsweetened (cashews or coconut milk could also be used)

1/2 cup date paste (dates blended with a little water)

2 tbsp grade B maple syrup (honey or agave nectar can also be used)

2 frozen bananas

2 tsp flax seed oil (optional)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp nutmeg plus additional for sprinkling

1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients, except bananas, first. Next, add bananas and blend again. Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional sprinkle of nutmeg.

*To make almond cream, soak 11/2 cups of almonds in water for eight hours, drain, and rinse. Then, blend the almonds with 3 cups of water and strain (a nut milk bag or small wire strainer works well). Serves four.

Bena Nakawuki is an internationally trained and certified raw food teacher, wellness coach and editor. She is currently the only certified member of the International Association of Raw Food Coaches and Teachers in Jamaica and an ambassador for the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean. Bena is the owner of The Lotus Line and may be contacted at TheLotusLine@gmail.com, www.facebook.com — The Lotus Line of Natural Health Products and Services, and twitter.com/TheLotusLine.