Recently I was given the opportunity to interview Kimberly A. Daly, healthy living expert and author of SomeKindofRunderful! Since the holidays are quickly creeping up on us, I wanted to get some tips and tricks to help us make better decisions this season (even if they aren't perfect). Check the interview!
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1. I personally struggle with the winter weather because I go to work and it's dark out, and by the time I leave it's almost completely dark out. What's something we can do to help combat the sluggish feeling we get during the winter and help keep us on our toes?
Get outside when it’s sunny! That means leaving your desk at noon and heading for the door. Yes, it’s freezing out there—but the sunlight will do wonders for your mood and energy level. Try leaving your brown bag lunch in the car (it’s cold enough!) to give you a reason to walk out to the parking lot mid-day. Bonus points if you park in the farthest spot possible and do a couple laps before going back inside!
2. When I think of Christmas, I can't help but think about sitting around, chatting with family and drinking either some wine (by some I mean probably more than "some") or indulging on a Cesar! Christmas morning might also include some Bailey's in my coffee and a Mimosa at breakfast - what are some ways to avoid over doing it with alcohol, and what are some great, clean alternatives to the traditional drinks we have at Christmas?
Do Christmas Cocktails count?
One alcoholic beverage per day can be pretty darn healthy—it reduces inflammation, taking pressure off your heart. But swallowing glass number two puts stress on your liver, which cancels out the antioxidant benefits and can slow down your metabolism—hello, holiday weight gain! Try to stick to one drink per day (I know it’s tough) and drink tons of water to help counteract the toxic effects on your body. Anytime you have the opportunity to serve yourself, use half the liquor you normally would and pad sparkling drinks with seltzer water. If you’re feeling left out, fill your hand with a mocktail and laugh harder. Spending time with loved ones is what makes the season great—not the alcohol.
3. A lot of us travel during the Christmas break, going here and there visiting family and friends and often times our workouts get pushed aside and we completely forget about them (or worse, feel bad about missing them!). How would you recommend we fit fitness into our crazy Christmas schedule, and what are some workout examples you would enjoy?
New studies show it’s not the number of days you’re able to workout that makes the biggest impact, it’s the cumulative amount of time per week that has a significant health benefit. If you can fit in 140 minutes per week you’re set! I personally love running. I bring my sneakers with me when I travel and hit the streets when I can—even if I’ve only got 20 minutes between chatting with Grandma and pulling the turkey out of the oven. Most casseroles go into the oven after the centerpiece dish comes out, which gives you about 30 minutes to take a walk. If you slip out without making a big deal of it, your family probably won’t notice you’re gone, buying you time for a power walk or a quick set of squats and lunges in a back room.
4. I don't think there's any avoiding the fact that we all dip into deserts and treats over the holidays. Even when the goodies are "healthier" than the regular version (ie. Gluten Free) I still tend to over eat. Can you share with us 1 recipe for one of your favourite, healthy treats for Christmas?
Don’t think you’re doing yourself any favors by eating a gluten-free treat instead of a more traditional one. Whether it’s made with regular wheat flour or fancy gluten-free flour, that cookie is nothing more than sugar and refined carbohydrates. That doesn’t mean you can’t allow yourself to have a couple. Just aim for moderation and try to go for the items that you can’t get other times during the year. Your Aunt’s secret-recipe Snickerdoodles are an excellent place to splurge. Packaged treats, like Oreos, should be left on the shelf.
Here’s my favorite holiday dessert recipe:
Pumpkin Custard
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Pumpkin, cut into pieces, seeds removed
- 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 ¾ cups Almond Milk
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Organic Maple Syrup
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
How To:Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pumpkin pieces in a baking dish, coat with olive oil, cover tightly and bake until tender, about 1½ hours. Remove from heat, and cool. Peel pumpkin and mash thoroughly (or purée in a food processor). Mix together pureed pumpkin (or canned pumpkin), almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, and spices. Then beat in eggs one at a time. Grease a baking dish with coconut oil. Pour the mixture into baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean. Cool before serving.
5. Even if all healthy choices go out the window this Christmas, what's ONE thing that you recommend we all do this Christmas to stay "on track" for the New Year?
Drink more water! It’s amazing how many of us walk around in a state of dehydration. We forget to sip h2o while we’re out shopping and then we hit a holiday party and fill our glasses with alcohol, which makes matters worse. Even being slightly dehydrated can have a negative effect on your mood and cause low-grade headaches. Water flushes out toxins that could be causing bloating and weight gain. Plus, thirst often masks itself as hunger—which means you’ll have fewer food cravings when you’re hydrated. Aim to sip half your body weight in ounces daily (i.e. If you weigh 140 pounds, that’s 70-ounces of water.) Carry a refillable bottle with you, and if you’re bored with the plain stuff toss in a wedge of lemon or orange calorie-free flavor. Don’t be a scrooge—drink water!
Big shout out to Kim for answering my questions for me! These are great and the tips are stuff we can all put to good use over the holidays!! I especially have to remember to drink a lot of water. I'm really bad with remembering so taking a refillable bottle will be perfect for me!
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