Food and Drink Swaps

You may be part of a cookie swap or holiday gift swap, but this year…join us in our holiday health swap!

If your holidays are typically spent enjoying too many sweets and too much wine, in addition to the rich main meals and other sugary drinks, you are probably aware of the bloating and blah you can feel after your “fun” – not to mention the guilt of over-indulging.

This is why we want to share 15 tips to swapping out unhealthy holidays traditions with merry and bright ideas to keep you decking the halls!

1. Swap Carbs for Protein and Vegetables. Pass the bread basket and go for lean protein and plenty of vegetables – especially before leaving for a party where extra calories, sugar, and fats may be waiting for you.

2. Swap Wine for Vodka and Pomegranate Juice. Wine can add on calories and sugar. Rather than reaching for the wine bottle, add a shot of vodka to a glass filled with ice and sparkling water (for extra hydration) and top with a splash of pomegranate juice for a boost of antioxidants.

3. Swap Cookies for Dark Chocolate. It can be hard to say no to a holiday cookie, but if you have a piece of dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa) on hand instead, you’ll be getting in a superfood AND enjoying a treat!

4. Swap a Mocha Latte with a Matcha Tea. Help your body fight free radicals from unsavory foods you’ve eaten by treating it to a matcha tea with high levels of antioxidants.

5. Swap Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Root Vegetables. Forgo the starchy side laden with butter and salt for roasted root vegetables of parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and rutabaga.

6. Swap Candy Canes for Nuts. Rather than grabbing a candy cane when you walk into your office, have a small container of nuts available at your desk when you crave a snack.

7. Swap Weeknight Desserts with Fresh Fruit. If you know you will be having some sweetness at your next holiday party, eliminate desserts at home for the week and opt for fresh fruit for dessert rather than fats and sugars.

8. Swap Traditional Eggnog with Dairy Free Coconut Eggnog. Yes, we think it is still delicious with less calories and sugar.

9. Swap Fast Food with Simple Soups. If you’re too busy to cook most of the week, take one evening and dedicate it to making soups that can be frozen and easily reheated and carried with you in a thermos when you’re on the go. 

10. Swap a Heavy Breakfast with a Fast. Try a 12-15 hour fast if you’ve been eating poorly. Allow your body to digest and rest in order to reset and then treat it kindly with healthy food. 

11. Swap Alcohol with Supplements for Stress. Stress is abundant this time of year. Instead of reaching for alcohol to calm down, try a dense form of lavender oil in Integrative Therapeutics® Lavela WS1265™ or CBD oil – both of which can work quickly.

12. Swap Tough Workouts with Walking or Yoga. If you are already running around crazy this holiday season, calm your cortisol levels with walking or yoga rather than adding more stress of tough workouts. Too much stress on your body – even if it’s a healthy workout – can increase cortisol levels and lead to weight gain.  Stay balanced!

13. Swap TV with an Epsom Salt Bath. If your nightly ritual includes a dose of television, try a warm peaceful epsom salt bath to calm the mind and body instead. Give yourself time to think and regroup during this busy time of year. 

14. Swap Antacids with Supplements and Herbs. Holiday meals can leave you bloated with heartburn. Instead of taking an antacid, try Acid Reflux™ by Mountain Peak Nutritionals before or after a rich meal (available at the CNMA office) and peppermint or ginger tea.

15. Swap Wish with Thanks. Marketing abounds this time of year for everything you and others “need”. Be careful of the stress this can put on you and your family and discuss gratitude as much as possible instead.

At CNMA, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.  And if you find that it’s not as easy and joyful as you had hoped, please know that we are here for you: to help calm your cortisol from too busy of a schedule, to help curb your cravings for more sweets, and even to help you get through a time of year that can be emotionally difficult for many of us.

If you find you would like to give yourself some extra support this season and you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the Greater Denver Metro area, please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about what you are going through and to learn how we can help.

So here’s a toast to healthy holidays (well, a toast with dairy-free eggnog)!