Dr. Tara's "Fave Five": Holiday Edition
/Happy holidays! It’s hard for me to believe that we’re nearing the end of 2019. Before I tackle the late December bedlam with three kids (why does it seem like there’s a Christmas concert every other day?!?), I thought I’d share five things I love to do to celebrate the festive season.
1. Get Baking & Making
I am pretty much obsessed with making easy, nutritious-and-delicious holiday treats that no one believes are actually good for them! Here are a few of my favourites. Please let me know if you give one a try — and feel free to send pics, too!
Apple Pear Cranberry Gingerbread Crisp
This gluten-free vegan Apple Pear Cranberry Gingerbread Crisp is the perfect addition to your Christmas feast or holiday potluck. It’s super easy to make and tastes as delicious as it looks. Bonus is, it’s so healthy that you can serve it for dessert — and then enjoy leftovers for breakfast the next morning!
This chia recipe is for all the peppermint mocha fans out there. It delivers those wonderful holiday flavours, but in a refined sugar-free, grain-free, low-carb pudding that’s bound to become a family favorite!
Flavoured with wonderful warming spices and blackstrap molasses, Gingerbread Granola has been a total hit with all of my taste testers. Unlike most store-bought granolas, this homemade version is refined sugar-free and loaded with fibre, healthy fats, and plant-based protein.
This is a great seasonal, grain-free spin on everyone’s favourite banana bread.
Check out my Food Joy page for more seasonal recipes, including Cranberry Ginger Overnight Oats, Eggnog Overnight Oats, Eggnog Chia Pudding, Better-Than-Christmas-Cake Protein Balls, Gingerbread Cookie Dough Balls, Red Velvet Truffles, Cranberry Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more!
2. Buy Better Beauty
Cleaner gifts and a nontoxic make-up bag are definitely on my holiday to do list!
As someone who promotes all things health & wellness, I feel as though safer skin care has been a missing link for me. I encourage good sleep hygiene, positive social connections, regular physical activity and, obviously, healthy eating. But it’s important to recognize that what we put ON our bodies is as important as what we put in them.
Here in Canada, our cosmetics industry is extremely poorly regulated. The “Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist” prohibits or restricts approximately 600 ingredients felt to be toxic or risky. The problem is, this list doesn’t go far enough and is not legally binding. Health Canada actually lacks the authority to enforce some of these bans.
So, after months of careful consideration and exploring the options, I decided to become a Beautycounter Consultant. As I am sure you can imagine, I have done my research and feel confident in saying that Beautycounter makes some of the safest, cleanest, yet most luxurious skin care and cosmetics available. This Certified B Corporation has a “Never List” of 1500 concerning ingredients that — you guessed it — it NEVER uses. Fortunately, in addition to meeting unparalleled standards of safety, Beautycounter products are beautiful, high performing, and guaranteed to impress even the most die-hard make-up junkie!
Please contact me anytime if you want more information or assistance selecting products for yourself or your loved ones (men and babies included!).
3. Gear Up to Get Outdoors
I admit that I have never been a fan of winter. Ever since I learned how to drive — so we’re talking more than three decades folks! — I have tried to avoid the elements by hopping from one indoor parking lot to another. I have even been known to go out of my way to find a full-service gas station (probably because my years of pumping gas to make money for school have made me detest this chore beyond reason!). Anyway, not only is this behaviour inconvenient, but it sure doesn’t help with my winter blues. So for 2020, I have promised myself that I will stop hibernating and work to embrace the season and all it has to offer. My solution? Gear up for it! No more fashionable footwear or cute coats that don’t shield me from winter’s fury. I bought the clunkiest, warmest waterproof boots I could find and have pulled out my Michelin Man coat. I’m getting myself out there and I hope you’ll join me!
4. Do the D
I have talked about this one before, but I think it’s worth repeating. If you’re taking vitamin D supplements regularly, skip to number 5. If you’re not, read this and talk to your doctor!
5. Quote of the Day
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
— Winston Churchill