Cas and Jez eating raw, fresh kale at the Pacifica Gardens. Photo courtesy of Tala Stephens.

Amy Fothergill, The Family Chef

Cooking Classes, Parties and Consultations (including gluten-free)

www.amythefamilychef.com

The best way to tackle the holidays from an eating point of view is balance. Make sure you have some nutritious foods along with those sugar cookies.

What to Stock

• Always have fresh veggies for dipping, lettuce to make salad and fruit to cut up.

• Keep canned beans on hand to make a dip instead of serving store-bought dips laden with fat and sodium.

Tips for Healthy Snacks

Oatmeal cookies — a healthier option.

• Make a veggie tray from fresh, organic vegetables; these tend to taste better than a pre-made veggie tray.

• Pumpkin and carrot bread is not a bad choice. When you make your own, cut down on the sugar. A recipe probably only needs 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sugar.

• Gingerbread and oatmeal cookies will most likely be a better choice than most other cookies.

Tala Stephens

Fitness for Every Body — Feel Better Naked!

www.talafitness.com

Tala’s Healthy Holiday Tips

During the holidays, it’s easy to keep a healthy holiday pantry by returning to whole, fresh foods and avoiding canned items, which contain added sugars and preservatives.

Take your kids to the local farmers market and bring home plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to eat throughout the day.

Before you go to any holiday party, eat a big snack so you are not starving when you get there. Offer to bring at least one dish to the party, which will guarantee having something you want to eat, and keep your glass filled with water.

Lastly, do not eat as you prepare dinner. Wait until you serve the meal so you only eat one time.

Dr. Mitra Ray

Author of Do You Have the Guts to Be Beautiful and a biochemist specializing in nutrition

drmitraray.com

Six Tips for Healthy Holidays

• Eat breakfast and lunch as your biggest meals, preferably between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when your digestion is strongest.

• Try to eat these two meals at the same time ever day so all your digestive organs get the benefit of expecting to go to work each day at the same time. This helps tremendously with proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.

• Eat something raw from the plant kingdom at every meal and make it the biggest part of the meal. Vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains should be the bulk of what you eat.

• Eat animal products sparingly, less than once a week if possible.

• Eat processed foods sparingly, less than once a week if possible.

• Think good, healthy thoughts.

Recipe for a Green Drink

Makes 1 serving

3 large kale leaves, chopped

2 bananas — very ripe, frozen or fresh

1 fleshy fruit (apricot, peach, mango,

etc.), chopped, frozen or fresh

¼ cup flax seeds

1 teaspoon milk thistle

Enough filtered water to make it as

liquid as you like

Put flax and milk thistle in blender. Blend until powder-like. Add one cup of water and continue blending. Add fruits and vegetables, and then slowly add additional water while blending. Blend until liquefied, or until smoothie has reached desired consistency.

The staff here at CoastViews Magazine hopes that you all have a wonderful holiday season. It’s a well-known fact that most Americans gain weight at this time of year. We hope these useful tips help you eat in moderation and maintain a varied diet. And don’t forget to include some exercise in your weekly plans.