Stay on track this Christmas! Check out my 5 Essentials for a Healthy Holiday Season and get two great recipes from the Move Over Sugar eBook!
Hello fitness friends! It’s December already – Christmas is getting near! The holidays can be an amazing time of sharing fun and food with family and people we love, but these days can also be a time of skipped workouts and over-eating. Holiday over-indulgence can cause not only weight gain but also disrupted sleep patterns, added stress, and feelings of guilt over holiday eating patterns. Don’t let these things get in the way of enjoying your holiday!
If you are determined to breeze through your holiday healthy and stress-free (and even in better shape!), then it’s essential to create a plan for yourself ahead of time. In partnership with Lorna Jane and Fit Approach, here are my top 5 essentials for a fit and healthy holiday season.
1. Add some variety to your diet by trying new foods and recipes
Healthy eating is always easier when you have lots of variety and fun foods to choose from. The Homemade Chai Spice Mix recipe above is from The Move Over Sugar eBook from Lorna Jane and it adds loads of flavor to your cooking and baking without adding sugar.
The Move Over Sugar eBook from Lorna Jane is free and it’s loaded with fantastic recipes like the Hot Chocolate Smoothie and Chicken and Vegetable Lasagna. Plus, it has great tips on how to break your sugar habit for good. I made another recipe from the eBook, the Mango Coconut Chia Pudding, which was delicious!
Get your copy of the Move Over Sugar eBook and discover some new recipes to try – they are all healthy and delicious! You can also find more healthy recipes over at Move Nourish Believe (Lorna Jane’s healthy living website).
Mango Coconut Chia Pudding from the Move Over Sugar eBook – yummy! Scroll to the bottom of the post for some recipes from the ebook!
2. Gift Yourself some fun workout clothes
Think of this as a Christmas present to yourself: some nice workout clothes! As women, we like to look nice and working out is no exception. Sometimes buying yourself a little something special for your workouts (like new headphones or a new sports bra) can go a long way in making workouts more enjoyable.
And enjoying your workouts is a key ingredient to keeping active all year long! Lorna Jane sent me some new workout clothes that I LOVE!
Lorna Jane sent me the Metric sports bra, Varsity Zip Through top, and the Never Give Up Flashdance pants3. Set goals and challenge yourself
Setting goals is very important when it comes to staying on track during the holidays. Get a nice fitness journal to write down your goals and track your progress. Find some challenges to participate in to stay accountable. I joined 2 fitness challenges on ChallengeLoop for December to keep me moving daily throughout the month of December.
Another great challenge to check out is the Muscle Ropes Giant Jump Rope Challenge. It’s tough but worth trying if you want your booty kicked! You can find other challenges to participate in on Diet Bet, KickStarter, EarndIt, and other fitness communities.
4. Stay hydrated!
Dehydration can account for many negatives: headaches, constipation, muscle aches, fatigue, and more, so make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Coffee, tea, and other calorie-free drinks are good, but nothing beats pure water. In fact, some researchers believe that water itself is an essential nutrient. If you get bored with plain water, just jazz up your water with some fruit so you don’t get bored.
5. Don’t forget to take a time out and have some fun!
Remember to set aside time to relax and enjoy your time with family and friends over the holiday season. Spend some time each day de-stressing, connecting with others, savoring the season, and indulging in moderation. Time flies fast, so make the most of it and remember to play and enjoy your life.
Now for the recipes!
Here are the recipes for Chai Spice Mix and the Mango & Coconut Chia Pudding from the Lorna Jane Move Over Sugar eBook!
Mango and Coconut Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 14 ounce can of coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups frozen mango chunks
- ½ cup white chia seeds
- Toppings of your choice (strawberries, figs, nuts, etc.)
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk and mango in a blender until smooth. Mix in chia seeds.
- Evenly divide between 4 jars or ramekins, refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, top with fruits and nuts. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Homemade Chai Spice Mix (Photo from the Move Over Sugar ebook)
Homemade Chai Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cardamom pods
- 3 star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Grind cardamom pods, anise, and cloves in a mortar and pestle.
- Transfer to a small airtight container and mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coriander. Mix well and store in a dark place.
- Mix 1-2 teaspoons spice blend (depending on your preference) and 1 cup almondmilk or other non-dairy milk. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Recipes and photos shared with permission from Lorna Jane
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie. She’s a food allergy mom and allergy friendly food blogger of 12 years based in Wyoming. Sarah is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Health Coach, Revolution Running certified running coach, and an ACE Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
I love spiced chai tea, but have never made it myself. Thanks for the recipe for the mix!
Welcome! Let me know how you like it 🙂
I love the Mango Coconut Chia Pudding too!! 🙂 Your outfit is so cute; I love the waist band of the leggings!
Thanks Kalee! The waistband is my favorite 🙂
Love the give yourself a gift as much as love one of my tips, plan for ME time!
Planning me time is so important – there is a difference in my stress levels when I actually take time to relax daily
I love giving workout items & clothes because well, for me, they function as day wear too! 😉 Cute items!!!
Thanks Jody! Workout clothes make the perfect all-day clothes, I think I need some more 😉
Great tips.
I’ve already purchased workout clothes for myself (that I’ll be opening on Christmas and acting surprised) AND I’ve signed up for some exercise challenges to keep me moving during the holiday season.
Now, I just need to work on finding and trying some fun new holiday recipes!
Sounds great! Which exercise challenges have you signed up for? Enjoy your holiday this year! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! I just bought some caramom for some other recipe and wondering what I was going to do with it!
Cardomom is so good! It makes this recipe awesome. I prefer less coriander in my chai spice, but go with your personal preferences on this one 🙂
I love the GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT of FUN WORKOUT CLOTHES!!! 🙂 If that doesn’t motivate people to get their booties moving, then I have NO CLUE what will! 😉
Yes! It’s always nice to get something new for your workouts, even if it’s new music 🙂