This Month's Feature Article:
 Get Ready for the Sugar Season!
With the holiday season approaching,
most of us will be facing the constant challenge of resisting the
temptation to over-indulge in eating sugar in its endless forms. The
oft-cited statistic for the 7-pound weight gain between Thanksgiving
and New Year's doesn't have to be part of your holiday tradition.
One strategy that helps reduce sugar cravings is by actually adding
naturally sweet foods to your diet everyday. Sweet taste buds become
less demanding when they know they're getting their daily fix! So what
are naturally sweet foods? Fruit, certainly. And root vegetables like
sweet potatoes, squash and beets. (Learn more) Incorporating these
into your diet on a regular basis will help to crowd out the unhealthy
sweet stuff in your life. It really works! And even if you yen for an
afternoon snack, think outside of the cookie package for a nutritious,
filling and sweet alternative: reheat a cooked yam and top with almond
butter, or add nuts to a warmed-up acorn squash. Or try a butternut
squash soup for something warm and satisfying. This year, eat healthy
sweets and have no regrets! Click here for some great recipes.
Satisfying Another
Craving
How else can we tame the sweet monster? After you've added
sweet foods to your daily diet, look for ways to add sweetness to your
life. We often settle for sweet foods when what we really want is a
hug, a nap, a walk or a laugh with a good friend. This is particularly
true at night. If you find your sweet tooth consistently talking to you
around 8:00 pm, it may be rearing its head to cover up feelings of
loneliness or anxiety. Or it may become a habit to help you relax, or
to reward yourself after a hard day. The next time your evening craving
hits, ask yourself what you really, truly need. Then do your best to
give it to yourself, and see if that sweet craving fades away.
|
|
 Forward to a Friend
If you have friends or family members who enjoy learning
about food and health please forward this newsletter to them
or suggest that
they visit my website:
www.recipeforahealthylife.com
|
Food Focus: Oats
Oats are probably one of the world's most
popular grains and a common ingredient in many of our sweet
concoctions: hot cereals, cookies, toppings and granola bars. But
they come with good nutrition: Oats provide warmth and stamina, soothe
the digestive and nervous systems, stabilize blood sugar and reduce
cholesterol and the cravings for cigarettes. They are also high in
protein and retain more of their original nutrients than refined wheat
products. Oats are sold as the whole grain as oat groats, or they can
be processed into these forms:
Oat Groats: Whole-oat kernels must be
simmered for 30-45 minutes. The nutty-flavored groats can also be
toasted and added to baked goods.
Rolled Oats: Made by pressing whole oats
between two rollers. There are three varieties of rolled oats: instant,
quick-cooking, or 10-minute oats. The quicker the cooking time, the
more thinly sliced the oat. It is this form that is commonly used as
oatmeal, and in recipes for granola, cookies, bars and toppings.
Steel-Cut Oats: Cut an oat groat into two
or three pieces and you've got a steel-cut oat. Firmer and nuttier
than rolled oats, steel-cut oats make a creamier oatmeal but require a
longer cooking time, up to 40 minutes. Also called Scottish or Irish
oats, these have a lower glycemic index than rolled oats because they
take longer to metabolize.
Oat Bran: The outer coating is often added
to baked goods or cereal for additional fiber and nutrients.
Oat Flour: Retains its freshness far
longer than wheat flour products because oats contain a natural
antioxidant. Substitute up to 20% oat flour for wheat flour to quick
breads, cakes and muffins. To make creamy soups and sauces, try oat
flour as a dairy-free alternative.
|
Recipe of
the Month:
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate
Chip Cookies
The next time that
you are invited to a holiday party, you can offer to bring this healthy
dessert to ensure that you'll have a nutritious option with low sugar
content.
Yield: two dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups oats
½ cup oat flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Dash or two of ground cinnamon
¼ cup chopped nuts
¼ cup Sunspire
grain-sweetened chocolate chips
2 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
3/8 cup coconut oil (or organic butter)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas and oil
4. Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients
5. Drop by heaping teaspoons on a dry cookie sheet
6. Bake about 10 minutes, or until the cookie bottoms are golden
brown.
|
Making It Happen: Sweet
on sleep?
 You should be,
because sleep can diminish sugar cravings!
If you're getting less than eight hours a night, you are more likely to
crave sugar (and caffeine) during the day to make up for the
rejuvenating sleep you missed. Research backs this up, and you can test
it yourself by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each week until you're
regularly turning off the lights by 10:00 pm or 10:30pm from November
through March when the days are shorter. If it works for you, it will
be easier to get yourself to bed on time, than to resist the cravings
during the day. |
|
Save the Date for Wednesday, November
19th 7:15-8:45 pm
Recipe for a Healthy Life
is partnering with
to offer a Wellness Workshop:
A Recipe for
Having Healthy Holidays
How will you take care of yourself
during the upcoming holidays so that you don't burn out and gain
weight?
Discover some strategies to help you navigate
the buffet tables and deal with the endless temptations without
over-indulging.
At the Westfield
Curves, 299 South Ave. East, Westfield
Cost: $15.00
Naturally sweetened and
wholesome desserts will be served!
Proper nutrition and
exercise
is a winning formula!
|
 About SharonSharon
Goldner motivates individuals and groups to live their fullest
potential. As a Certified Holistic Health
Counselor and owner of Recipe For A Healthy Life,
she makes the connection between food, and the mind and body so that
individuals can easily understand their path to health and vitality.
She is a
graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City,
and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners
and Columbia University Teacher's College. Her
training as a Vegetarian Chef at the Natural Gourmet Institute for
Health & Culinary Arts in New York City enables her to work with
clients in a fun and practical way as they create a realistic eating
plan.
Sharon is also a frequent wellness speaker for both
corporate and not-for-profit groups.
Her empowering message provides participants with the tools and
inspiration to improve their food choices and the quality of their
lives.
Call today! And create your own recipe
for a healthy life! 908-242-3763
|
|
Click Here To Join Email List
