Sunday, December 16, 2012

Holiday, Celebrate!

With the holiday season upon us I thought I would take a bit of a different path with this post and offer up some advice on how to recover from the dreaded hangover.
Set Limits
First set some limits before you even start sipping. They say that if you don't have more than two drinks of anything you will be in the clear. But at that office holiday party two might not cut it.
Drink Clear
Should you drink more than two try to make them clear liquids. Rum, vodka and gin have fewer congeners, a byproduct of fermentation that is more likely to make you feel ill the next morning.
Keep Eating
Everyone knows an empty stomach does you no favors. At that party eat before and keep snacking all night long, especially if you exceed two drinks.
Alternate Sips
My own personal rule of thumb is drink a glass of water for every drink I down. Water is best, but any virgin drink will work too. Also remember a glass or two of water before bed.

Should you still wake up with your head banging like a rock concert guzzle as much water as possible. Water will help flush the alcohol from your system and help you back to feeling like a functional being.

One more remedy is a yoga pose, not to worry extreme flexibility not required.

Seated twist (ardha matsyendrasana)
Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you. Bend your right leg at the knee and cross it over the left leg, planting your right foot on the outside of your left knee. Bend your left leg in, bringing your left foot next to your right hip. On your inhale, sit up taller and place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee. On your exhale, slowly windmill your right arm behind you, turning your torso so your body is rotated as far back and to the right as comfortably possible. Hold for five deep breaths, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

St. Germain and Champagne

And what would a post about hangovers be without a drink?
Here is a low-cal drink that won't ruin all that hard work you put in at the gym.
St. Germain and Champagne
1/2 part St. Germain
1/2 part Brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine
Float a half strawberry for garnish and a small dose of antioxidants too!


Cheers! Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Energy Bites

Hello all,
Hope that the Thanksgiving holiday was a relaxing time spent with family or maybe some quality time with strangers at the mall. I began my week last week thinking that I needed a quick snack I could grab between meals or just before a workout. I was having trouble keeping my energy up through the day and realized that I was bulldozing my way through the day running on breakfast, a tiny lunch and whatever I could scrap together at dinner. Yes, this health coach was doing all the things I tell everyone not to.
My snack had to meet 3 criteria:
Must be bite sized
Must be easy to make
Ingredients had to be in my house already
The answer: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls
Here's what's in them:
2 1/2 C quick oats
3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter
1/4 c of honey
1/2 c of cacao nibs
2 tablespoons of almond milk
Here's how to make them:
Dump all the ingredients into a large bowl, mix together, this is a VERY sticky situation. I coated my spatula with coconut oil so that I didn't end up with a giant glob of mostly unmixed ingredients. I learned this the hard way! Once it's all mixed up form into balls of any size you like, mine were ping pong sized. Put on a non stick pan or a plate and refrigerate for at least 15 min before you eat them.
I made about 15 balls from this recipe. I am going to make another batch with chia seeds in them. You can also use whatever kind of liquid or nut butter you want as well. The mix in possibilities are endless.
Ingredients



In fitness news I took on a challenge, run a mile a day till the end of the year. My friend Laura, you can find her at bandidablog.com told me about the Runner's World Run Streak she was doing and there really was no excuse not to join her. It's my 6th day of the challenge and I can proudly say I haven't missed a day and my affection for running is slowly creeping back. Thankfully the weather has been more than accommodating for this challenge with temperatures in the 60s. This should also help with my time for the Farolito 5k I am running with Laura on Dec 16th. So if you've got less than 20 min to spare you should join the Run Streak too! Find all the details at Holiday Run Streak