When I work with clients to set goals, I encourage them to come up with non-food rewards. I think we need to approach holiday gifts in the same way. Why not show your love with flowers, a spa treatment, a long walk, a romantic movie, or even a donation to charity. Get creative and encourage those in your life to lead healthy futures rather than providing them with excess calories, fat, and sugar.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good piece of chocolate, but I do so in MODERATION (yes, you know I love that word!).
Yes, there are some potential benefits from the flavonoids and phytonutrients in chocolate, but other foods also contain flavonoids and phytonutrients (that's right, VARIETY). Health Castle posted a Chocolate 101 article to compare different types of white, milk, and dark chocolate. You must also recognize that most chocolate items are high in calories, fat, and sugar.
Keep your potions small and enjoy chocolate in healthier ways such as:
- adding a few chocolate chips to a healthy muffin batter
- melting a small square of dark chocolate to dip berries in
- stirring some unsweetened cocoa powder into low fat milk.
Come back tomorrow to share your creative non-food gift ideas.
Steph Wheler, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com
