Have you ever had the experience of walking into a party, seeing a spread of food and diving in without any notion of how many calories or grams of fat you were consuming? If you’ve been there before, I totally understand – I’ve definitely overindulged that way in the past too. But these days, especially as we get older, eating everything in site with reckless abandon may taste great going down, but isn’t so good once the new year rolls around.

Instead of feeling like you don’t have a lot of healthy options at your next gathering, why not bring a dish you know is healthy that you and others can enjoy?  Focus on healthy, low fat clean eating ingredients such as beans, greens, whole grains and lean meat. Substitute olive oil for butter and Greek yogurt for mayonnaise.

One of my favorite dishes to bring to a potluck during the holidays, or any time of year for that matter, is super simple and absolutely delicious.  It features high fiber, gluten-free quinoa, chick peas and spinach.  A liberal amount of orange zest plus raisins and cinnamon add fantastic flavor.  It seems like every time I make this, it’s a bit hit, as I discussed on Good Morning Connecticut yesterday morning:

Here’s the recipe for you to enjoy and share at your next event.

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
½ tsp. sea salt
zest from two oranges
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup raisins
1 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned organic chickpeas)
6 cups washed and chopped spinach leaves
salt to taste
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
1 orange, cut into wedges

Rinse the quinoa well and drain in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine water and orange juice and bring to a boil in a 1-½ or 2 quart saucepan. Add the salt, orange zest, and the rinsed quinoa. Return to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 minutes to fluff up.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet that has a tight-fitting lid.  Add the onions and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add raisins, chickpeas and spinach. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Adjust heat if necessary. Drain any excess water after cooking the spinach. Season to taste with salt.

Combine the vegetables into the quinoa. Stir in cinnamon. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and orange wedges.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

What’s your favorite healthy, clean eating dish to take to bring to a party that you know others will love? How do you avoid holiday overindulgence?

When I was young, I loved Easter because it meant lots of candy and a pretty new dress for church. Now being a Buddhist, while it doesn’t have a lot of religious significance for me, I appreciate why this holiday is so important to others. Interestingly, in addition to its religious significance, Easter can also be an occasion to overindulge.

As the Clean Eating Coach, I’m all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle all year round, with a few indulgences of course, but there’s no reason why we Easter dinner can’t be healthy and tasty, without being full of fat.  For me, clean eating is about creating a lifestyle that takes many favorite dishes and gives them a healthy spin. Here are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing for how you can make your Easter dinner healthier and less full of fat and sugar:

• Add more fresh, leafy greens!Greens are the perfect spring elixir after months of heavy, winter food.  Ideas? Do a stir fry using fresh bok choy, sauté kale or collard greens or roast fresh asparagus (yes, I know, it’s not exactly leafy but it is delicious)
• Make two veggies dishes instead of one!  I know how easy it is to fill up on simple carbs but why not try to veggie dishes instead. Something with a little starch, like sweet potatoes, is a wonderful accompaniment to a dish featuring greens and yet, still so healthy.
• Add flavor to your dishes by using orange or lemon zest or fresh herbs. You can ditch high calorie ingredients like butter in this simple way yet add lots of flavor that your guests will love 
• Skip all the sweeteners – glazed ham or sugary sweet potatoes can easily add on unnecessary calories. Think about roasting sweet potatoes and sweetening with fresh orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg instead. Add if you’re making a ham, why don’t create your own glass from pure maple syrup or locally grown honey instead of what you’ll find in the grocery store 
• Make a healthy dessert.  Instead of lots of sugary choices and too many options, make one dessert with high quality ingredients that features a natural sweetener like pure maple syrup. Or even better, have a fresh fruit salad!

What’s your plan to keep it healthy but flavorful on Easter? Have any favorite recipes that you can make in a healthier way? Do tell!

I know you know what I mean…you’re hankering for something sweet or full of fat even though you know it’s probably not a clean eating food, you’ve told yourself that you deserve a treat, you know you might feel bad after eating it but you go ahead and do it anyway. 

Yep, I’ve definitely been there before, especially for the part where I beat myself up over eating it. In my case, it wouldn’t so much be about losing weight, but the simple notion that I was indulging in less than healthy and clean eating foods.

The thing is, you can easily overcome those tempting moments by hitting the pause button and stave off unnecessary weight gain.  You know that moment in between thinking about what you might eat and then actually retrieving it from the pantry or refrigerator? Well that’s the moment we want to seize and think about our choices by pausing briefly to consider the options.

Case in point, this morning I had a couple of breakfast choices — a bowl of granola, naturally sweetened with almond milk or a green smoothie with raw kale, antioxidant berries and avocado.  I could already tell that eating the cereal was the path of least resistance. Put it in a bowl and start eating immediately. I also could tell that making the smoothie would take more time but would also ensure that I could get in some much needed nutrients first thing in the morning — a serving of vegetables along with a couple of fruits not to mention some healthy omega 3s.

When I thought for a moment about my health goals for the day — getting lots of water in, fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fat, that’s all I needed to remind me that a few minutes of effort would move me closer to my health goal.  For me, hitting the pause button and stopping to consider my options was a simple yet powerful action to keep me focused on my clean eating goals for the day and week.

One of the tools I find helpful to keep the pause button within reach is utilizing my friend Millie Grenough’s book, Oasis in the Overwhelm.  Millie is a life coach who got inspired to write this book after a near-fatal accident several years ago. This quick read is chock full of helpful tips to help you hit the pause button in less than 60 seconds like the 3-B-C, the 3 breath countdown. By tuning it, relaxing in the moment and slowing down, you can be more mindful about your choices and support better health.  For me, it means that clean eating doesn’t have to be hard at all — a reminder that it’s always within reach.

I also sometimes set my kitchen timer for one minute and just sit quietly before making a food choices.  When I slow down and get out of my head, I can listen to what my body most needs — healthy, energizing foods.

What’s your favorite trick to hit the pause button before overindulging and ensure what you’re about to consume is a fresh, whole, clean food? What do you have actively due to prevent weight gain?

Due to a host of factors including sometimes not drinking enough water, making a few detours from my usual clean eating, healthy fare, and these pesky fibroid tumors that I have — things can sometimes move a bit slow, if you know what I mean.

And I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve been at a host of family functions and parties where there’s been a bevy of food. I’ve literally been working on practicing what I preach — avoiding holiday overindulgence and the weight gain that comes with it.  Doesn’t mean I’ve totally avoided eating some super rich foods but I’ve been trying only small samples to whet my appetite and avoid going overboard.  I’ve also been working on the idea that holidays aren’t only about food — they’re also about enjoying the company of our family and friends.

But when it comes to clean eating and keeping things moving during the holiday season, I’m a big fan of eating as many raw veggies as possible. To me, that’s one of the most powerful ways I keep myself regular.  Even though it happens to be frigidly cold today and more warm foods would naturally be in order, I can’t help but create a beautiful green salad along with the other items I’m making for a family birthday dinner that we’re hosting.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to get more raw fruits and veggies in your diet during the holiday season. Here are just a few ideas:

• bring raw veggies and hummus to a holiday party
• make a delicious raw smoothie with fresh fruit and a serving or two of raw kale or spinach thrown in
• juice your favorite veggies and fruit like cucumber, celery, kale, apples and ginger
• cut up bell peppers and cucumbers for snack time instead of high fat treats like cheese and crackers
• create a raw salad with your favorite lettuce and added some roasted vegetables on top for a nice mix of flavors and textures

What’s your strategy to keep things moving during the holidays and feel your best? What are you doing to ensure you’re eating enough raw fruits and vegetables?

This year, I’m focused on slowing down, getting more quiet and reflective and only going to the gatherings that are most meaningful for me. Perfect example is that my mom and I are headed to a very special party on the 23rd.  Some former colleagues of my mom’s have a wonderful holiday party every year when they fly out to the family farm here in Connecticut. Every year they invite us and I have as yet to go.  My mom’s gone a few times but not in recent years, and as she’s gotten older she’s less interested in driving long distances at night. So this is the year for the Briscoe party and I can’t wait.  It will be great fun to see people I know so well and reconnect. For me, this is all about setting priorities during the holiday season.

Between several family gatherings, having my niece visit for an overnight and having a dinner party with some close friends, that feels like the right amount of  holiday cheer.  I’ve already said no to some holiday invites but that’s okay. For me, I’m getting more comfortable with setting boundaries and taking care of myself. With a busy fall, lots of working and sometimes not enough rest, I’m also making it a priority to take time off (two weeks in fact), get more rest and do things like catching up on my reading. I can’t wait!

What are you doing to make the holidays joyful and fun yet a chance to wind down a bit and take care of yourself? What would need to shift for you to put more focus on yourself and getting some rest as you prepare for 2010? Do tell!

And if you’re fresh out of ideas for how to take optimal care of yourself during this busy holiday season, you won’t want to miss my new MP3 recording, “Clean Eating During the Holidays: Outwit Holiday Overeating and Overindulgence.” It’s the perfect holiday guide to help you feel your best during and after the holidays and makes a perfect holiday gift too!  You can check out all the detail here: http://bit.ly/109omL

In fact, there’s a way to plan a beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving meal that’s all about high quality ingredients and manageable portion sizes that won’t have you struggling to button your pants!

With an idea to keeping our Thanksgiving dinner all about clean eating, I’ve already mapped things out.  For inspiration, I’ve turned to the November/December issue of Clean Eating Magazine, my mini-bible. They have the most sumptuous menu planned but with healthier versions of some of your favorite meals:

• coconut cardamom sweet potatoes instead of sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows
• Spiced pumpkin mousse instead of calorie and sugar-rich pumpkin pie
• garlicky Green beans with roasted chestnuts instead of green beans cooked with ham
• Mushroom and leek stuffing with whole grain bread instead of white

This is just a sampling of a few clean dishes that you can create. I encourage you to pick up the most recent issue to get the full scoop.  They even include ideas to help you plan in advance and figure out what dishes can be prepped before Thanksgiving arrives.

And there are lots of other great resources to create a healthy Thanksgiving meal using clean foods. I’m also a big fan of realsimple.com and they’ve got loads of ideas for a healthy Thanksgiving meal. To me, the focus should be on planning ahead.  It’s hard to keep things healthy if you’re only starting to make your list the day before.  If you get in gear now, you’ll avoid big crowds at the store, can determine what things you can prep in advance and you’ll save money too — no last minute purchases!

What’s your plan to create a clean eating, healthy Thanksgiving meal? How are you pre-planning to avoid last minute stress? What will you do to avoid holiday weight gain?

Speaking of avoiding holiday weight gain, be sure to join me on Tuesday, November 17 at 8 pm ET for my free call, Clean Eating During the Holidays: Outwit Holiday Overeating. Click here to sign up! http://bit.ly/109omL

And the grandaddy of fairs in our area, The Big E (covering the six New England states), is a weight watcher’s and clean eater’s nightmare, to be sure.  Each of the states has a statehouse with historical information, promotional material and all the foods the states are known for (think blueberries in Maine, chowder in Rhode Island, and maple syrup in Vermont.). People line up many people deep to place their order and gorge themselves silly.

All that high caloric, often fatty food begs the question about whether clean eating is actually possible at one of these fairs.  Is it feasible to think you can find some semblance of healthy food to balance out your favorite treats? Is there a way to leave a fall fair with some measure of clean eating under your belt that won’t leave you with several pounds of weight gain?

I’ve put together a few handy tips to help you navigate fall fairs more easily and at least keep clean eating on your radar screen:

• Eat before you go.  Have lunch or a healthy snack before you embark on a trip to your local fair so you’re less tempted to eat everything in sight.
• Scope out all the offerings before you dig in.  Check out the range of offerings and make  a  plan for the ones you’d like to visit.
• Find some balance. Not everything you eat has to be full of fat or fried.  How can you enjoy yourself and keep an eye on your weight?  At the Big E, I was thrilled to find fresh picked raspberries that were bursting with flavor  and super clean.
• Take a break in between treats.  Check out the 4-H exhibit or go for a ride and you’ll have a sure-fire plan to quell constant eating.
• Share with a friend.  Who says you have to eat the whole baked potato or bag of cookies? Share with a friend and you’ll do less damage.

What’s your favorite way to practice clean eating at a fall fair? What’s your strategy to keep it relatively clean and avoid lots of weight gain? Please share your thoughts below!

We all know that as Americans we are what I like to call “outrageous over eaters.” We make eating a sport, consuming mounds of food because it’s there, or we’re bored or we’re just not inspired to do something else. Sure, even your truly can occasionally get sucked into watching TV and mindlessly eating at the same time.

But I’m a believer that how and what we eat has everything to do with how jazzed we are with our lives. The more content and engaged we are, the less we feel compelled to eat.  Think of it as that falling in love feeling when you’re in an effortless zone and everything is coming together perfectly. Well in love or not, we can all find that connection to something that inspires us and sparks our creativity and zest for life.

For me, I get inspired when I’m in the ktichen creating a meal, teaching a class or working with clients. I get the same feeling when I’m out in my “garden,” my pots in the backyard where I’m growing all kinds of wonderful vegetables or going for a walk. It’s in those moments that I feel engaged, happy, calm and in the zone — not even thinking about food. 

What helps you avoid outrageous overeating and tune into what you love? When was the last time your forgot to eat because you were so busy enjoying yourself?

That’s unusual for me. Usually once I’m done with dinner, I’m done for the night. Seriously, that’s how we’re supposed to be eating, with plenty of time to digest our food before bed.  For me, I think it’s just a little PMS this week that’s tipping the scale.

But why is it that so many of us are professional snackers, having mastered the art of food in one hand, remote in the other? Truth is, it’s easy to get sucked into mindlessly snacking when sometimes we don’t even want the food, let alone need it.

Check out this week’s audio tip on some simple ways to avoid late night snacking, and if you have to, healthy alternatives.

What do you do to put the kabosh on late night snacking and maintain your weight?

I make a budget, it seems realistic but something often happens during the holidays where I end up spending a lot more money than I anticipate I will or want to.

I’m personally of the notion that there’s more value in spending the holidays with family and friends, connecting and enjoying each other’s company, then giving expensive gifts. For me, gifts aren’t the essence of Christmas. Of course, as a child, I couldn’t help but revel in all the gifts (and because my birthday is 2 days after Christmas, it was lots of gifts all at once), but these days, I’d rather contribute my time to volunteer in the community or make a donation to a local non-profit. There are so many people in need, more so now than ever given the economy, and that to me, is the spirit of the holidays.

But alas, I’m also part of two families now – mine and my husband’s — that like to give gifts. And now that I’m married, the list to whom we give has expanded. But I believe there’s a way to keep it simple that celebrates the spirit of the holidays without overdoing it. This year, Bruce and I are committed to a smaller budget that’s focused on simple, less expensive gifts and more emphasis on just being together as family.
Take a listen to this week’s audio tip for some simple ways to give that don’t have to break the bank and are about celebrating in simple ways.

What about you, have you adjusted your spending for the holiday season? What are you doing this year to stay with a budget?