AMy 3 top healthy foods to eat during the holidays are simple to incorporate into meals and nourishing. When we enter the holiday season, we eat foods we don’t usually eat (i.e., sugar and processed foods), drinks we don’t typically drink (alcohol and hot cocoa) and don’t sleep as much. All the above usually means we are having a good time. However, it can stress the body and make us more vulnerable to illnesses. I’ve included my top three healthy foods below that can help keep you on track during the holidays because they have a lot to offer our bodies as nourishing fuels; they are also simple to prepare and delicious.
Raw Honey
Raw honey is packed with b vitamins, antioxidants and an array of antibacterial properties that help stimulate & support your immune system. I like to add it to teas, toast, and baking recipes, and we can even add it to a few side dishes instead of sugar. Most areas have a bee farmer, therefore, seek out one, and purchase some of their honey. Many farmers love to show you around their farms, which can be a fun activity for the family!
ps my fave honey is Wai Meli Honey from the Big Island.
Garlic
Garlic has a robust flavour but is also antibacterial and antiviral; garlic gives bacteria and viruses a good fight! You can add garlic to almost any dish. Lately, I have roasted Roma tomatoes with garlic and fresh herbs, olive oil, and salt and pepper. I place them in the 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, stir and then roast them for another 20 minutes. Very delicious on toast, salads, meats, and eggs!
Mushrooms
I avoided mushrooms for decades, yet in the last five years, I have given them another change, and I am glad I did. The health benefits are endless. They also provide a wealth of macro and micronutrients, particularly B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and copper; all of which support immunity, promote digestion (feed those good gut bugs), support brain health – thank you, Lions Mane mushroom – and even help the cardiovascular system.
If you are not a fan of mushrooms, many companies have now made them into powders that you can add to cocoa, coffee, and smoothies. There are many different kinds, but my suggestion is to begin. I will caramelize onions with crimini or portobello mushrooms and use mushroom power in my coffee.
Not food, but essential during the holiday season: Water
Most of our body is made of water. Water hydrates and moistens our mucous membranes; this is essential in making it much more difficult for germs to stick to the walls of our nose, ears, and throat and thus get into our bodies. We discuss this in the Human Body Detectives Book Battle with the Bugs. Begin each morning with a glass of water. You can add citrus to it, or electrolytes, and during the day, keep a water bottle close by and/or sip herbal tea throughout the day.
Other than food to eat during the holidays, add in the below
xx
dr. heather
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