Our stay healthy holiday recipes and workout tips..

Plan to gain 5 lbs. over the Holiday? Here's a better idea. How about planning to lose a few? Here are some recipes to help you stay on track, and when combined with some energetic activities we recommend below, you can actually lose a few lbs. and get a head of your New Years resolutions. Because, after all, Fitness and Health are a lifestyle and you should steal every opportunity to make good changes all year round. 

Recipe #1
This yummy shake can help stave off those cravings for pumpkin spice pies and egg nog, which can add pounds in mere days, as I learned over the Thanksgiving break. Have it in the morning and keep a batch for when you get those cravings, you wont even feel like you're missing out, but you will feel a lot more energy. 

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops Protein Powder
• 3 cups Water
• 3 TBSP Nut Butter
• 1 TBSP Honey
• 1/2 C Strawberries
•  2 C Spinach Leaves
• 2 TBSP Cinnamon
• 1/2 Banana
• 1/2 Large Cucumber

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Directions:
I've had great luck just throwing all the ingredients in the blender and blending until smooth. If you have trouble with that you may want to blend periodically until all ingredients are added. And Voila! Yummy Christmas-y spiced drink. I use Muscle Milk for my protein powder this may lend itself to that holiday flavor, if your powder is not as creamy and sweet as vanilla Muscle Milk you may want to add a pinch of cloves and nutmeg if you have it and some more honey, but the strawberries really are enough sweet on their own.

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Recipe #2
​For when you need chocolate! This little snack is so easy to make and if you have this prepared ahead of time when the Holiday festivities begin, you will have something to reach for when those chocolate cravings begin. 

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup fresh dates (about 8 dates), pitted
2 tablespoons cacao (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
A dash of Sea Salt (optional)-I didn't use this and loved the taste.

Directions: Place almonds, cacao and shredded coconut into your blender or food processor, and blend on high until the consistency of flour. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender/processor and blend again until fully mixed. Dump into a bowl, and roll and pack into round, bite sized poppers. So yummy!

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Now, these recipes can just help keep you away from all those sugary treats that are the culprit of so many pounds gained over Holiday break. But to keep on burning calories and trimming that waistline you need to keep active as well, which is something we all find so difficult with so much time to kill. Here are some activities below you can do to keep your calorie burning quota up. 

Watch a funny movie-research shows that just 15 minutes of laughter can burn anywhere from 10-40 calories. Not to mention that it just puts you in a better mood. Take a walk about 30-60 minutes after you've eaten a meal and try to get out and do something fun, if it's hiking, playing games, or even taking the whole family to the gym for some racquet ball.

Now if you're traveling this can also have an impact or your ability to burn those calories. Do some exercises on the plane or in the car. Here are some exercises that our trainer recommends below.

In a seated position press your palms together at your chest and squeeze, feel your chest muscles flexing? This will also work your arms and your back muscles. Move on to your abs...sit straight and, making sure your back is flat against your chair, pull your stomach in as far as you can, drawing your belly button to the back of the chair and hold for 3-6 seconds, then release-repeat this until you can't. Still sitting, press your knees together and hold, this will work your thighs, again hold for 3-6 seconds and release. Repeat from the beginning and do this for 25-35 minutes. No matter how many of these you get in you will burn calories and that's better than no calories burned at all. In between traveling and stops try and squat a couple times before getting back onto the road or back in the skies. It's the little things that ad up, so enjoy your holiday, feel happy, and get out and have some fun!