Healthy Treats for the Holidays (thank me later)

I have to admit, this post is a bit selfish.

I wanted to compile all the healthy, tasty, "holy shit I just found this on Pinterest" kind of treats in ONE place so that I, uh, I mean, we could all have these resources in one place. You know, make it easier for baking/creating/entertaining.

Here are some fabulous, crowd pleasing desserts that you can/should bring to your holiday parties or provide at a family gathering. And they are secretly healthy too. Win-win. (Almost wrote "wine" instead of "win." Good grief.)

1. Apple Cookies. I mean, how cute are these?!?

If you have an apple corer, I would suggest cutting out the core of the apple, so you can slice it into medallions easier. If not, slice it into medallions and then just cut out the center seeds and such. Top with you favorite kind of nut butter (look for ones that have the least ingredients as possible! Ie: no added sugars/cane syrup/hydrogenated oils/palm oil crap in it. Unnecessary. Nut butter should be (roasted) nuts and maybe a little salt. Period.), add some dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, cranberries, cherries, goji berries, a little sea salt...basically anything that sounds good to you.


2. Chocolate bark
This is my absolute go-to when I need to bring food or dessert to a party. I also give fancy chocolate bark out as gifts sometimes. I buy 3-4 bars of dark chocolate, 72% or higher. Some of my favorites are Ghirardelli (72% or 85%) and the Belgian Dark Chocolate from Trader Joe's. Melt the chocolate, spread it over wax paper on a baking sheet and top with your favorite things. In the past, I've topped

chocolate with pistachios, dried cranberries or cherries, coconut, crushed peppermint stick, peanuts/almonds...the list goes on! Enjoy creating. Remember though, when it comes to toppings, the simpler combinations, the better. Cover 1/2 your chocolate in pistachios and cranberries and the other half in coconut and almonds. Here are some good "how to make chocolate bark" recipes: Aquí y aquí.

3. Cookies!!! Well, 48 Healthier Holiday Cookie Recipes, to be exact. Written by my website crush, Greatist.

4. Raw Brownies. Say what?! No, really. I've made these countless times, even for people who are suspicious of anything healthy and they are an absolute hit. They are a little more labor intensive, as they require either a food processor or Nutribullet/Vitamix kind of weaponry, but they are worth. every. ounce. of. effort. Raw cacao powder is sort of pricey. But again, worth it for this recipe. And you can use it in your green smoothies to give them a superfood boost! :)

5. Pumpkin bread. If you are a fan of pumpkin bread, especially the Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix, these will knock your socks off! I love the package mix at TJ's, but this is even better. And it's Paleo, which means it's gluten-free and has no refined sugars. #winning

Hope these recipes provide some inspiration for any dessert-bringing you may have to do over the next few weeks!

Sending merry thoughts!

Trust Your Body: A different piece of healthy holiday advice

I am writing a different kind of "healthy holiday advice." Something that isn't in the mainstream "how to avoid gaining weight over the holidays." But I think it's equally as important to consider.

It's about trusting your body. It's about trusting it to know when it's hungry, when it's full and when it does and doesn't want to eat. Granted, this is a mindful and intuitive habit that comes with practice. But if we ever want to get to a place of trust and intuition when it comes to our bodies and eating, it's a good idea to start thinking about it now.

A lot of the advice we see plastered all over the place during the holidays is valid. It is, in many ways, needed and necessary. But it also feeds the belief that we don't trust our bodies enough to not gain weight over the holidays. This mainstream advice stems from the belief that our bodies don't know any better. Without tons of rules and mind control, it will go on a rampage at every holiday party and stuff itself silly.

That's not what our bodies want. Ever. Our bodies want ease, nourishment and equilibrium. As do our minds. But we allow our minds and bodies to be on two different teams, one against the other. If we don't control our bodies with our minds, we'll over-eat and gain weight.

But if we trust our bodies, its signals and cues, we most likely won't gain the 10-15 pounds of weight over the holidays. We'll naturally know when to eat and when to stop. We'll naturally know that we don't want any more rich, sugary foods or alcohol. Bring your minds and bodies back on the same team and go into those parties and holiday gatherings with complete trust that you, your mind and body, know what's best and the healthiest.

Respect and love yourself enough not to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of "Oh, I'm going to gain weight over the holidays. I'm going to eat so unhealthfully. I'm not going to be healthy." When we tell ourselves that, it usually becomes true. So trust your body, there's no need to over think. If you do eat a more than usual one day, we naturally eat a little less the next day because we aren't as hungry. Our bodies instinctively know how to balance out and create equilibrium once again.

Mindful and intuitive eating comes with practice. So begin practicing by holding this advice in the back of your mind when you enter the holidays. While you're creating that trusting relationship with your body, certainly, look toward the healthy eating and fitness advice going around. It's not a bad thing! I myself have proudly made "Your Guide to Healthier Holidays" and a "Christmas Day Action Plan." But it can subconsciously feed the modern belief that our bodies don't know what to do, so our minds have to take the lead and control, control, control around food. Consider that.

I made a video about the topic as well. It basically reiterates everything I said here....but in video format ;)

I wish you all love, peace and happiness during this time!! Sending my best <3

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Kick off December the right (and healthy) way! My weekend of creating free programs, watching Twilight and listening to Michale Bublé.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy (almost) December! 

As a self-proclaimed Christmas whore, I get such joy out of Christmas trees, lights and decorations, the crisp "winter" air, listening to Christmas music (can I please sing the "White Christmas" duet with Michael Bublé?!?)...ahhh. Love it. 

Anyhoo, this past Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. I had the apartment to myself for 4 days and between seeing friends and running the occasional errands, I basically made it into a mini-vacation. Lots of Christmas music and wine, I watched the entire Twilight series, gave Pearl wayyy too much attention and didn't leave the apartment (or change out of my pajamas) until late afternoon some days...

But beyond my seemingly lazy weekend, I was productive AS HELL. Kicked it into high gear when it came to creating and starting some groups and programs that I'm really passionate about. Until now, they were just little ideas in my brain. But this weekend, I had the brain space, inspiration and general ballsiness to actually START them. And I. am. so. excited. Being proactive = one of the recipes for happiness. 

I wanted to give you a little more information about my groups! 

I have a Free 5-Day Clean Eating Group (more info under the "Clean Eats" tab) that I host the first week of every month. You receive a grocery list, meal plans and recipes for every day and support through a private Facebook group. I always add some bonus videos and nutrition information as well ;) Click here to learn more and sign up for my next one!

I also started a "21 Days of Gratitude" Group (more info and a FREE Gratitude Guide under the "21 Days of Gratitude" tab). I was inspired by Marie Forleo's TV episode about re-vamping your gratitude list...it got me thinking. I want to create a structured group where people I could put the spark back into their gratitude practice (or start one) and be uplifted by a positive community. Even if you journal all the time, you'll want to try out this new twist to your gratitude list. Any and all are welcome to join and there are more details on the group page. I'll also post some positive tasks or "happy hacks" every so often. You can do the challenge for the 21 days or, if you enjoy the group, you can stay as long as you want. 

I'm super excited about both these groups. The women in my 5-day clean eating group haven't even technically started and I can already tell it's going to be an awesome, supportive group. So much fun! If you have any questions about these groups or how they could be a positive addition to your life, you are welcome to email me at: theglowstickdiaries@gmail.com

Alright, it's time to head home, make dinner, food prep for the week and give my spoiled bird more attention. Ciao for now <3

Happy hacks to brighten your day (and someone else's)

Burdened...in a slump...unmotivated...down...lacking energy and a spark...

Get outside yourself. 

Whether it’s a minor annoyance you can’t seem to shake off or dissatisfaction with your current job and/or financial situation, it can weigh heavy on your mind. And the more it’s on your mind, the more energy you give it. The more energy you give it, the more it grows. 

And grows. 

And grows. 

You are perfectly justified to feel annoyed, dissatisfied, or whatever else you may be feeling. You are human and those are human emotions. You DO, however, have a choice of how much you focus on those feelings and how much power you give them over your every day happiness. 

Sometimes there isn’t a quick, easy fix for those situations in your life. It may take a while to sort out and move forward. But by changing your mindset and being conscious of your attitude, you begin to take control of your happiness from the inside out. 

I know, I know, having a “positive attitude” doesn’t make your student loans disappear. It doesn’t conjure up a flashing arrow telling you what direction to go with your life. It doesn’t stop your co-worker from being an asshole. 

When you shift your mindset to one of gratitude and happiness, rather than burden and loss, the solutions and answers have a way of appearing before us. It’s like once The Universe sees us engaging and enjoying the present moment (aka what we have, rather than what we don’t have) it goes “POOF” and there is more clarity.  

Think of it this way: the more and more we sit and wallow in our negative emotions and “live less," we make our world smaller. We live in a continuous ball of dissatisfaction. When we begin to “get outside ourselves,” meaning we get outside of that circle of negative feelings, we free ourselves from the emotional burdens of our current situation. We are declaring to The Universe that we are not going to be held back by the Johnny Rainclouds, Annoying Annies (I'm hilarious) and the “what am I doing with my life?" emotions. 

How do you get outside yourself? By not focusing on yourself.

Here are some "happy hacks" to brighten your mood and someone else's: 

1. Buy the person behind you a coffee (or another appropriate beverage/food item)
2. If you see a penny on the ground tails-up, flip it over so it is heads-up, and the next person who sees it will see a “lucky penny” (Don’t give me any germaphobe crap for that one please)
3. Watch the news regularly (seriously, it will widen your awareness and consciousness beyond your own life)
4. If you’re getting sucked into Facebook or Pinterest or some other website, close it and go for a run. Do some yoga. Start doing sit-ups. Play with your dog. ANYTHING. Just get your body moving. 
5. If you’re walking or commuting somewhere, put your phone away. No music, no Instagram, nothing that takes you away from the present moment. (Honestly, it was SO much fun when I started doing my morning walks and bus commute to work without listening to music. I engaged with my surroundings. I listened to conversations on the bus. My world went from a tiny screen to expansive and socially rich in just 15 minutes.)
6. Make dinner with friends. Meet with them for a walk. TALK. ENGAGE. No technology allowed.
7. Smile and say hello to someone on the street. Sometimes there is nothing more encouraging than connecting with a stranger.
8. Volunteer at a non-profit, a school, a homeless shelter. Donate your time somewhere.
9. Wake up early and watch the sunrise. There is nothing more peaceful and enlightening than watching a new day begin. 
10. Journal. Whether you’re a writer or not, journal. Write your heart out. Anything and everything on your mind. Don’t filter what you’re saying to the piece of paper either. Let it flow…lots of discoveries will be made. Write on your computer or in an actual notebook. Delete/shred after if you’re afraid of someone reading it.  

I hope these “happy hacks” help if you’re ever in a slump one day or are just feeling burdened with seemingly impossible responsibilities and choices. Remember though, you are totally justified to feel any feelings you're having. Always. Respect what you are feeling, but don’t let it become an energy suck and vibrancy vacuum. 

I know I have a tendency to wallow in overwhelming feelings, bring myself down and get lost in the “what am I doing with my life…I can’t do that” emotions. When that happens, I shut my computer down, lace up my shoes and go for a run. I take a walk to the coffee shop. I smile and say hello to strangers. I get outside myself. Before I know it, it starts to become a habit. The things burdening me before become smaller when I engage with the simple, rewarding beauty of the present moment around me.

Happy Everything

Start each day with a grateful heart and positive attitude! 

For me, my day began with PiYo kicking my ass, made a chocolate "green" smoothie, am off to work and then San Francisco bound for the next two days!! So many exciting things coming up...lots of opportunities that I can't wait to share :) 

Do it...out loud: Say 5 things that you are happy and grateful for! It works :)