November is the intro into the holiday season. And while for some the holidays are synonymous to stress, we at the Good Vibes Fam, are here to keep you happy and healthy during this time. We have compiled a list of tricks and tips to help you navigate this crazy hectic time, while keeping you on track toward your health and wellness goals.

Healthy Holiday Tips

• Hydrate with water

  • First and foremost hydrate hydrate hydrate! Water does so much for your body. It regulates your mood, helps keep your skin glowing, helps to flush out the toxins that we all will be ingesting during this time. Never underestimate the power of hydration!

• Don’t skip meals

  • Skipping a meal with the goal of saving calories prior to a holiday event can often backfire and lead to overeating due to ravenous feelings of hunger. Having a filling snack, such as fruit, string cheese, yogurt or a small handful of nuts, can help to curb your appetite and prevent overeating.

• Bring a healthy dish

  • Ensure at least one nutritious choice is available at family gatherings by contributing your very own healthy meal item. This will give you peace of mind knowing no matter what, you can always fall back on your own nourishing dish!

• Enjoy seasonal treats!

  • Having the occasional treat once a year will not make or break your health goals. Make sure you take time to really savor that special treat when you have it. That extra piece of pie is good for the soul! 

• Eat until you’re happily satisfied, not stuffed

  • No one likes that overly stuffed feeling after overly gorging on food. Eat mindfully and slowly, and check your overall fullness while you’re eating. Remember — leftovers are the best part of the holidays! The gift that keeps on giving.

• Do not feel guilty

  • If you did overindulge (which we all do because food is yummy), don’t beat yourself up. The holidays are a special time. Your focus should not be on the food you’re consuming, but rather the company you’re with. Be present and enjoy spending time with friends and loved ones. You’ll be back to your normal routine in no time! 

• Add more veggies to your plate

  • Veggies, veggies, veggies! It’s easy to go all-out on our favorite dishes, but sometimes eating mindfully is as simple as starting your meal with nutritious greens.That way you’re more likely to fill up on the good stuff first thing! Maybe add more vegetable dishes to the dinner table spread, finding unique ways to dress them up without making them completely unhealthy. 

• Opt for homemade food instead of processed

  • Homemade everything can be tricky when you’re bouncing from event to event, but it can also ensure that you’re eating healthier foods. Pre-made and canned foods are packed with excess salt and sugar that you don’t necessarily need to make a delicious dish. Homemade pies, potatoes and soups allow you to reduce your sugar and sodium intake, while still indulging on your holiday favorites. 

• Don’t forgo exercise during this time

  • Move your bodies! Exercise helps us cope with the holiday stress and releases endorphins that make us feel good! Every little bit counts- walking, living room jumping jacks, ice skating- a great way to give back to yourself during this time.

•  Make time for yourself!

  • Whether you’re staying with your family over the holidays or just attending multiple events, always remember to make a little bit of time every day for yourself. Whether that’s walking, meditating once a day, or reading, those moments we give to ourselves will make us better humans to those around us. Even extroverts like me need time to recharge our batteries! 

•  And the most important tip of them all: bring a bag of lil bucks and clusterbucks wherever you go!

  • Saving the best for last with this one! Buckwheat is a great guilt free snack that will satisfy cravings while also fueling your holiday endeavors! The perfect on the road snack.

November is here Good Vibes Fam!! Fall is in its utmost prime here in the Windy City– shout out to the beautiful fall leaves for giving us the perfect wardrobe color scheme for the next month. And not to mention palate inspo as well! As we all know, the moment PSL’s make their way onto the Starbucks menu, it’s time to break out all things orange in the kitchen: pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes… But most importantly TURMERIC.

Yes, yes turmeric! This fragrant, timeless spice has been benefiting the human race for thousands of years, with its first recorded use in South India. Turmeric is a major part of Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine. The potent root made its way into China, Indonesia, Africa and Jamaica, and finally to the melting pot that is the U.S.A. . 

I’ll admit it–the first time I consciously enjoyed turmeric (of course it’s been used in Indian cuisine I’d enjoy at restaurants) was in a gold mylk latte–AKA Haldi Doodh, a turmeric elixir common in households across India. Seriously, turmeric is a MOVE. If you haven’t tried this spice in your cooking or drinks (or, um Turmeric Lemon Myrtle Clusterbucks), we hope this page will convince you otherwise. 😉 

What gives turmeric its beautiful orange coloring, and not to mention its superfood powers you may have heard about, is a key ingredient called curcumin. Thanks to curcumin, here are 5 reasons why you should incorporate turmeric into your diet:

1. Powerful antioxidant

Antioxidants help protect your body against damage caused by free radicals that can come from environmental pollutants like cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals. Curcumin is able to hunt down these different types of free radicals, control the enzymes that neutralize free radicals, and prevent certain enzymes from creating more free radicals.

2. Natural anti-inflammatory

In fact according to a past study, curcumin may be a more effective anti-inflammatory treatment than the more common over the counter inflammation-fighting medications such as ​aspirin. SAY WHAT!

3. Anti-cancer effects

Curcumin has also been attributed to slowing the spread of tumor cells and may even potentially prevent some tumors from forming in the first place. It can do this by disrupting the formation of cancerous cells at various stages in the cell cycle and even terminating those cancerous cells.

4. Can lower risk of diabetes

Meanwhile, curcumin may help prevent diabetes through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and improve many of the factors that contribute to diabetes, including ​insulin resistance​, high blood sugar

5. Brain Food

Yes, brain food. Cognitive functions are important and what better way to slow the aging process than with food? Turmeric has been linked to preventing degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It does this by raising levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain and spinal cord that plays a critical role in keeping nerve cells healthy, as well as managing communication between nerve cells, which is especially important for learning and memory. Much like Alzheimer’s, depression is also linked to low levels of BDNF. Turmeric’s ability to boost levels of BDNF makes it an effective ​antidepressant​ as well!

And the best part about adding turmeric to our clusterbucks is the fact that we partner with this cool SF spice brand Diaspora co! ​Before even trying Diaspora’s turmeric, it was love at first sight. I was obsessed with the vibrant brand the founder Sana created, and felt it vibed with Lil Bucks straight away. Sana’s company is disrupting the Indian spice trade, decolonizing an outdated spice trading system, putting more money and equity into the actual spice farmers’ hands. Sana goes to India for months out of the year to directly source the turmeric and other spices. Every aspect of their business was absolutely blowing me away, making it a no brainer to support this women and minority led business. ​Truly no words can do enough justice for how much I admire this brand and how thankful I am that we get to partner with them.

If you’re looking for a simple and easy way to incorporate turmeric into your diet, look no further than our turmeric lemon myrtle clusterbucks! They are a perfect addition to any meal and even taste great on their own. And better yet, you know it’s ethically sourced.

SOURCES:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-turmeric

https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/the-health-benefits-of-turmeric