Hey Chicks!
We are super pumped that the fab nutrionista Dani from Body by Nature is back to share another fabulous post to help our chicks keep it under control this holiday season and plus a DELICIOUS, healthy recipe for her Chocolate Cherry Almond Balls (I can vouch that these are a must make..so yummy!). If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, you must! It is not only packed with great info and recipes but she is also running a blog giveaway to win one of our ‘Fierce, Sassy, Sexy” TShirts so make sure to head over and enter!
Can you have just one? Chocolate Cherry Almond Balls - delish!
Healthy Tips to Keep it Under Control During the Holidays
Holiday parties, holiday food, holiday drinks; this can be the perfect combination for a bit of holiday disaster.
CHICKS, this doesn’t mean you should stay home and avoid the festivities, but here are a few guidelines to help keep you on track!
Booze – If you’re going to drink, set a limit for yourself and stick with it! Be sure to sip slowly and drink 1-2 glasses of water between drinks to help hydrate the body and never drink on an empty stomach. Remember CHICKS, alcohol is empty calories, meaning it is not used by the body for energy. Another alternative is to bring a festive non-alcoholic beverage such as a fruity, virgin sangria or kombucha which is a delicious, fermented frizzy drink that is actually good for the digestive system.
Fatty, fried foods – Those wee lil’ pigs in blankets look good but they’re not doing a darn thing for you! Eating fried and high fat foods can cause digestive discomfort, skin disorders and inflammation. Most often, processed meats contain a large amount of salt and sodium nitrate, a highly toxic additive.
Chips and Dips – The fruit and veggie tray seem like a safe bet but use caution when dipping! Most often the accompanying dips contain a lot of refined sugar, dairy, fat and too many calories. Offer to bring raw veggie sticks with protein-packed hummus.
Desserts – An entire table full of sweets can be dangerous. Fear not CHICKS, here is a delicious recipe you can bring to share and it comes with guilt!
Chocolate-Cherry Almond Balls
Ingredients
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup cashews
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or a dark chocolate bars, chopped
1/3 cup dried cherries (the no sugar, no sulfite variety)
1 tsp raw cacao powder
pinch of sea salt
Directions
1. Add almonds and cashews to a food processor and process until crumbly. Careful not to over-process, this will let too much oil out of the nuts. Remove, place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Add dates, chocolate chips, dried cherries, raw cacao powder and sea salt to food processor and process until well combined. Remove and add to bowl of nuts.
3. Using a wooden spoon or fork combine nuts with date mixture. You can use your hands too to help combine the ingredients.
4. Once all the ingredients are combined, roll into small balls and top with a whole almond and chocolate chip.
5. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes before serving.
Makes about 15-18 small balls.
And most importantly CHICKS, the holidays are meant for family, friends and fun, not stress. If you indulge a little too much one night, relax and enjoy yourself! Tomorrows is a new day and remember that change is as close as your next meal!
Thank for sharing Dani! And Chicks, don’t forget that if you do over indulge, we will burn it all off at our next bootcamps starting on January 9th. And don’t forget that you save $50 off your Jan 8 week Bootcamp when you sign up online.
Have a fab day,
FIT CHICKS XO
