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LIVE WELL WITH LAURA

Holiday upgrades

by Laura Burkett-Holstine, HHCLaura Burkett, HHC

The holidays are a time for celebrating and feasting. Rather than attempting to avoid tasty treats, try some healthful upgrades that keep the body humming rather than bogging it down. 

Instead of Mashed Potatoes, try -

Millet Mash

Why: This is a blend of alkaline-forming foods. The millet, cauliflower, and umeboshi plum vinegar make this a nutrient-dense side with a consistency similar to mashed potatoes. I like using extra garlic cloves!

You’ll need:

1 cup millet
2 ¼ cups water
½ tsp sea salt
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 medium head cauliflower, florets only
1 Tbs umeboshi plum vinegar (optional, but lovely)
Salt/pepper to taste
Handful of chopped parsley

1.) Wash grains

2.) Bring water to boil; add grains, sea salt, cauliflower, and garlic.

3.) Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

4.) Turn off the heat, and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes.

5.) Add remaining ingredients and mash with potato masher or food processor

6.) Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

 

Instead of brownies in a box, try -

Homemade Butternut Squash Peanut Butter Brownies

Why: Why not is the real question! Squashes and nut butters are grounding and seasonal. Plus, brownies with 5 ingredients or less are a Real Food winner in my book.

You’ll need:

1 cup baked butternut squash
1 cup organic peanut butter or almond butter
¼ cup agave nectar
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder

1) Set oven to 350.

2) Process ingredients in food processor and add batter to greased 8x8 pan.

3) Bake 25-35 minutes.

 

Instead of copious amounts of candy, try -

Apple Cucumber Parsley Juice

Why: Going from candy to fresh juice is a quite a jump, I know. If you have a serious sweet tooth this time of year, cucumber is especially helpful in cleansing sugar from the body and dissolving kidney stones. Apples work wonders in terms of cleansing the liver. And when holiday foods get a little heavy, the liver could use a little break.

You’ll need:

1 large or 2 small cucumbers
1 apple
2 Tbs loosely chopped parsley

Run ingredients through a juicer and drink immediately. If you want to store fresh juice in the refrigerator, it's best to put it in a darkly colored glass container.

Visit Laura at www.RealFoodWellness.com