Sharing inspirations for holidays and every day

Christmas and New Year mark our lifetime in a more profound way than any other holidays. This is the time when most of us pause all frantic activities, re-evaluate and plan.

Therefore, it is a good time for inspiration and learning.

Below I have compiled some of my recent inspirations. I hope that you find them useful in preparing for your own holidays.

A week ago, I discovered a new YouTube channel, Picking up limes, dedicated to “foodies, minimalists, travellers and all beautiful souls”.

The creator of the channel, Sadia, promises “a calm and relaxing space with … videos that help to nourish the cells and the soul.” I watched many of the videos and believe that Sadia delivers on her promises. 

You could also visit her website. I am looking forward to some free time to read the blog and dive into Sadia’s recipes.  

Update: I made these Sadia's pancakes last night and they turned out pretty good. I did not have buckwheat flour, instead, used whole wheat flour. I also used water instead of plant-based milk and sprayed my pan with olive oil instead of using coconut oil.

 
How to keep relaxed and calm, and yet have amazing holidays? 

Maybe we should all introduce some hygge into our holidays. Here is the advice of Jenny Mustard on how to celebrate Christmas in hygge style:

 

I am aesthetically and visually driven person.  Looking at creative arrangements and decorations for the holidays inspire me and allow me to bring more energetic spirit into my house, break the monotony of our everyday routine.

Here are three blogs that are a feast for the senses and might inspire you to put together an unexpected background for the seasonal celebrations:

Liiv blog

Hof 9

@mycasa

Loreta blog 

Dishfunctional Designs
 
What are the holidays without the warmth and enticing aromas of baked dishes, cookies and breads?

I am not a fan of sugar or any cakes, but this gorgeous gingerbread village cake presentation inspired me to concoct my own version of a minimal-sugar cake. 

I am planning on using two layers of my banana brownie recipe and a raspberry-coconut filling to "build" my own Christmas cake.

 

If the result is good, I will share the exact recipe.  Meanwhile, why not invent your own cake recipe, or maybe re-invent an old favorite recipe, in which you substitute the unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones?


I will also try these oat cookies on one of my days off, and maybe surprise my family with some almond pancakes.

 
Not having any plans for Christmas yet? Here is how Jenny celebrates her Christmas.  Why not try something new this year?

How about you, how do you bring the holidays home?

Don’t Blame Your Genes

It’s not your genes, it’s your appetite and eating habits.

But weight loss averaged about 13 pounds over a year, regardless of genes, insulin levels or diet type. Also, some people lost as much as 60 pounds and others gained 15 pounds — more evidence that genetic characteristics and diet type appeared to make no difference.

What seemed to make a difference was healthful eating. Participants on both diets who consumed the fewest processed foods, sugary drinks, unhealthy fats and ate the most vegetables lost the most weight.

The results suggest that "precision medicine is not as important as eating mindfully, getting rid of packaged, processed food" and avoiding unhealthy habits like eating while watching television, said lead author Christopher Gardner.

So, excuses about “it’s my genes” do not justify BMI realities, and fad diets are a waste of time, if key essentials are met: “Participants on both diets who consumed the fewest processed foods, sugary drinks, unhealthy fats and ate the most vegetables lost the most weight."

I for one cut out sugary drinks – including orange juice and other fruit juices – cut back on saturated fats, cut back on foods with lots of added sugar, eat a bit less “packaged food,” while increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grain as opposed to white.

More On Cancer Prevention And Lifestyle

Here is recent news on yet another study linking lifestyle to cancer risk.  These are all things you, as a reader of this blog, should be well aware of by now.  The importance of curbing these behaviors to reduce cancer risk is underscored by these additional data.

Researchers with the American Cancer Society looked at data on cancer incidence and deaths, finding that 42 percent of all cancer cases in the United States -– and nearly half of all cancer deaths – are linked to preventable risk factors like cigarette smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, excess body weight, alcohol intake and dietary choices.

Cigarette smoking, in particular, was connected to far more cancer cases and deaths than any other single risk factor, accounting for 19 percent of all cancer cases and 28.8 percent of deaths. Overweight and obesity came in second, responsible for 7.8 percent of cases and 6.5 percent of deaths, while alcohol intake was the third most important factor, leading to 5.6 percent of cancer cases and 4 percent of deaths.

Although there are some sex-specific differences as to the relative importance of various risk factors, the bottom line is that these things – smoking/overweight/obese, bad diets, certain STDs, alcohol – are bad for everyone.  Be aware and adjust your life accordingly, to the extent you are able.

Musings, Part II: It is a question of freedom

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• In 2007, the U.S. ranked 27th and 26th out of 33 countries (within its peer group in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) for life expectancy at birth for females and males, respectively.

• In 2008, individuals in the U.S. reported on average 3.6 physically unhealthy days and 3.4 mentally unhealthy days for each past 30 days.

• Nearly 6 in 10 adult Americans take prescription drugs, because the easy fix is the preference.

Since the easy fix is the way to go, people disregard exercise and healthy eating habits. In fact, when advised on what to eat and how to exercise, many balk, ”I would rather have a happy short life, than a miserable long one”. 

Does it sound familiar? Is this your reasoning?

The logic, however, is flawed. If you do not adhere to a healthy lifestyle and you are not blessed with exceptional genes to resist common chronic diseases, then your life is likely to be short and MISERABLE, or long and MISERABLE. Either way, you will loose your freedom.

Let me elaborate on the misery and the lost FREEDOM. 





Once you are sick, you will depend upon the mercy of everyone else – doctors, other healthcare professionals, the insurance system, the social workers, the relatives, etc. Would you like to be dependent upon so many people and institutions? Do you want to be vulnerable, anxious, helpless, powerless, confused, and even humiliated?  Do you want to be chained to your bed, an oxygen tank, or an invalid chair? Do you want to endure daily injections and medical procedures? Do you want your everyday schedule to be dictated by the workhours of others?

If the answer is NO, then take action. 

The first step is to become informed. Did you know that the U.S. medical doctors take annual credits in continuing medical education? This is how doctors  maintain their competencies and further their knowledge. Under ideal circumstances, all of us should take similar annual credits, but in healthy lifestyle. If we do so, we should get a discounted health care coverage. If we go a step further and adopt healthy habits, we should get a further discount. 

Until we get to live in such a health-conscious Utopia, it would be useful to have access to a one-stop, evidence-based, comprehensive website with curated information on healthy lifestyle. Currently, such site does not exist, but there are a few good websites with information that is a bit fragmented and specialized. One objective of this blog is to gather information from and about such websites, and increase awareness about healthy lifestyle.  Why? Because knowledge is power. 

Actionable
Do not allow yourself to become vulnerable, increase your health IQ and take action. Musings - part III will discuss the actions we can take.