Mick’s up in the Eggnog

While we talk about staying healthy this Christmastide, we don’t want to miss out on the holiday treats, right?!  You’re probably saying, “Who wants to think about diet and nutrition now?  Save it for the New Year’s Resolutions!”

There are alternatives, if you do want to enjoy sweets without the negative effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners.  There are great resources out there, like those listed in the left margin, categorized as the food blogs I follow.  One amazing example is Healing Cuisine by Elise.  In fact, she entered a recipe in the Gluten-free Cookie Swap.  (She’d love it, if you’d vote for her.)

Another possibility is downloading a FREE Holiday Recipes eCookbook, when you “like” Maxmized Living on Facebook.  Also, at McCoy Fitness, you can pick up your FREE Clean Zone Diet Cookbook!

As was mentioned in Mick’s up Merry, you should go ahead and plan to have some good ole sweets, etc., but the key is to plan.  “If you typically ‘pig out’ once per week,  hold off and do it every two.  Have a blast and eat like it’s your last meal for 3-4 meals (not days)!”

I’ll leave you with this recipe for eggnog.  Yummy!!

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Super Easy Egg Nog  (1 serving)                                    
This is an individual serving size of eggnog. It is quick and easy, healthy and a great treat especially during the holidays.

Ingredients 1 whole egg
½ cup pine nuts or chopped pecans (optional)
¼ teaspoon organic vanilla
¼-½ teaspoon stevia or xylitol, or to taste
1 cup coconut milk
Nutmeg to taste
1 pinch sea salt

Directions Beat the egg with the sweetener of your choice along with salt. Pour into a glass. Add vanilla and
milk and stir to mix. Sprinkle a little ground nutmeg on top.

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“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

Luke 2:10-12 (NIV)

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Mick’s up with Emotional Toxins

We have learned that stress can come from all different areas, and it can affect our health.

We kind of touched on this with Mick’s up with Accountability, but let’s take a look at how the people we hang out with can be toxic.  Not only can they influence us in our eating patterns and our fitness, but they can also influence our attitude.

I’m sure you’ve heard about it.  A very popular topic that has been around is Toxic Friendships.

Like I’ve said before, I do believe that God wants us to be a blessing to everyone we encounter.  So, I’m not saying you should be selfish and think only of yourself and your own well-being.  However, it is important for you to stay as healthy as you can, so you can keep on efficiently doing work for God as long as possible.  You do not want to have to take time away from what God wants you to do, all because you didn’t take care of yourself to begin with, and then you have to concentrate on yourself more, so you can heal from being sick.

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“Those who fail to take the time to be healthy

will ultimately have to take the time to be sick.”

(Dr. James Chappell)

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You know all the warnings we give our kidderz about being careful in choosing the types of people they hang around.  Why should it be different for us?  We can be bombarded by emotional toxins (negativity, discouragement, pessimism, worry, fear, put-downs and verbal abuse, etc.), just as easily as chemical toxins. 


At the same time, true friendship can be a great antidote to what ails us.  What a blessing!

Be a friend to those who need a friend, but make sure your relationships remain healthy, so that you can remain healthy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

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Mick’s up with Accountability

As we look at our stress levels and attitude toward each day’s events, let’s also look at who we hang around.

Dave Ramsey says in his lessons in Financial Peace University:  If you want to be rich, talk to rich people, and do what rich people do.

Why don’t we look at that for our health and wellness, too.  Doesn’t it make sense to seek out people you want to be like?  I’m not saying you should be judgmental and snobbish.  We certainly are placed in people’s lives to make a difference, for the glory of God.  However, you can’t constantly give without refueling… and how you refuel is important.  We can view this in a spiritual sense as well as in a health sense.

Think about it.  If weight loss is your goal, but you are regularly joining in get-togethers with friends who eat out constantly… and not healthily… then isn’t that going to have a negative impact on your health?

That’s why it’s always helpful to have an accountability partner… again, spiritual and wellness.  You know how difficult it is to “diet” and cook healthy meals at home, when the rest of the family is still eating the same stuff you are all familiar with… the stuff that you now realize is keeping you from being fit.  It’s not easy stepping out of that comfort zone with your family… so you can imagine it seems almost impossible to make the necessary changes without the support of your family.

Bring somebody along on the journey with you.

I explained this concept to my 8-year-old daughter last month.  After spending time with friends, I asked her if she noticed how addicting the munchies seemed to be to those we were with.  She did.  I then pointed out what ingredients made up the munchies, and I asked her if she thought those were what we like to include in our foods.  She knows they are not.  I asked her if she thought the friends seem to be a healthy bunch.  She understood that they are not.  I then explained that, just because the munchies had the word “veggie” in the name, the friends thought they were healthy.  To them, healthy and tasty meant they should eat more!  By not paying attention to the ingredients, the friends got pulled into thinking they were eating something good for them, and they allowed themselves to get hooked on the taste.

The moral of the story is:  Just because the name sounds healthy, and just because your friends are eating it, does not mean the food is guaranteed to be a healthy choice.  As I’ve said before, look at the ingredients, and know what you’re looking out for!  If you’re hanging around people with similar health goals, you can help each other out, and you won’t get drawn to bad eating habits… at least not without facing your accountability partner.

Seek out an accountability partner today!

…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

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