Hot + Healthy Holiday Drinks

Snowy, winter days are here in Toronto. 

With the holiday season upon us, it's the perfect time to put on your wooly socks and get comfy on the couch with a good book and a nice warm, festive beverage. 

In my past life, I'd be cozying up with copious cups of coffee. 
Coffee hasn't disappeared completely from my life these days, but my relationship with it has changed considerably since my struggles with adrenal fatigue.   Read more about this change here. 

These days, I have found really fun ways to enjoy festive drinks and "lattes" in ways that support my health. I'm super excited to share a few of my favourite recipes with your today! Unlike coffee, these drinks won't interfere with your sleep, make you anxious or put excessive cortisol demands on the adrenals. 

I've also snuck in a few special ingredients to help keep them balanced and extra hormone loving. 

In the spirit of the holiday season, today I'm pumped to share a few of my favorite hot + healthy, festive drinks.

All of these recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and sweetened naturally. 

Gingerbread Cookie Latte

• 2 cups steamed nut milk

• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1/3 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground clove

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp molasses

• optional- 1 scoop of Dandy Blend Coffee alternative

Heat nut milk over the stove, whisk in spices and vanilla. 
Transfer to a blender (or use a hand mixer) and add coconut oil and molasses. 
Serves 2. 

Creamy Cashew Egg Nog

• 1 cup soaked, raw cashews

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp quality salt

• 6 re-hydrated dates

• a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

• optional- 2 scoops of collagen protein powder (we like this one)

Add everything to a high powered blender and blend well. 
Pour 1 cup into a mug/glass and garnish with fresh nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.
Serves 4-6

Collagen Loaded Hot "Chocolate" 

• 1 cup steamed nut milk of choice (unsweetened)

• 1 tsp carob powder

• 1/2 tsp cacao powder (we like this one)

• splash of vanilla

• 1 tsp coconut oil

• 1 heaping tbsp of collagen protein (we like this one)

• a sprinkle of cinnamon

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice

• Optional- make healthy, homemade marshmallows like these and float one on top!

Over the stove top, heat your milk. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients or use a blender or hand mixer if you prefer it frothy. Depending on the time of day or how sensitive you are to caffeine, you can omit the cacao and use more carob or vice versa. 

For more holiday recipes, including my favorite festive "mocktails" be sure to grab our Holiday Adrenal Survival Guide below! 

Wishing you health and happiness this holiday season!
xo Danielle + the HYAF Team

Holiday Adrenal Survival Guide

YOUR HOLIDAY ADRENAL SURVIVAL GUIDE

We all know the holidays can be a stressful and exhausting time. I remember how challenging it was when I had stage 3 adrenal fatigue.

But through the years, Danielle and I have learned a few tips and tricks, to make this time of year WAY more enjoyable. 

We're excited to share these with you today...

What if you could enjoy your time with family?

What if you could avoid burnout this year?

What if this holiday season was flare-up FREE?

We believe ALL these are possible with these stellar tips we’re about to share with you.

And make sure you download our sweet gift, a free holiday adrenal survival guide to help you implement these tips. The Holiday Guide includes a checklist of to-dos, self-care planning, recipes and more.

1.       Be Prepared So You Don’t Feel Deprived

Chances are you have food restrictions of some kind or a special diet. Don’t go another holiday making yourself feel deprived. Instead, plan to bring your own side dishes and dessert that you can enjoy. Make them or buy them. We are fortunate now that stores are accommodating so many diet restrictions these days. Check your local natural food market or Whole Foods for delicious options that meet your food needs.

And make sure you grab our Holiday Adrenal Survival Guide for some great adrenal friendly recipes.

2.       Say “No”

Don’t be afraid to say no to activities or engagements that feel super heavy and have the potential to cause great stress and anxiety. When you say “no” to those things you are saying “YES” to your health, your sanity, your well-being. You don’t have to do it all. Maybe you can say goodbye to that holiday cookie exchange this year...

3.       Shop Online

We are so lucky we no longer HAVE to deal with long lines at the shopping mall or stores in order to get through our holiday shopping list. We can shop almost anywhere online now. Take advantage of it.  If you MUST go out and shop choose early mornings or evenings during the weekdays. If hitting up the mall, it's important to have a game plan- what you need and where you need to go, this is especially important if you find malls to be stressful places. 

4.       Limit the Gift Craziness

Is your holiday giving gift list super long? Are you worried, first how you will get it all done and second, how you will pay for it? Ask your extended family if they’d like to pick names instead this year and maybe just increase the price limit so everyone gets something they really want. This is a great way to give one really meaningful gift, to reduce stress and to ease some financial pressure. 

5.       Stop the Emailing Craziness

I don’t know about you, but I get sick of all the family gift exchange emails asking me what me, my husband and children want. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do feel blessed to have some generous family, but the back and forth gets to be too much. And then after you share your ideas, there’s the back and forth of someone wondering if Aunt Jane already got that or now or you get 3 of the same thing. You can solve all that easily by making an Amazon wish list. People mark off the items on the list once they buy them so no more emails like that to waste your time and even better no returning repeat gifts after the holidays. And Amazon is not the only option, here are a few more. There is Giftry.com and Wishmindr.com

6.       Give Yourself a Gift

Balance out the holiday chaos with some rejuvenating self-care. The next few weeks will most likely be full. Find yourself an hour each week at least and do something just for YOU. Book yourself a massage or spa time. That could be your partner’s gift to you. Or just take a break from shopping and walk outside in nature.

7.       Limit Time with Those That Drain You

We love our families and they mean well, but they also know how to push our buttons more than anyone else. If your family drains your energy and causes you anxiety, say “NO” or at least limit your time with them.

And if you will be spending time with family that is challenging we have a tip for you. Be prepared by choosing to react differently to them. I like to think about a bubble of protection around me... and this bubble is keeping me calm and it also helps me see things for what they are. When a family member makes a comment that would normally affect you, you don’t let it come into your bubble. You walk away or maybe say something as simple as, “Sorry you feel that way” or my favorite “that’s an interesting point of view”.

Remember a lot of times people say hurtful things to protect themselves. So that SH$#! Is there’s, not yours. Let it go and don't let it impede on your holiday fun. 

8.       Choose Calm When Things Get Intense

When you’re driving around running errands and things feel intense, put on calming meditation music. Which you can get free on youtube.com or if you want guided meditations for energy boosting and stress relief particularly for adrenal fatigue sufferers, grab my meditation album or give this gift to someone you know who could really benefit. 

9.       Don’t Forget The Protein

This time of year, there are sugar loaded treats everywhere you go. Make sure you are balancing sugar intake with healthy fats and proteins. This will also prevent sugar “crashes” and keep your energy high.  Pair this with a bit of portion control and this is a great tip to help navigate holiday meals without sparking major spikes and crashes. 

10.   Remember to Move

The Holidays often create sluggishness. Say goodbye to the food comas by continuing to move and be active this holiday season. This will also keep you from putting on extra pounds. After a big meal, take a walk around the block and maybe ask the family to join you. You can have great conversations while you’re walking and it's amazing what a bit of fresh air can do to help calm and refresh the body. 

11.   Eat Mindfully

When you’re eating this holiday season I challenge you to be super present. Savoring your food, enjoy its flavor, be grateful and take it slow. Great digestion starts right in the mouth. Chew slowing and thoroughly, allowing those enzymes in your saliva to start the process. Also, when you eat slowly you realize sooner when you are full, which will keep you from overeating. When filling your plate, we encourage you to fill your plate with vegetables first, then add a bit of protein and be mindful of the starchy, high carb options. This is a great way to help ensure you're filling up on quality foods and will help keep you on track with your health goals at the same time. 

There you go, 11 tips to not just surviving the holidays, but thriving

Be sure to grab our Holiday Adrenal Survival Guide below for yummy holiday recipes, and your planning tool box for embracing the most stress-free holidays ever!

We wish you a healthy, calm and happy holiday season! 
xo Angela, Danielle + the HYAF Team

Holidays with Adrenal Fatigue: 5 Tips to Survive and Thrive

Why is it that when we are supposed to be celebrating tradition and spending quality time with family and friends we find ourselves ridiculously busy, stress and on the verge of burnout? The holidays can be a challenging time even for the healthiest of people. When you have adrenal fatigue the added stress that the holiday season brings can lead to major adrenal burnout and flare-ups. Here are 5 secrets to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue (and make sure you stay till the end, we want to give you a special holiday gift. It's a lifesaver).

Tip #1 byof

Bring Your Own Food. The holidays are filled with get-togethers focused around food. If you are suffering from food intolerances or allergies as a result of your adrenal fatigue, you most likely have had to give some foods up along the way. If so, you know how frustrating it can be to go to these gatherings. Bringing your own food means that you can still enjoy food and you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out the entire time.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that on my adrenal fatigue healing journey I gave up many foods. Actually, the only thing I never gave up eating is vegetables. I gave up dairy, meat, sugar, gluten, grains, you name it I tried it. Not just for a couple weeks, but for months and sometimes even years at a time. And just for the record I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through and that’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through. That’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

What are your favorite alternative food choices that you don’t want to live without during the holidays? Do you have a good or funny story about sharing your specialty foods with your loved ones?

Tip #2 Boost Your Immune System

During the holiday we do more traveling to the mall, to the supermarket, to events and get-togethers which all bring opportunities to come into contact with germs and other icky bugs that might be lurking around. And because as adrenal fatigue sufferers we already have compromised immune systems, we might be more susceptible and find ourselves constantly “under the weather” at this time of year.  Not good! Getting sick would put a huge damper on our capacity to celebrate.

Be pro-active about your health this season.  Keep yourself healthy by doing a few things to boost the immune system. Go to sleep just a bit earlier than usual each night. Cut down on the sugar intake when you aren’t out celebrating and (this is one of my favorites) use essential oils to protect yourself. Personally, I use the Doterra Oil called Onguard. This oil can be used internally to support the immune and respiratory system and can also be used externally as a non-toxic cleaner to protect against environmental threats. I use it at the first sign of the sniffles or as a preventive by diffusing it in the house or adding a few drops of distilled water and spraying down germ-infested areas like the airplane seat or grocery cart. I am not saying to walk around being a germaphobe to the point where you create anxiety for yourself or others, but simply being prepared can reduce your risk AND make you feel more in control and empowered.

My other favorite immune boosting ritual is drinking Echinacea tea or taking an Echinacea extract, which you can find at a health food store. Some people like Emergen-C or Airborne which are also great options. What essential vitamins and supplements support your immune system? Make sure you don’t forget to take them.

Tip #3 Don’t Fall Into the Crazy Trap

When everyone around you is running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done it’s easy to feel like that is what you are supposed to do too. Just because our society buys into the belief that this time of year has to be crazy, doesn’t mean that it’s true, or that it has to be true for you—no matter what the people around you are doing.   I am telling you that it is possible to avoid that trap. What if you could be that person in line at the supermarket or at the mall while everyone else is huffing and puffing, saying rude things to the checker or just acting annoyed, who is stays cool, calm and collected? You can be an example of what else is possible. And as Gandhi would say “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Tip # 4 Do Your Shopping Online

We have such a luxury now that didn’t exist even 10 –years-ago where you can pretty much buy anything online that you need. So unless you enjoy being out and about this time of year or you have a great deal of patience consider doing all your shopping this year from the convenience of your own cozy couch. Get yourself a cup of your favorite tea, put on some calming music and shop away.  There are lots of options for online shopping these days—it’s not Amazon or nothing. So if you like to shop small or local, check to see if your favorite physical shops have websites…these days you’d be surprised at how many do!

Tip #5 Emotionally Prepare for Your Loved Ones

No matter how close we are to our loved ones or how much we love seeing them during the holidays, it doesn’t negate the fact that family has the ability to bring up a lot of our old “stuff” including limiting beliefs about ourselves, insecurities, failures, etc.

Prepare yourself emotionally by taking some time before you see them to center yourself. Say positive affirmations to yourself. Remind yourself how amazing you are and that your old choices no longer define who you are. Get plenty of sleep and visualize yourself having positive and loving interactions with these people.

I have just given you 5 easy tips to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What things do you do to guarantee more fun and less stress during the holidays? How do you avoid flair up during the holidays? What has been the most helpful piece of information shared here?

Please share this blog with friends, family and/or colleagues you feel could benefit from this information.

All my best,

Angela