Light and Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes

Almond Snowballs

Ingredients

2 Egg Whites

1 Pinch of Course Salt

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Coconut

1 Teaspoon Almond Extract

1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

                                                      9 Candied Cherries, halved

                                                      1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and salt to soft peaks, then add sugar and beat again until peaks are stiff.  Beat in almond flavoring.  Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir in half of the coconut.  Sprinkle nutmeg and flour, stir, then fold in the remaining coconut.

Using a melon baller or small scoop, or working with 2 spoons, form 9 "snowballs" a couple of inches apart on 2 cookie sheets.  Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and garnish each with half a cherry and a couple of slivered almonds.  Transfer to a rack or serving plate to cool.

Per serving, based on 18 servings:  Calories: 64; Total Fat: 4 grams; Saturated Fat: 3 grams; Total Carbohydrates:  7 grams; Sugar: 5 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Sodium: 24 milligrams

Courtesy of Rachel Ray's "Holiday Party Bites"




Chocolate Macaroons  



Ingredients

2 egg whites
1 cup ground almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment or preferably, a silicone pad.

Mix egg whites (unbeaten) with the ground almonds, cocoa and powdered sugar until you have a sticky but cohesive mixture.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and dip your hands in it to wet them before rolling the mixture into little balls the size of walnuts.  You will probably have to re-dunk your hands to keep them moist as you go.

Arrange the macaroon balls on the lined baking tray and put in the oven to bake for 11 minutes.  It's hard to tell when they are ready, as they will seem soft, but they crisp up as they cool.  They should be a little moist inside when they are done baking anyway.

Per Macaroon:  Calories:  54; Total Fat:  2 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Protein: 1 gram; Total Carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar: 7 grams; Sodium: 4 milligrams

Courtesy of The Food Network and Nigella Lawson

Meditation

With the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox comes the longing for a return to productivity. While we welcome the whimsical nature of summer, in the end, we crave a sense of order to our days. We feel better when we are working towards a goal. There is no better time to introduce a new routine that will complement your healthy lifestyle.

Meditation is a great way to round out your physical yoga practice. It has been said that Buddhist monks practiced asana in order to prepare the body for sitting during long periods of meditation.  The benefits of meditation are endless. By taking a few moments to sit quietly, look inward and invite stillness, we can feel negative emotions such as hatred, jealousy, and envy dissolve. Quieting the mind helps us to see the true nature of things-namely that the way to happiness is by making others happy. This is basic karma.

Meditation gives us a feeling of connectedness to all beings. It opens our hearts and makes us more compassionate. If your goal as a yoga practitioner is to reach enlightenment-not just to get a good stretch, meditation is the key.

While adopting a meditation practice may sound daunting at first, it will get easier with consistency. Here are a few tips to guide you....

Meditate at the same time everyday- early morning is best-before your day begins and definitely before your morning coffee.

Sit comfortably- preferably on a cushion. Make sure the temperature is the room is just right.

Check your posture- Sit up nice and tall. Lengthen from the base of the spine. Feel grounded through the hips. Shoulders relaxed. Heart open.

Close your eyes and breathe - focus on the sound of your breath flowing in and out through the nostrils.

Mantra-If the sound of your breath is not enough to quiet your mind, repeat a mantra such as Om.

Intention- You may focus on an intention such as making a loved one happy.

Remember it is not about not thinking. Thoughts will come. Try not to cling to them. Let them go. Most importantly, be patient with yourself. A meditation practice takes time, but it will come-with consistency.  

- Maria

Map 2 Fitness Certified Yoga Instructor

Natural Remedies to Help Prevent the Common Cold

With the change of seasons comes a change of leaf colors and a change of air temperature.  Our days are suddenly shorter and our schedules are somehow busier...for whatever reason, with the change of seasons, we usually have a lower immunity toward the common cold.

If you feel a cold coming on, reach for the fresh garlic cloves to mix into a meal or purchase a garlic tablet that you can take with your daily supplements.  With the many antibacterial properties in fresh garlic, it is difficult for a cold or virus to linger in your body.

If you juice, adding a clove of garlic is a great way to get a daily dose without having to deal with the powerful flavor.  Garlic seems to work best in vegetable based juices as opposed to fruit or citrus.

If you've already contracted a cold virus, in addition to drinking a lot of fresh juice (with garlic!), you should up your intake of vitamin c, zinc, and water, in addition to getting rest.

For a great cold remedy juice, try lemons, citrus fruits, and carrots. Add some herbs known for their antioxidant properties such as: Astragalus, Cayenne Pepper, Echinacea, Elderflowers or Elderberries, *Garlic*, Ginger, Licorice, and Peppermint.

   Immunity Boost Juicing     

          Vitamin C Splash

Blend:  2 oranges  1 grapefruit  1 lime and 1/2 cup of cranberries      

      Hidden Grlic Power Potion

Blend:  3 carrots   6 spinach leave   1 garlic clove   half a lemon   a pinch of cayenne

A great Source of Calcium

by Emma Needleman

5 Best Natural Sources of Calcium for Healthy Bones

Most people think that to protect your bones, you’ve simply got to get enough calcium—specifically by drinking your milk.  But the truth isn’t that simple: Americans, for their part, get about 70 percent of their total calcium intake from dairy products, but we’ve also got some of the world’s highest osteoporosis rates. 

In fact, studies increasingly show that higher dairy consumption is actually associated with increased risk for broken bones.  And, on the heels of a new study that shows calcium and Vitamin D supplements don’t do much to increase bone density, the science increasingly shows that our old habits aren’t cutting it when it comes to protecting our bones.  And while you do need calcium, you also need to consume it in a way that allows for the best possible absorption into your bones.

Let’s start with the dairy issue.  Consuming dairy products is more or less a Western habit—in Asia and Africa, dairy is generally not part of the diet.  Instead, people get their calcium from vegetables, at much lower levels than our recommended average of 1,200 mg a day.  But since vegetables have higher levels of magnesium—which your bones need to absorb calcium—people living in these countries tend to have lower rates of broken bones and fractures.  In diets where fruit and vegetables are the primary sources of calcium, your body will take in calcium and magnesium in a ratio of about 1:1.  In diets where dairy is the primary source of calcium, the ration is more like 12:1. 

Reducing the amount of meat in your diet can also help protect your bones.  Protein is important for building strong bones, but excessive meat consumption can create higher levels of acid in the blood and urine, which the body then tries to regulate by releasing calcium.  You don’t have to become completely vegetarian, but reducing the amount of meat you eat and replacing it with vegetables or other forms of protein will certainly be beneficial to your skeleton.

So how can you get calcium without swigging milk or taking supplements?  Here are 5 of the best natural sources of calcium for healthy bones.

Collard Greens.  Leafy green vegetables are one of the most healthful sources of calcium and magnesium.  One cup of boiled collards contains a whopping 358 milligrams.  Kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, bok choy and turnip greens are full of calcium, too.  The one exception is spinach, which has a high concentration of oxalate, making it difficult for the body to absorb calcium. 

Baked beans.  Beans in general are a great source of calcium, as well as a hearty non-animal protein.  One serving of baked beans contains over 100 milligrams of calcium.  Navy beans, white beans and garbanzos are also full of calcium and magnesium, as are soybean products like tofu.

Oatmeal. Surprisingly, two packets of instant oatmeal contains between 100-150 mg of calcium, and more magnesium than a cup of collard greens.  Quinoa is another calcium-rich grain.  Try either for a healthy breakfast.

Sesame seeds.  Just one tablespoon of sesame seeds contains about 88 milligrams of calcium, and about a third of the daily value for magnesium. Make sure to buy the unhulled kind, though, as it’s the seed’s hull (outer shell) that contains most of the nutrients.  Try grinding themup like flax seeds and adding to breakfast cereal or soups and salads.

Almonds.  Almonds are a nutritional powerhouse, providing a dense source of protein and fiber, along with calcium and other minerals necessary for building strong bones.  Just one serving has 750 milligrams of calcium.  Almonds, plain or mixed with dried fruit, make great snacks by themselves, or try replacing your jar of peanut butter with nutrient-rich almond butter.