Dani1 
Preparing for Holidays/Vacations
The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. ~ Luke 18:27
Many years ago I wrote a book called The Pathway to Abundant Health. Following is a list of guidelines from lesson 26 in the book to especially think on before the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas begins. The wisdom of these thoughts can also be used for any other events or times that you are out of the ordinary comforts of your own home and your own boundaries.
Focus on Who You are With More Than What You are Eating
We can enjoy every holiday, every vacation, every event if we focus on enjoying the company more than focusing on the food.
- Pray for God’s strength
- Keep a food diary every single day. This will help you more than you can realize. It will act as your accountability and it will help eliminate feelings of guilt.
- The choice is yours. You must choose before you enter into the midst of a situation what you will do. If you choose beforehand to make wise choices, you can. If you wait until in the middle, it will be too hard. Choose life.
- Have a protein shake with one or two B Complex tablets each morning. This will keep your blood sugar more even so you will not have cravings. Vitamins B and C are the stress nutrients. They are used up quickly when eating sugar. More is needed in times of stress
- Eat a preload snack before going to any party. ( Shake, Apple, Raw Nuts or Raw Veggies.) At the event, search for the vegetable and fruit trays.
- Don’t allow yourself to get too hungry or too tired. These set you up for failure and can be avoided. Hunger Full Index
- Keep a healthy snack with you at all times like an apple, grapes or nuts. This is an easy way to keep blood sugar from dropping.
- Keep fresh cut-up vegetables in Ziploc bags in the refrigerator. Nibble on these as you prepare dinner, and before you are going to an event. Cultivate a love for these miracle foods.
- Keep fresh cut-up vegetables in Ziploc bags in the refrigerator. Nibble on these as you prepare dinner, and before you are going to an event. Cultivate a love for these miracle foods.
- Bake with Stevia, Raw Honey, Raw Organic Agave, or Pure Maple Syrup if you bake..
- Eat slowly – smaller portions and only one serving except on very, very
- Eat 2 apples and one carrot daily. Extra water, extra fiber.
The choice is yours. No one can make the choices for you. Choose to develop discipline in this area and you will see carry over into other areas.
Commitment
COMMITMENT: I enjoy every vacation, every special event even more than before because I have chosen to focus on the friends and loved ones surrounding me instead of focusing on the food before me. I decIare, “It is just like me to make choices that continue me on the path to extraordinary health. I love it.”
Action
ACTION STEP: In your journal begin to plan now for the next event where you may be sorely tempted to go backward. On paper, write out the possible temptations and your plan for overcoming.
I eat to live, instead of living to eat.
God says, “Without a Vision, My people perish.”
I would add, “Without a Plan, my health vision perishes.”
Remember Stevia.
Drinking Herbal tea with Stevia is so good.
Making lemonade or limeade with Stevia is delicious.
Let me end with our favorite Chocolate Pie recipe:
My mom took the recipe out of a cookbook and worked with it to make it superb:
Carob Cream Pudding or Pie Filling
CAROB CREAM PUDDING OR PIE FILLING
2 TBLS. Carob powder (or Pure Baking Cocoa Powder)
58 drops of Stevia Liquid
5 TBLS Arrowroot Powder
2 Cups Coconut Milk
2 egg yolks only
1/3 to 1/2 Cup Water
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Combine carob powder, stevia, and arrowroot in a pan. Gradually stir in milk to thoroughly mix the dry ingredients. Stir continually while the mixture thickens. Mom says it may become lumpy but just keep stirring the lumps out.
Lightly beat egg yolks and dip about 1/2 cup pudding into the eggs. Combine well and then add back to the pudding as it cooks. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir vanilla extract and butter I use Ghee or a little Coconut Oil to meet Paleo guidelines) into pudding. Serve warm Full Fat Coconut Cream sweetened with Stevia is a great topping.
I also love to make Tapioca just using the recipe on the Tapioca box and using organic coconut milk and stevia for sugar. There are many creative ways to enjoy wonderful food.
Lesson 26 Worksheet:
Preparing for Holidays
What is the next event in your life that will tend
to throw you a temptation concerning your new health habits?
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Plan out how you will face this and overcome it:
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What else may be coming up this month? Next month? This year? Think it through. List the events and the plan. If you enter a situation without a plan, you will probably give in to the situation.
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