I've been coming across so many fantastic health and foodie gifts the past few days. I'm taking it as a sign to create my own "Healthy Holidays Gift Guide." I'll be posting a new gift idea every day to help you with your last minute holiday shopping. And, to make sure we're all caught up I've posted 3 ideas to get started. Do you have a gift you think would be appropriate for our list? Please add it to the comments section below.

So, hold the fruitcake, cocoa powder mixes, peppermint bark and lame gift cards. Buy gifts that will bring health and happiness to other and the planet!

P.S. I'm not affiliated with any of the companies or organizations of these items and I don't get any special deals or money for promoting them. They are just cool things that I've come across and liked.

December 8 - Sprouting Kit
Buying someone a sprouting kit is probably one of the best health gifts you can buy. Sprouting is when a seed is grown just until germination when it starts to grow it's first tiny little green part. It's done by keeping sprouts moist and well ventilated and using a kit is a great way to get started. Plus, since you can watch the change happen and sprouts will begin to grow within 2-4 days it's also an excellent activity for kids (and impatient adults like myself). And you don't need a big garden to have fresh greens. Sprouts might be small but the pack a HUGE nutritional punch with loads of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and essential phytonutrients. Broccoli sprouts in particular have been shown to fight cancer and stomach ulcers. There are a lot of different kinds of sprouting kits out there. I have this sprouting kit that I got as a gift from my mom. You can also just use a jar and some cheese cloth for sprouting. Putting together your own kit along with a book on sprouting would be a great gift as well. Sprouts The Miracle Food: The Complete Guide to Sprouting is a useful guide to get any beginning sprouter started.


December 7 - Water bottle from Lifefactory
It seems like every week there is another water bottle out there that is supposed to be better, safer and snazzier than the previous one. The most recent fad being aluminum bottles which I think make drinks taste funny and I'm sure pretty we'll soon learn that those aren't so great for us either. I think that these beautiful and functional bottles from Lifefactory are THE perfect bottle. They are made of sturdy glass that is inserted into a rubber sleeve and have a nice wide mouth with screw cap. You can put hot and cold drinks in them, put them in the dishwasher and they come in beautiful colors. I've thrown mine around quit a bit and it's still in one piece. They also make baby bottles with the same concept. I don't think you can get much safer than glass. Check out all the options at Lifefactory.com. You can order online or find a store near you.

December 6 - Insulated Market Tote 
I mentioned yesterday how I use re-usable baskets to go grocery shopping. They are fantastic and I get so many compliments on them in the store. Even baggers at the register have said that these are much easier to put groceries in than those floppy bags. One basket I have is insulated with a zippered lid. Not only is it great for transporting home cold items but if I have my dogs in the car it prevents them from rummaging through my groceries if I have to run other errands and leave them alone in the car. My partner and I each grab a basket, fill it with our groceries and then head to the checkout. No shopping cart bumper cars for us! If you're alone, they fit perfectly in the cart as well. I got mine at Cost Plus World Market for only $20 but you can google "insulated market tote with lid" and get lots of other options.


December 5 - Produce Bags from EcoBags

The produce section really drives me nuts with all the plastic bags that are being used. I've resorted to looking like a crazy bag lady by saving plastic bags and shoving them into my re-usable shopping basket. But, plastic bags are still wasteful;
re-usable or not so I think I'll definitely be stocking up on a few of these adorable fabric ones. Plus, you can store your veggies in here much better than in plastic which can cause them to get soft and moldy much faster. And, if they get a little gross just toss them in the wash. Check out the EcoBags.com site for this version or a set of 5 for only $15. If you're more industrious you can always make your own as a little diy gift.




December 2 - The Earthbound Cook by Myra Goodman
I recently went through my Amazon wish list and came across this cookbook I added a while back. Unsure if I wanted to get it I checked it out my local library first. Needless to say, it's now on my must-have Christmas list! This is an unpretentious cookbook that gives you simple recipes and ideas on choosing foods that are healthier for you and the planet. My mouth was watering and I was ready to start rummaging in my pantry for ingredients to get cooking. Plus, with it's over 450 pages you'll never run out of ideas. You can get is on Amazon for around $14.

Being healthy and feeling good doesn't have to cost you tons of money. Before you splurge on organic veggies, grass fed beef and expensive supplements try implementing some of these tips first. They're free, simple and just doing one or two of them can help you digestion, increase your energy and help you de-stress. So, put away your credit cards and buy into taking the first free steps towards health!

Start a Drinking Habit (with water)
Water is essential for life. Mild dehydration can result in impaired physiological and performance responses such as brain fog, fatigue and moodiness. Water helps keep you insides clean and functioning properly by carrying out waste materials and dissolving important nutrients. To determine how much water you need divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water (for example: someone weighing 130 lbs should drink 65 ounces of water/day). Have a water bottle on hand at all times to re-fill. Keep one at your desk that you only use at the office so you know it's always there. I just bought a glass bottle from Lifefactory and totally love it. Not a fan of water? Try adding a slice of lemon or cucumber for a little taste. And, if you go out for drinks after work try to have at least one glass of water for every glass of alcohol you consume. Same goes for drinking coffee and coke. According to Michael Murray you can end up with a net water intake of zero when you consume two cups of water and two cups of coffee, cola or beer. Cheers!

Breathe More
Most of us take very shallow breaths during the day instead of deep full ones. Breathing is similar to drinking - oxygen is crucial for all our vital organs and breathing also helps us rid our bodies of toxins from the body. And, by breathing deeply we are preventing fatigue and brain fog. (Just think about what happens when you hold your breath for too long!) But, what I really want to address with breathing is how to use it when you're stressed. When you are under pressure and stressed out one of the first things we stop doing is breathing properly. This causes an undersupply of oxygen to the body increasing stress on our bodies physically and psychologically. So, the next time you are in a stressful situation do this simple breathing technique:
    1. Close your eyes and place your hands in your lap. Relax your shoulders and legs.
    2. Take a deep breath through your nose to the count of 5. Breath into your abdomen rather than your lungs and feel your stomach expand.
    3. Once you get to 5 hold your breath for one count and then exhale through your mouth to the count of 10.
    4. Repeat this 3-5 times and then open your eyes.

Chow Down and Chew More
Most of us are eating on the run, in our cars or in front of our computers. Once we've inhaled that salad or sandwich we forget that we even ate at all and sometimes begin to feel gassy, bloated, have indigestion, or start burping. It's like putting a t-shirt down your garbage disposal! Your stomach has a substance called hydrochloric acid (HCl) that is very efficient at breaking foods down into substances the body can use. But, when it receives big chunks it can get a little overwhelmed. Plus, bigger pieces of food can puncture holes in your intestinal wall causing leaky gut syndrome. Each bite of food you take should be chewed at least 10 times before being swallowed. You also need to be relaxed when you eat - being stressed or rushed can impede digestion causing you intestinal problems as well. Take at least 15-20 minutes to eat (ideally 30 minutes if you can) and sit down at a table with a chair. Really enjoy your food, ask someone to join you so you have company and some conversation to distract you from eating too fast. Using chopsticks is also a great way to slow down eating.

Get Your "Move" On
I prefer to tell people to start moving than exercising. Exercise makes many people cringe thinking of slugging along on a run or on the eliptical machine at the gym. Rather, I think it's important to think of moving during the day. It should be enjoyable! Organize a group at the office that goes for a 15-20 minute walk during lunch or do some stretching at your desk. Incorporate ways to get moving everyday that work for you lifestyle. You will look better and feel happier. Studies have shown that exercise (a'hem "movement") can put you in a better mood for up to 12 hours afterwards. So, if you have a tendency to feel cranky, get easily stresed at the office or just generally feel down in the dumps - get moving! You'll be amazed at how much your mood will improve. If you do want to go to the gym but feel intimidated hire a trainer for 2 or 3 sessions. They can help you create a routine in the gym that you can easily do yourself. Just getting started is key!

Get Your Zzzz's
Getting enough sleep is like getting enough movement in during the day - who has the time?! Well, we need to make the time. Your health depends on it. A study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey has shown that sleeping fewer than seven hours a night corresponded with a greater risk of weight gain and obesity, and the risk increased for every hour of lost sleep. Also, the less you sleep the more you are apt to eat during the day. Being tired can increase your likelihood of feeling stress which can lead to weight gain. Sleep more, weigh less. Now, just laying in bed for 7-8 hours is not enough - you also need to get good quality sleep. Make sure your room is dark, turn around your alarm clock if it gives off a lot of light, do what you can to block out any noises and make sure the room temperature is not too hot or too cold. You want to have uninterrupted, deep sleep for 7-8 hours. Then, you'll be able to wake up refreshed, happy and ready to maybe even go for a morning walk!

A big salad accompanies our dinners most nights of the week. It gets eaten straight out of our wooden salad bowl which is a great way to save on dishes :)

My favorite lettuce types are mixed baby greens, spinach and arugula. But, because these are such delicate varieties you have to buy them fresh and eat them fast to enjoy their delicious crunch.

But, sometimes things get in the way, dinner plans change and our poor lettuce starts to droop and flop in the fridge crisper. Pretty soon we've got lettuce mush and it ends up in the trash (or compost!) I hate throwing away food, it drives me crazy.

How can you avoid wimpy salad greens and have clean lettuce ready to go?
Easy! Store your salad greens in your salad spinner.

As soon as I get home from the grocery I wash my greens and get them nice and dizzy in the salad spinner. Then, I put the spinner in the fridge. Done! I have found that this keeps my greens crisp and fresh much longer then keeping them in a bag. I have even "re-crisped" salad greens that have already started going limp by the time I get home from the grocery. Plus, there are no excuses to not have a salad ready in 5 minutes flat. Toss them in a bowl, drizzle on some oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, maybe some lemon juice, fresh herbs and add chopped tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds, blueberries, goat cheese, shredded carrot.....ok, you get the idea.

Pass on the iceberg
Sure, iceberg lettuce is fine. But for me the name says it all....it leaves me a bit cold and doesn't have any personality.

Start incorporating dark and red colored varieties in your diet. Dark leafy greens are packed with lots of wonderful nutrients such as vitamin A, C, K, calcium, folate, fiber and antioxidants (red leaf is especially high in antioxidants).
Plus, you can eat as much as you want. Lettuce has only 7 calories per 1 cup serving - so munch away! Just watch how much dressing and other goodies your adding.

Make your salad a meal
Many of us like to have a salad for lunch. It's quick, light, healthy and easy to transport to the office. But, most salads are not substantial enough to be a meal and usually you're hungry less than an hour later. Start incorporating some healthy fats in your salad to turn your side salad into a delicious lunch that will keep you full longer. Some great additions are:
- Avocado (2 ounces = 100 calories)
- Sunflower seeds (1 tablespoon = 90 calories)
- Whole almonds (10 almonds = 60 calories)
- Hard boiled egg (1 egg = 77 calories)
- Tuna in olive oil (3 ounces = 160 calories)
- Hard salami (1 ounce = 108 calories)

The reason adding healthy fats keeps you satisfiied is that fat takes longer to digest and therefore keeps you full longer. This way you're less likely to go scrounging for snack later on. Add a small sweet potato, a 1/2 cup of brown rice or a piece of fruit (if you have a sweet tooth) and you'll definitely be full until dinner and not tempted by office cupcakes.

RESOURCES:
Read more about the health benefits of different lettuce varieties and see images check out the Colorado State Extension service.

Traveling and trying to eat well and be really difficult. Especially, if you are trying to stick to particular diet or way of eating.

This summer we are planning on doing a number cycling events and will be staying in a few different hotels before and after these events. So, to save money and stay on track with our eating needs I created "Tanya's Traveling Kitchen."

We gave it a test run on our trip to Santa Rose to ride in the Amgen Breakaway Ride, Stage 2 last weekend. Although it needs some tweaking it was a pretty big success. We ate 3 meals with the "Traveling Kitchen" and probably saved ourselves at least $100 by not eating out and felt strong and well nourished for our ride.

Here's is an aerial view "Tanya's Traveling Kitchen" on top of a desk in our hotel room. Most of the things are pretty obvious, but here are a few tips for creating your own traveling kitchen:

What NOT to bring:
1) Plates: You can eat everything out of a bowl, plates will just take up extra room. If you want to be extra prepared bring bowls with lids - you never know when you might have to store leftovers.
2) Cups or mugs: Most hotels have some glasses and/or mugs in the room so don't bring your own. We always travel with water bottles as well and they are good back up.
3) Your whole knife set: You don't want people to see your kitchen coming down the street with clanking pots and pans so keep it really basic. Bring only one knife, one cooking spoon, one cutting board, one pot etc.
And don't forget:
1) Multi Plug Extension Cord: Hotels don't have a ton of extra plugs sitting around for you. Sometimes you have to decide between TV and charging you cell phone. So, bring along an extra extension cord with a few spots to plug into. That way you can use the lights, watch TV, charge your phone AND cook dinner all at the same time!
2) Cleaning Supplies: Somehow sponges and soap can end up at the bottom of the list. Also, bring a few extra small dishrags; you never know when you might have to clean up a spill and you don't want to be a jerk and get tomato sauce all over the hotel towels.
3) Call Ahead: Call the hotel and find out what all will be available in your room. We were lucky and had a small fridge in our room and a coffee maker. Know what to expect so you can come prepared.

Since we were going to be limited in what we could make at the hotel I prepared most of our ingredients ahead of time.

For dinner I had made ahead Mini Turkey Meatloafs and pasta at home. At the hotel I quickly boiled some cauliflower we had leftover from a few days earlier and then tossed those veggies together with cut up meatloaf, jarred tomato sauce and pasta. (That's Dani with her HUGE bowl of pre-race pasta).

For breakfast we planned on having quinoa breakfast cereal. I had cooked up some quinoa in our rice cooker at home and prepared all pre-measured dry ingredients in small tupperware containers. This included; chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, ground flax and hemp seeds. I tossed them into our warmed quinoa and added almond milk, chopped apple and honey. (Cinnamon would have been a good addition, which didn't occur to me until later. Next time!) Yummm!

Two things we learned that we'll adjust for next time....

One, if you and your partner have dietary restrictions (i.e. Tanya isn't eating dairy but Dani is) defer to the person with the special needs. So, on the 2nd morning I made both of our cereals with almond milk instead of making two separate batches. This made things go much faster.

Second, bring along an extra container with a lid or extra bowl of sorts (I know, this is breaking rule #2 on what NOT to bring). Reason being is that you may need somewhere to put any overflow food while you're cooking. So, if you just cooked your broccoli and then need to put it somewhere to keep while you cook the rest it's good to have an extra bowl on hand.

I hope this will inspire you to create your own little traveling kitchen if you find yourself in a hotel. You don't have to go as far as we did. Even just being prepared with a knife and small cutting board you can cut up apples and cheese or spread some nut butter on a rice cake. No excuses for not eating well when you're on the road!

Spring is a time for renewal, cleaning up and getting back on track. So, I thought this was the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite foods that I've neglected lately - eggs. Eggs are a staple in our house and I usually always have at least eight hard boiled eggs sitting in the fridge.

To do a little celebration of Easter we had our friends Beth and Amy over on Sunday to color eggs. Now we have about 18 beautifully colored hard boiled eggs in our fridge. Now I'm really back on track with our egg snacks.

Eggs have gotten a bad rap recently. First they were bad for cholesterol, now most recent studies have shown that they are high in Omega-3's and actually reduce the risk of heart disease. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that most people can eat 1 to 2 eggs a day without measurable changes in their blood cholesterol levels. Plus, eggs are an excellent source of protein which is helps maintain fullness. That's why eggs are perfect for breakfast. Some people even consider eggs to be the nearly perfect food because they contain the second highest quality food protein known.

Choose eggs from free-range or organically raised chickens. Commercially raised chickens are given processed grains sprayed with pesticides and antibiotics. The chickens convert much of the starch in these grains into saturated fat and this fat ends up in the yolk. On the contrary free-range chickens are fed naturally occurring seeds and insects and so don't store such high amounts of fat and pesticides. Plus, some free-range chickens are also fed flaxseed or special feed which increases the omega-3 content of their eggs.

So, grab a pot, your eggs and water. In less than 20 minutes you will have a simple snack that is packed with amazing nutrition, vitamins and protein.

THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG
Yes, perfect might be taking a leap. But, this recipe really is perfect. My friend Sandy Gluck, host of Everyday Food on Martha Stewart Living Radio shared these steps with and they have never steered me wrong. I almost never end up with a grey yolk - they are always incredibly yellow and delicious.

1) Place eggs in saucepan and cover with approximately 1 inch of water.
2) Bring water to a simmer where a few big bubbles begin to break the surface of the water
3) Remove from heat and let sit for 12 minutes
4) Drain and rinse under cold running water. You can also let them sit in cold water for a few minutes to cool them off. Unpeeled eggs can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.