“School is closed today due to inclement weather.” It’s the call kids across the country hold out hope for in the winter—engaging in superstitious rituals from flushing ice cubes down the toilet to sleeping with their pajamas inside out in an effort to bring on a snow day. Snow days are the stuff of childhood dreams. They’re also almost certain to drive parents slightly batty. The longer it snows, the more likely kids are to start bouncing off the walls. And the more they bounce off the walls, the more our heads start to pound. When you’re feeling like you just can’t play one more board game or read one more picture book, here’s how to push through the stir crazy to the other side with your kids. From inside activities that will get their sillies out to outside fun that will make them forget they’re cold, help is on the way!
1. Dance it out.
Whether it’s snowing so hard you can’t see more than an inch or two in front of your face or the sun has set and your kids are still raring to go, cranking up the tunes is an easy way to focus all of that energy. Throw your own Dancing With the Stars–style competition in the middle of your living room or grab a hairbrush and recreate the sing-along from Stepmom.
2. Bring on the obstacles.
You’re going to have to shovel, so why not make the most of your back-breaking duties? Turn the backyard into an obstacle course with mounds of the white stuff piled beneath the swing set for jumping, paths for jogging, and more surprises to keep them moving. Really need a break from the constant “Mooooooooooooom” whining? Add on the extra challenge of a scavenger hunt to keep them busy longer. Can they spot a backyard blue jay or some pawprints left behind by a neighborhood cat?
3. Blow bubbles.
If you’ve got some bubble solution (or just water and dish detergent) left over from the summer, have some fun with science. Fill a shallow bowl with solution, take it outside, and let the kids blow air into the liquid with a straw. Voilà: frozen bubbles! You can also grab a bubble wand and let them send their bubbles flying the old fashioned way. If it’s cold enough, they’ll freeze mid-air and shatter on the ground.
4. Fill the tub.
With snow that is! Playing with snow inside is a fun treat, but it can get messy fast. Filling the tub with the white stuff means all that water has a place to go when it melts. You can let the kids climb in and stamp around (and then dry their cold tootsies off quickly), set up toys so they can build indoor snow villages, or just let them dig in and feel the sensations with their fingers.
5. Make ice cream.
There is one night a year when it’s mandatory that children have ice cream for dinner: the night you make snow ice cream. Don’t worry; you don’t need an ice cream maker or any fancy ingredients for this. All you need is some sugar, milk, salt, vanilla, (clean) snow, and some seriously excited kids. Oh, right, and a recipe from Gimme Some Oven for the one dessert your kids are never going to forget. They may even take a break from hitting each other with the couch cushions long enough to hug you for this one.
6. Bring the snowmen inside.
Looking for something a little less sugary? Bring on the snowmen! String cheese, tomatoes, and a little fresh basil make for tasty caprese snowman snacks with jaunty scarves (that can be picked off and handed to mom) in this super simple recipe from Arts & Crackers. Or you can pop some popcorn and draw snowman faces on plastic cups to create friendly snacks for a movie marathon.
7. Tape it up.
If you have a roll of painter’s or masking tape, you’ve got the makings of a game that can occupy the kids for hours (okay, at least 30 to 45 minutes). Rip off strips of tape and create shapes on the floor to serve as “bases” during a game of Simon Says. The kids will wear themselves out crab walking from the diamond shape to the triangle and moonwalking from one square to another.
8. Bowl them over.
Snowball fights are cold and can send the whole family to the ER. Who needs snowballs when you’ve got balled-up socks? And who needs to throw them at each other when you can do a little snowball bowling? Make a plastic cup tower and let the kids “bowl” with their soft, dry snowballs. The first one to knock down all the cups gets the first bowl of snow ice cream! The best part of helping your kids fight their way through the “I’m bored”s on a snow day? A little extra snuggle time after they tire out!
Finding that special someone can be hard (and frustrating and time consuming—we’ve been there!), but it’s all worth it when you find the right person for you. The last few years have seen a huge boom in the use of online dating and dating apps. No surprise there; everyone wants love. And if technology can make it that much easier to find The One, why not use a dating app?
The Rise of Digital Dating
Dating apps are so ubiquitous that they’re just a part of everyday life for many people. According to a 2015 study, 15 percent of adults in America have used dating apps or websites. Although 15 percent may not sound like a lot, this number has almost tripled among 18- to 24-year-olds since 2013. Part of the reason for this growth? Online dating is no longer taboo. Amanda Bradford, founder of the dating app The League, toldInsights by Stanford Business, “we’re cracking a whole new demographic of people that even two years ago wouldn’t even dare to consider online dating because there was still a stigma attached to it. It used to be if you’re online dating, people thought it meant you couldn’t meet people in person so you had to resort to doing it online. I feel like that isn’t true anymore.” New to online dating or thinking about giving it a try? There is a fairly good chance that it could work for you. A 2016 Consumer Reportssurvey of 115,000 people found that among those who use dating apps, 44 percent had found a long-term relationship or marriage. Hearing a success story or seeing a friend in love with a partner they met online is enough to convince just about anyone who’s been reluctant to finally give digital dating a try.
The Best Things About Using Dating Apps
One reason dating apps are so popular is that they’re just so simple to use. You get to skip right past that awkward stage of wondering if someone is actually interested in dating because you know that they are on the market. As dating apps grow in popularity, each app develops its own niche for what kind of date you’re likely to set up and with whom. Some are inherent in the theme of the app (looking for Jewish singles in your area? There is a dating app for that), but others have gotten a rep by word of mouth or through the media. Doing a little research allows you to pick and choose which apps you want to use to make sure the other people using the app are looking for the same thing. This can help save you from going on a date with someone who just wants to hook up when you’re looking for a long-term partner. Of course, even if you’re matched with someone who has the same goals as you do, it may not work out. This isn’t a bad thing, though! You can make friends with people you’ve never met before, see parts of your city you wouldn’t have otherwise, and learn more about yourself and what you need from a relationship. Dating apps can also provide a ton of options of people to meet. Instead of hoping to connect with the couple of singles in your friend group or maybe hit it off with a friend of a friend, a dating app will allow you to meet basically as many people as you want. And you can find them through the phone that’s right there in your pocket or purse. But having all those choices isn’t always the best thing when it comes to making an actual decision about a possible partner.
The Downside of Dating Apps
Having so many options is both a plus and a minus when it comes to dating apps. There’s plenty of choice just picking which app you want to use, let alone the numbers of potential partners you can find there. Feeling overwhelmed by choice is the one of the worst bits about dating in the digital age: You could send hundreds of messages across different apps in a day if you really put your mind to it. This is called the paradox of choice, which boils down to the feeling that nothing (or in this case nobody) is the right choice when you’re given a great many options—meaning it’s easier to choose one person to date when you only have a few options total versus, say, considering every eligible bachelor in New York. Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who tells HealthyWay that dating apps are changing the way that we see romance. “Because these apps provide what seems like an endless stream of options, romance has become a commodity. Something we acquire on the open market, like a pair of sneakers.” He says that this allows us to get easily distracted because there are always more choices.
Digital Dating on Your Brain
The growth in the number of dating apps and the number of people using dating apps leads many to wonder what kind of emotional impact this has on all of us. Psychologist and relationship expert Paulette Sherman, PhD, says that we need to be careful using dating apps because it can “depersonalize” a new relationship until you’ve met several times. Depersonalization means “the person may not allow themselves to get too excited initially and they may be more practical and jaded” than excited. Sherman says “Romance is fueled by the heart not the head, so this initial mental (or judgmental) context can decrease romance in favor of practicality at first.” But, have no fear, you can still build a romantic relationship from a slightly awkward first date. “Things can still get more romantic after they have met offline and are connecting in real time.” Sherman suggests that if you’re using dating apps, you should try to meet someone in person sooner rather than later. “Too many singles text back and forth for months before meeting and that virtual relationship feels intimate and real. But oftentimes that person may not intend to put effort into meeting in real time and you respective real lives would not mesh. So make this transition early on.” It’s also a good idea to start off small if you’re new to the world of digital dating. Hokemeyer suggests treating dating apps like you would a condiment: “use them sparingly and with discretion. The main nutrients of a robust romantic life should be physical encounters with other human beings who you can experience with the fullness of your senses.”
The Best Dating Apps
There are more dating apps right now than any one person could possibly ever use. Although they have some fundamental similarities (like the most basic goal of finding you a date) they’re all different in their own way. These are 18 of the most popular dating apps and a little bit about each.
The app that brought the dating world the swipe left or right feature is most popular with young adults looking for romance. Tinder finds users who are in close proximity to your location that you swipe through. If you and a potential date both swipe right you can chat within the app. Erin Shields, a 26-year-old startup account manager in New York, met her current boyfriend of eight months nearly seven years ago, but they had lost touch when she moved to a new city. They were able to reconnect by matching on Tinder when he moved to the same city, and they’ve been happily dating ever since. Tinder is free to start but limits the number of right swipes in a day (you can opt to pay for extras).
Bumble is similar to Tinder in that you are matched with people based on your location, and it features the swipe left and right function. Bumble differentiates itself by only allowing the woman (in a heterosexual match) to message first. Either person can message first in a same-sex match. No matter who is messaging, the other person must reply within a day or the match disappears. “I use Bumble most often because I have fun coming up with interesting conversation starters. Though be warned: Dudes apparently don’t like it when you ask if Amy Dunne was justified in Gone Girling herself” says Tegan Reyes, a 25-year-old publicist from New York. Bumble is free to start and you can choose to pay for extras.
For LGBTQ+ people, there is Grindr, which calls itself “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.” It’s similar to the above apps, because it chooses matches by location. You can scroll through photos and send messages to people you’re interested in chatting with. Grindr is free, but you can pay for premium features.
Clover bills itself as a mix of just about every dating service you’ve heard of. It’s got a similar setup to Tinder, except you can see everyone who has liked you. Clover finds potential matches based on location but allows you to turn your location off. You can also filter by different physical types (e.g., height, hair color), and you can set up group chats as well as one-on-one messages. Clover is also free but you can pay to get extra features.
Raya is the dating app for celebrities only—or so we’ve heard. Raya is very hush-hush about who is accepted into their “private network” and why. If you get make it through their tough acceptance algorithm, Raya costs eight bucks a month. According to Nylon, you just may be able to chat it up with celebs like Cara Delevingne, Ruby Rose, Cody Simpson, Elijah Wood, and more. Let us know if you do!
Hinge is a subscription-based service that calls itself “the relationship app” because their goal is for you to find a lasting relationship (as opposed to a casual fling). Instead of swiping or sending a like, you can comment on people’s profiles, which puts a little more thoughtul interaction into each match. “Hinge is great because it allows you to engage with diverse aspects of someone’s personality, rather than just a picture and their height. Through the questions and prompts that you can answer on your profile, you are able to get a sense of whether or not you might click with that person” says Rachel Benzing, 25-year-old freelance performance artist from Chicago.
OkCupid uses a detailed questionnaire to help find matches with similar interests through their algorithm (as opposed to finding people based on location alone). When OkCupid matches you with prospective dates you can send a message. OkCupid is free to use but you can pay for extras such as advanced filters.
Match claims it’s the #1 dating app. Think of this subscription-based service as a mix between Tinder and OkCupid. You can choose to see people who are near your location, and Match can use their algorithm to set you up with people they think you will like. From there you can send winks and messages.
Tastebuds seeks to match you with possible dates through your taste in music. Everyone needs a good concert buddy! Tastebuds can be used to find both romantic and platonic relationships. If music is a big part of your life, this would be an awesome app to try. Add your favorite bands and get to know new people nearby by sending them a song in app. Tastebuds is totally free to use.
The League is a dating app geared toward working professionals. Unlike other apps where you can swipe through a great number of different people per day, the League narrows it down to just a few prospects. If you choose to go for the free app you get three matches per day; if you pay to become a member you get five (and other bonuses).
JSwipe, which bills itself as the number one Jewish dating app, is pretty darn similar to Tinder (location based, swipe left and right, chat with people who match with your right swiping). It’s free to join but it’ll cost extra for perks, such as boosting your profile to be seen more often and connecting with people across the globe (as opposed to just those nearby).
Plenty of Fish (POF) says they have “more conversations than any other dating site,” and it has you take a “chemistry test” to help find matches who have similar interests. You can send as many messages as you want for free. You can also choose to pay to upload more photos to your profile, among other perks.
Happn tries to match you with people you’ve literally crossed paths with. Want to meet that cutie you saw in the elevator? Happn is the app for that. You can see users whose path you’ve crossed and like the people you’re interested in meeting. If they like you too then you can send messages to each other. All of that is free, but if you want to send a hello without waiting for someone to like you back it costs one in app token (you free tokens to start, then you pay to get more).
If you’ve been catfished before, you may want to use Fliqpic. Their whole selling point is that you can instantly video chat with matches before meeting in real life. Similar to Match and OkCupid, you take a personality test and are matched with people through your answers. Another selling point? It’s totally free.
Once brings you one hand-picked match every day instead of using a computer to choose matches for you. Your and your match of the day get 24 hours to decide if you like each other before the two of you can chat. Once is free to use, but if you would like more than one match per day you can pay for a premium subscription.
Align seeks to match you with the perfect person based on your astrological signs. (It uses Western astrology, Chinese zodiac, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to find out as much as possible about you.) Then you can send messages and get to know your matches. This app is only available in Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay area. If you live in one of the three lucky cities, Align is totally free.
Having more detail makes finding the perfect date easier, right? Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) uses your interests, preferences, and Facebook connections (so you can meet friends of friends) to help find you a match. Their algorithm learns over time what you’re looking for to help find you better matches, and the app has a new video feature. CMB is free to use, but you can pay for premium features like deeper insights into your matches.
Pure doesn’t beat around the bush with their users. It’s a subscription-based app for finding people to casually hook up with, not for long-term relationships. Pure matches you with people nearby, and you can chat for up to an hour before the app totally deletes your conversation (similar to Snapchat). Ready to give one or more of these dating apps a try? We’ve got some tips for that!
Digital Dating Safety Tips
Once you’ve connected with someone and you’re planning to meet up, it’s important to take a few precautions just to make sure you’ll be safe. It’s not just for your sexual health (where bringing protection is a good plan) but also for your physical safety. Most of these are common sense but bear repeating. Getting together with someone you’ve never met before isn’t a necessarily a bad thing. But if you have a roommate, friend, or co-worker you trust, letting them know your plans is an easy precaution to take. Just give them the name (and number, if you have it) of the person you’re meeting and the when, where, and for how long. That way you have some backup if things go amiss. Also, you’ll probably want to provide your own transportation to and from the date. Being stuck in a car with someone you just don’t click with isn’t exactly fun. The University of South Carolina also suggests setting your first meeting during the day in a public area. Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel like a date is going south, your date is raising some red flags, or you just don’t have chemistry, you don’t need to stick around. This is when having your own transportation or cab money is super helpful. Text your trusted friend to let them know you’re leaving early and head on home. No harm done. Relationship expert Sherman reminds us to appreciate the ease that comes from dating apps. Dating should be fun, after all! She says “dating is a numbers game, and with people being so busy these days, dating apps are a good tool to meet one-on-one with other singles at a time and place that works for you.” Now that you have a good idea of which dating app is the right fit for you, set up an account and get busy meeting your perfect person! [related article_ids=8257]
There are few things better than hearing a solid mom confession. It’s a glimpse into the realities of life and parenting. True reality, as opposed to the manufactured reality we see on social media, is a very beautiful thing.
As mothers, indulging in a momfession lets us breathe a sigh of relief. They recenter us and remind us that we’re not alone. Because you know what? Motherhood is hard. Motherhood is the real deal. Perhaps most of all, motherhood is something we’re constantly learning about, learning through.
Take me for example. Two months ago, my fourth baby was born. And since then, the confessions I’ve racked up…wow, they amaze even me (and after four kids, not much surprises me!). But the oddest confession I have to share?
Ready for it?
Really?
I love that my baby doesn’t sleep through the night.
I know, I know, wild! Who would like that? Well, I do. With a gaggle of kids, I have to be super intentional about spending one-on-one time with each of them. Most days, I either don’t or can’t get that time. It’s something I’m working on, because I know how they and I both crave that special connection. It grounds us and brings us back together. It lets them know that they are intensely loved, and it reminds me why I’m at home, investing in their lives no matter how monotonous these little years seem.
Since the big kids can all race for my attention, my youngest doesn’t get that one-on-one time during the day. But at night, he’s all mine, and I’m all his. When he wakes up to nurse, I love that I get to hold and snuggle him. Granted, when it happens every hour, I start feeling a bit foggy, but once or twice? That’s perfect. Sometimes he’s awake, and we stare into each other’s eyes. Sometimes he dream feeds, and I just hold his little hand while his body is cradled up against mine.
I do look forward to the day when all of my children sleep through the night. But until then, I’m soaking up every last moment of that precious time with just the two of us.
I’ve got a crew of moms ready to spill their deepest, darkest secrets. Maybe one of them will put to words something you’ve quietly thought to yourself recently!
“I let my kids decide how much candy they want to eat.”
“My most recent guilty pleasure,” says Jacoba, a mom of two, “was enjoying the smile on my toddler’s face when I let her eat as much of her Halloween candy as she wanted. It turned out to be about five partial pieces before she got distracted, but I felt a bit like a kid again myself when I let her do it.”
Maria Sanders, a licensed social worker and a parent coach, completely understands Jacoba’s rationale: “Sometimes it just feels good to give in! I love seeing my kids happy! I tell my kids no so many times throughout the day. We all know a bunch of candy in one day won’t kill them. So, why not just say yes?”
“It’s important for our children to know that while we set many boundaries for things like TV, food, and other things,” Sanders says, “we can also have some flexibility.”
“We are models for our children, so it’s good for them to see that sometimes it’s okay to break the rules! Setting boundaries is necessary. However, we must also allow enough independence to be given to our children so they can express their true, authentic selves.”
“I lie about song lyrics.”
Laura, a mom of two, has a brilliant little life hack for all us moms: “My children think that whenever Bruno Mars uses the word ‘sex’ [in his song, ‘Locked Out of Paradise’], he’s saying ‘snacks.’ I am just not ready to explain what sex is, and I don’t think they actually care yet. So I’m saving myself drama and get to have a cute little secret along the way.”
Emberlee, a mom of three, does the same thing: “My kids have heard the words wrong before, and I totally go with it.”
“I’ve also changed words myself. For ‘Uptown Funk,’ they think it says, ‘I’m too hot, I am’ instead of ‘hot damn,’ so I love that. For ‘Shut Up and Dance With Me,’ we say ‘Get up and dance with me.'”
Sanders understands these moms’ thought processes and comments: “Changing the words in songs is actually a really good skill! Many children are not developmentally ready to engage in these heavy duty topics.”
“I water down my kids’ juice.”
“My kids are grown now,” says Kathy, a mom of three, “but when they were little, I would buy the juice concentrate from the freezer section and put an extra container or two of water in the juice pitcher when I mixed it up.”
“My girls were baffled why the same brand/flavor of juice at their grandma’s house tasted so much better … well, grandma bought juice from the refrigerated section and wouldn’t dare to think of throwing off the ratios!”
Quite a few moms shared this sentiment. Because let’s face it, when our kid
s aren’t feeling well, we get to snuggle them up, watch movies together, and fit in extra naps. It’s nice to slow down!
“We don’t have time to snuggle anymore! We live in a fast paced, do-do-do world,” Sanders says. “We have access to emails and phone calls all day long, but we crave that physical touch.”
On average, parents spend somewhere between an hour to an hour and a half caring for their child. “So wishing that your child is sick so you can snuggle makes sense. We get quiet time, we get that physical contact, and maybe we can even have a nice conversation with our children.”
“I hide veggies in TONS of meals.”
“I put protein powder or shredded veggies in so many things,” Charissa, a mom of four, shares. “I tell my 6-year-old that I put special powers in his food (like superhero type powers), and he eats it all up!”
“I think it’s important to give children veggies, and if you have to sneak it in, that’s better than nothing,” says Sanders, “But you need to balance that with having your kids try real solid food … for example, cooked carrots and raw carrots; mashed potatoes, french fries, and a whole potato.”
I think we’d all agree that’s true, but I, for one, love Charissa’s superhero spin. What kid doesn’t want to try something that will make him big and strong?
“I enjoy coparenting with my ex.”
“Ah, this is something divorced moms don’t admit when they are talking to married moms, but the truth is they’ve earned that ‘mamma only time,'” says Amy McManus, licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Thrive Therapy. “Being a single parent is even more exhausting than parenting with a partner, and you are allowed to enjoy the breaks!”
Tina, a mom of three, is all about the coparenting game.
“Coparenting is awesome,” she says. “You and the kids get a break from each other, and you’re more apt to give them your best since you aren’t with them every single second.”
Sometimes, seemingly negative situations can create some bright opportunities.
“I love summer break more than the school year.”
Often, we hear parents lament the start of summer break since the hours of childcare significantly increase without the routine of school, but Julia, a mom of one, shares: “Summer break allows a flexible schedule. The school year is stressful to me.” And it’s not a secret that stress is commonplace with parenting.
Sanders notes that flexible schedules allow for more creativity in the activities parents plan for their child.
“I don’t mind when my kid misbehaves.”
“I’m always so proud of my teen when he does well during the week and earns his allowance. When he doesn’t, however, I spend his allowance on myself at Ulta or Sephora,” Kelly, a mother of two, confesses.
Eek! What a lesson.
“‘If you don’t do your chores, then I will do them and I will treat myself to something nice,'” Sanders says. “So if your teen can see that if they actually did their chores, they too can spend the allowance on themselves, then maybe they will be motivated to do some work around the house.”
“I embrace my kids’ messes.”
Jody, a mother to triplets, relishes in a messy house…and a less-than-pulled-together look for herself. Why?
“I kind of don’t mind when my kids dump their toys everywhere—like, everywhere—or when my kids are uber tired and cranky and throwing fits at the witching hour,” she explains. “[It gives me] an excuse [as to] why I look like s*** and am tired and in a bad mood when my hubby comes home.”
Many of us go in to motherhood believing that it will be possible to figure out the best way to parent. It doesn’t take long to realize that is simply not the case.
Jody is completely normal, according to Sanders, who commends her for looking at her life through a positive lens: “… being able to find the bright side of things is a good skill. My kids’ crazy messes can drive me nuts, too, but it’s great when you can flip it around and use it to your benefit.”
Transparency is huge in parenting.
It makes the picture-perfect social media life disappear and returns to it an element of truth. When you and I take the time to be transparent about our struggles, shortcomings, hopes, and desires, we open the door to build a village of like-minded moms.
“It’s tough to be a mom,” McManus says. “There are a lot of expectations, some from outside, and many we just put on ourselves. Many of us go into motherhood believing that it will be possible to figure out the best way to parent. It doesn’t take long to realize that is simply not the case.”
At the end of the day, your best is good enough.
“There are many different theories of parenting, and when you are in the trenches, sometimes you just do the first thing you think of. There is a lot of judgment, as well, not only from society in general, but also from other moms,” McManus continues. “The more moms can open up and share their true feelings and experiences with each other, the more they can all begin to support each other in this crazy endeavor called ‘parenting.”
No doubt we are all trying our best in this motherhood gig, confessing our secrets along the way.
“At the end of the day, your best is good enough,” says parent coachGina Baker. If you question whether or not you should make a confession yourself, don’t hesitate! That dose of reality allows us to thrive as moms. The real deal is the best deal.
The holidays are about twinkling lights and candlelit nights. Snow-covered trees and doors decked with wreathes.
Oh, and cookies. Let’s not forget the cookies.
If you’re cutting grains from your diet this holiday season, though, you might be having a tough time in the cookie department. Traditionally, grain-free treats are a bit, well, bland. Take out that pure white flour, the recipes order. While you’re at it, that perfectly sweet sugar, too. And what do you often get? Desserts that are dry, chalky, and downright (and ironically) grainy.
But don’t lose your cheer, my dear: We have some cookies for you. Grain-free, gluten-free, made without refined sugar, and dipped in dark chocolate, our recipe for no-puff sugar cookies is one that Mrs. Claus would be happy to share with her round and plump hubby.
Thankfully, it has a short ingredient list. This is a big relief: Grain-free baking can call for some pretty crazy ingredients, sometimes requiring a full day of shopping just to hunt down hard-to-find items. This recipe calls for ingredients that are now carried in most traditional grocery stores. You may have to check the organic aisle for the almond flour, coconut flour, and coconut sugar, but they should be easy to find.
The other thing we love about this recipe is the way is comes together—and comes out. With a simple stir, you’ll have a soft, not-too-sticky dough that’s ready to cut into any shape you desire (we went with a miniature star cutter). Our final cookies were just a little larger than an inch wide, and they made perfect one-bite morsels. Once baked, they were soft with a touch of crispiness around the edges. Truly a perfect sugar cookie! Brooke Lark
While using icing is fine, too, you can keep the healthy vibe going by dipping them into grain-sweetened chocolate candy coating. A little bit of coconut oil, too, will keep that chocolate perfectly smooth and help it dry without mottling. The cookies will look as good on your party table as they did in your kitchen.
When it comes to decorating, we kept it pretty simple by using holiday-colored sprinkles, but the sky is the limit here. Hit the baking aisle in your local craft store, and let your imagination fly! Nonpareils, jimmies, or even shaped sprinkles are just a’waitin’ to be put on your creations!
Ready to snack this winter? Read the recipe below, then keep scrolling to find a few more grain-free recipes that are perfect for your grain-free holidays.
Grain-Free, No-Puff Sugar Cookies
Yield: 40 1″ star cookies Total Time: 30 minutes
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
½ cup coconut sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp. almond or vanilla extract
¾ cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Sprinkles
Heat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, egg, and extract. Once a soft (but not sticky) dough forms, turn out onto a separate piece of parchment, knead slightly, then cover with parchment and roll to ¼” thick.
Using any cookie cutter you prefer, cut shortbread into shapes. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 5–7 minutes, or just until the edges turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. Dip cookies into chocolate.
Transfer to a piece of parchment. Sprinkle. Refrigerate or allow chocolate to harden. Enjoy!
A Few More Grain-Free Favorites
Honey Gingerbread Cookies
You will be shocked at how beautifully this recipe for paleo honey gingerbread cookies bakes up! Nature Nates
You might think it’s impossible to build a truly tasty gingerbread house without flour and sugar, but this honey-sweetened recipe is as scrumptious as gingerbread can be.
Added bonus: It bakes up into the most crisp, perfect pieces that don’t puff once baked. So you can finally print those gingerbread house plans from the internet and create a homemade house that looks just like it does on Pinterest. Paleo win!
Lemon Macadamia Nut Cookies
Looking for a truly stunning holiday cookie? Brighten up the dessert table with these zesty lemon macadamia nut cookies. Cotter Crunch
They’re so gorgeous, you’d never guess they are grain-free! Friends who love lemon bars are going to go ga-ga over these tasty little bites. They’re a mouth-watering addition to classic holiday flavors. They look beautiful surrounded by sugared lemons, too!
Sea Salt Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Upgrade classic chocolate chip cookies with a seasonal maple flavor. These simple sea salt maple chocolate chip cookies are grainless, and they may be the best you’ll ever share. Brooke Lark/Cheeky Kitchen
It’s hard to stop noshing on these lovely little cookies, which are a bit like chocolate shortbread. The coconut and almond flour add a lot of flavor. These delectable treats are great for packaging and gifting to grain-free friends.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Can we say hot-hot-hot? These Mexican hot chocolate sugar cookie showcase some of the most delicious flavor combos every married in a cookie. We’ve already got a glass of chilled almond milk in hand, and we’re ready to dip! Cotter Crunch
These cookies add a fun flavor twist to the usual sugar cookie. Since they’re totally gluten free with an avocado somehow thrown in the mix, we’re all in all kinds of love with this recipe.
Wholesome Brownie Gingerbread Men
Okay, okay. These wholesome brownie gingerbread men technically aren’t cookies, but you do get to use a cookie cutter for these no-flour, chocolately dudes. Plus, they’re cute, so we’re counting them. Lauren Lester
Made with a gluten-free flour blend and cocoa powder, these sweet little gingerbread men are a great way to give your chocolate craving some serious attention. Just bake up a pan of fudgy brownies, let them cool, and cut them into the timeless gingerbread man shape. As much an activity as they are treats, these cute little guys are a party must!
Paleo Thumbprint Cookies
What would the holidays be without pretty thumbprint cookies to complete the treat table? We love these Linzer torte paleo thumbprint cookies, which are made with a dollop of store-bought, all-fruit jam. Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Lexi’s Clean Kitchen used seedless berry jam in the examples above, but feel free to switch up your centers and make a whole array of colorful cookies. Orange, apricot, blackberry, and raspberry all make for beautiful little bites.
Happy Cookie Season!
With so many cookie possibilities, it’s going to be a great grain-free holiday! Can’t wait to see what you cook up in your own kitchen. And, as always, we’d love if you’d tag us in in your creations—@healthwaymedia on Instagram.
Happy, happy baking!
When the weather gets chilly, there’s nothing quite like a steaming mug of hot cocoa to warm you up. Unfortunately, classic hot cocoa can be a hefty source of empty calories. So much sipping, so much sugar.
So we decided it was time to give classic cocoa a makeover. We took that delicious mug of chocolatey goodness and turned it into a sipper we’re proud of. We made it with whole food ingredients, no refined sugar, and lots of cocoa-y flavor. (Then we dreamed up three flavorful twists on the original recipe—stick around for those.)
If you’ve ever made hot cocoa at home, you know it can be a bit hit or miss. Some homemade cocoa recipes can be meh at best—not quite chocolatey enough, not quite creamy enough. So we worked through several versions to make sure we found one we could love. If you’re going to indulge in a cup of hot cocoa, it should be a delicious cup, and the version below is one of the best and simplest we’ve whipped up.
The basic recipe starts with cocoa powder, almond milk (feel free to use cashew milk, pecan milk, soy milk, or cow milk, if you’re into that), and coconut sugar.
Cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor in this drink. Coming in at just 31 calories per tablespoon, it’s a great way to indulge chocolate cravings. Paleo eaters: Keep a look out for raw cacao powder, which is made by cold-pressing cocoa beans rather than roasting them. With that, you can enjoy the added benefits from the raw bean.
Brooke Lark
An unrefined sugar with great flavor, coconut sugar makes a great paleo and vegan swap-in for traditional sugar. Feel free to swap it for pure maple syrup or raw honey. Monkfruit or stevia work, too. Mind you, once you add the chocolate, you need just a touch of sweetness to make a yummy drink. We recommend starting with half the sugar, adding in teaspoonfuls until your desired sweetness is achieved.
With the ingredients in hand, this recipe is pretty straightforward! Just whisk the components together in a pan until they’re steaming, then serve and enjoy. If desired, add a bit of vanilla extract and top it with mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.
Brooke Lark
Note: This recipe is fairly flexible, so though the ingredient list below contains our favorite amounts, a bit of tweaking is always welcome.
Skinny Hot Cocoa
Amount served: 2 cups
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (or stevia/monkfruit, to taste)
1 ½ cups almond milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla (optional)
Mini marshmallows (optional)
Mini chocolate chips (optional)
In a small pot, heat all ingredients together until steaming. Pour into two large mugs. If desired, top with marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.
3 Barista-Inspired Twists
With a pan full of skinny hot cocoa on the stove, why not go full gourmet and whip up a batch of flavored cocoa?
Brooke Lark
Rather than blowing $5 at the coffee shop down the street, we’ve got three recipe twists that will have all the hottest flavors filling your kitchen. And since this recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make from start to finish, you’ll save money and time.
Tantalising Toffee
First up, we have toffee nut hot cocoa. Toffee tastes great when paired with cocoa. The concoction makes the perfect sipper for hazelnut and toffee lovers. It starts by melting a spoonful of chocolate-hazelnut spread (think Nutella) into a pan of skinny hot chocolate, then topping it off with whipped cream and crushed toffee.
Brooke Lark
If you’d prefer a totally dairy-free mug, whipped coconut cream or vegan whip work just as well as traditional whipped cream.
Most grocery stores sell crushed toffee bits in the baking section near the chocolate chips. But you can also make your own by purchasing a chocolate-toffee bar and crushing in a ziptop bag.
Toffee Nut Hot Cocoa
Amount served: 2 cups
1 batch skinny hot cocoa
1 Tbsp. chocolate-hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
⅔ cup whipped cream or whipped coconut cream
1 Tbsp. crushed toffee
In a small pot, heat skinny hot cocoa and chocolate-hazelnut spread together until steaming. Pour into 2 large mugs. Top with whipped cream and toffee. Enjoy!
Merry Mocha
If adding a bit of coffee to your cocoa is wrong, we don’t want to be right! Mix cold brew or espresso powder into our skinny hot cocoa (with a smidge of peppermint extract whisked in, as well) to make one of the best cups of DIY cocoa we’ve ever enjoyed. The flavors here are divine.
Brooke Lark
Since we skimped on calories for the main cup, we went with full-fat whipped cream, gluten-free marshmallows, and sprinkles of candy canes. The results were so good, we’re pretty sure we could hear Santa ordering a cup from way up in the North Pole. No joke.
Peppermint Mocha Hot Cocoa
Amount served: 2 cups
1 batch skinny hot cocoa
½ cup cold brew coffee (or 1 tsp. instant espresso powder)
½ tsp. peppermint extract
⅔ cup whipped cream
Mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. crushed candy canes
In a small pot, heat hot cocoa, cold brew coffee and peppermint extract together until steaming. Pour into 2 large mugs. Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, and crushed candy canes. Enjoy!
Cookie Cocoa
We love the look of this mug of cookie-infused cocoa. As almonds lovers, we’re also crazy for the flavor of this simple, nutty twist.
Brooke Lark
Rim a mug with a bit of honey, crushed sugar cookies, or graham crackers (gluten-free, if you please) to make it look as good as it tastes. Stir a bit of almond extract into your pan of cocoa, pour it into your jumbo mugs, then top them off with whipped cream and sprinkles for a truly fun treat.
Sugar Cookie Hot Cocoa
Amount served: 2 cups
1 batch skinny hot cocoa
½ tsp. almond extract
⅔ cup whipped cream
1 Tbsp. rainbow sprinkles
In a small pot, heat hot cocoa and almond extract together until steaming. Pour into 2 large mugs. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy!
Try These Twists, Too
If you’re throwing a winter party, why not have a hot cocoa bar, complete with a menu, where guests can make their own fancy custom-flavored cocoas? In addition to providing tastiness, a hot cocoa bar helps you get the party warmed up right away.
In addition to the recipes above, here are a few other menu additions. At your hot cocoa bar, simply set out all ingredients and add-ins, write recommended flavor pairings on a chalkboard (or print on some paper), and let your party guests go wild.
Caramel Sipper: Skinny hot cocoa + caramel sauce. Top with whipped Cream + mini caramel cups.
Cookies and Cocoa: Skinny hot cocoa + hot fudge sauce. Rim glasses with chocolate creme cookies + top with Whipped Cream
White Chocolate Gingerbread: Skinny hot Cocoa + white chocolate syrup + a pinch of pumpkin pie spice. Top with whipped cream + crushed gingerbread cookies.
S’mores: Skinny hot cocoa + vanilla extract. Rim mugs with honey and crushed graham crackers. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chunks.
Banana Split Cocoa: Skinny hot cocoa + banana liqueur or extract. Rim mugs with hot fudge sauce and sprinkles. Top with whipped topping and a maraschino cherry.
Happy holidays! Wishing you lots of happy hours of sipping by the fire.
Aside from baseball and competitive singing TV shows, there is likely no better American pastime than blaming things on your parents. Whether it’s that distinctive voice you use when you get mad or an impossible-to-kick barbecue ribs habit, everyone likely has something that they want to blame on the people that birthed and raised them. And there’s nothing that connects us more to our parents than our genes.
Indeed, The Simpsons once dedicated a whole episode to Lisa’s fear that she’d inherit Homer’s trademark stupidity due to an intelligence-decreasing “Simpson gene.” But what qualities do we truly inherit from our parents, and what characteristics do we develop over time from how we’re raised and develop? Eye and hair color are one thing, but can a child really inherit their parents’ wit (or lack thereof)? Is three-point shooting ability passed down?
There are a few genetic features that are expected, namely physical ones; there are also some traits that we get from our folks that may not immediately come to mind. And with other traits, science continues to debate the age-old query as to whether all that makes us “us” comes from the environment we are raised in or our own genetic makeup.
A key question: “Nature” or “Nurture”?
It’s a question hotly debated around both kitchen tables and scientific circles: Are we born with our best attributes entwined in our DNA? Or do we develop them over time from our environment?
It’s all based on the genetic blueprint.
A reminder from this Stated Cleary video tells us that DNA is the molecular blueprint that makes proteins, which in turn make cells, which form and eventually make a living thing, like a plant, a person, or a dinosaur. DNA is passed down in tightly-wound coils known as chromosomes. When people talk about genes being passed down, they’re talking about the genes within a person’s set of chromosomes that come from their mother and father.
Mark Payson, MD, is the practice director for the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine of Northern Virginia, and he states that there are many things that are “hardwired” into us from birth: “Certain traits, physical traits, are very clearly genetic. Our eye color, our hair color, our skin color. Our height. It’s all based on the genetic blueprint.”
These physical characteristics are often the most obvious features we inherit. The old, “He has his mother’s eyes!” of it all.
However, less identifiable traits, like parts of a person’s personality or someone’s interests, fall into a more debatable category. Did that love of tennis come from deep within your DNA, or was it because you were playing doubles with mom since the day you could pick up a racket?
Answering such questions with certainty can be nearly impossible. Genetics are at the very core of what makes us unique, thus making any attempt to study them fraught with variables. But there is one way scientists can gain a better understanding of how the genetic lottery can play out: twins. Specifically, twins with identical DNA.
Payson describes the useful findings of some of these studies: “People have done twin studies where they look at twins and they see how similar or different they are. The best studies are when they looked at identical twins that were separated at birth, and then 20, 30 years later, they meet each other.” Such revealing studies are a genetic bonanza for interested experts. “It’s amazing as to how similar they are sometimes,” Payson says.
There is no doubt upbringing and the nurturing, or lack of nurturing, of a talent or attribute can have an effect. Todd Graham, a biotechnology consultant at Delevan Street Biosciences, points out that some traits can be more like tendencies and require a certain amount of environmental support to flourish. “If someone has a trait to be tall, but is malnourished, it won’t come out as strongly,” explains Graham.
Despite the debate, there are plenty of traits that have clear or highly likely genetic ties, at least enough so that you can definitely throw them into your parents’ face when you’re feeling rebellious.
Blame genetics for never getting your shot in the NBA.
It may be all too obvious that something like height is passed down from your parents, so if both your folks are under 5’5″, your hoop dreams may be pipe dreams. But there are many signs that athletic ability itself can also be deeply hardwired into your genes.
Payson says that athleticism is unquestionably a mix of both genetics and upbringing, though there’s no doubting the clear physical gifts and abilities that some athletes inherit—it’s usually when you hear the phrase “natural athlete” get tossed around. Payson explains that there are “certain physical traits in terms of strength and how quickly your muscles respond and endurance that certainly you can be genetically predisposed to have.”
ACTN3 is a high-level muscle protein that is often associated with elite athletes. The muscle composition is just one of many factors that separates some Olympic athletes from the rest of us weekend joggers.
Graham discusses the variances in what effect genetics have on an athlete’s abilities: “There are a number of facts involved
in such skills, and it’s not clear how well they are linked yet. We know that slow-twitch muscle versus fast-twitch muscle is important. Slow-twitch muscle is useful in sports that require explosive power, like track and field, baseball and football, while fast-twitch muscle is more useful in endurance sports like distance running.”
Genes go a long way, but if junior was raised since the age of 6 to eat, sleep, and breathe hoops, that certainly has an impact as well. Payson points out that becoming a pro athlete requires “years and years and years of high-level training. If your parent is an athlete and you grow up in that environment and you start doing that from a very young age, that is an enormous advantage.”
Just how much influence genetics has in sports versus development and practice remains a source of constant debate. Sports Illustrated’s David Epstein wrote a whole book seeking to explain “the Sports Gene,” and his takeaway mirrors that of other experts: that neither one factor on its own ensures athletic glory.
So just because neither one of your parents ever played in the big leagues doesn’t mean you won’t have a chance. Like the old adage that you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, you also won’t be a superior athlete in 100 percent of the sports you don’t play.
Sneezing into the sun is a thing. And it’s hereditary.
Looking at the many odd things that children can inherit from their parents, perhaps no other shines as bright as one especially peculiar trait. There are certain people who will sneeze as a reflex just from catching sight of the sun or from entering a room with an abundance of light. It is called Autosomal-Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome, and the honest-to-goodness acronym for this particular condition is the ACHOO syndrome.
Are you a sun-sneezer? If so, it’s more than likely you’ll be able to blame this nose nuisance on your parents. Graham talks about the genetic nature of the ACHOO syndrome: “The European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology published research last March about how ACHOO syndrome was observed in 57 percent of a patient population in a hospital in Germany. ”
According to the study, a “familial disposition” to the syndrome was observed, meaning that the sun sneezing could be traced back on the family tree.
So if you greet your mornings with a smattering of mucus, feel free to blame the mess on your genes.
Blame your parents if you’ve got the taste palate of a picky five-year-old.
Most everyone has at least one favorite dish that is “just like mom made,” but what if this “mom” of yours is responsible for limiting the full potential of your tastebuds?
If you’re a supertaster, you are born with a different anatomy.
Payson says that there is a genetically gifted group of taste gods that walk among us: “There’s a phenomenon called ‘supertasters,‘ which are these people that seem to have an ability to taste a wider variety of taste than us poor average people, which certainly is thought to be genetic.”
If you were supertaster, you’d most likely already know it: Some vegetables would be unbearably bitter, most sugar would be too sweet to savor, and spicy peppers could send you running for the hills. One of the early forerunners of research on the super-taster front is Linda Bartoshuk, PhD, who revealed some of the biology behind this phenomenon in a feature for Yale Medicine.
“If you’re a supertaster, you are born with a different anatomy. [Everyone has] fungiform papillae, which are the little structures that hold taste buds. You have many, many more of them if you are a supertaster,” Bartoshuk said. “It is like reaching up and feeling something with 500 fingers as opposed to 50.”
Supertasting is not that uncommon, with roughly one-in-four Caucasians have the genetic makeup of a super-taster.
Is this another clear instance of genetics playing a role in how we perceive taste and smell? Payson says those tricky X and Y chromosomes may have something to do with it: “There are gender differences where women in general have a better sense of smell than men, there are certain smells that women in general are a little more aware of.”
The big takeaway is that the next time you find yourself in a fight at the dinner table with your folks, you can always blindside them with the old “It’s your fault I don’t have a super tasting abilities!”
DNA can sometimes be a grab bag of diseases.
Ultimately, one of the most significant reasons for knowing your genes and your genetic history is less about home runs and taste buds and more about knowing what kind of health issues you may face one day.
There is a s
ignificant list of diseases that are passed down genetically, such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, sickle cell anemia, and Marfan syndrome.
Sometimes a syndrome can occur if not all the genes are passed down. Payson points to conditions like Angleman and Prader-Willi syndromes, which develop because part of the genetic code in the chromosomes has been inexplicably deactivated. This is otherwise known as genetic imprinting: an unfortunate genetic circumstance that leads to the syndromes listed above, which are known for affecting the nervous system and can cause seizures, developmental disabilities, and speech deficits.
Marfan syndrome is another genetic disease that Graham calls “particularly notable.” This disease has had effects around the sports world recently because of it is commonly seen in tall, thin people…the very kind of people who seek to become NBA players.
“It is a condition related to problems with producing connective tissue, which can also result in heart issues such as mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm,” explains Graham. He says that the syndrome has been found in some sought-after basketball prospects, forcing the league to start to pay special attention to the genetics of its all-star athletes.
Forget about your genetic past: The future is now!
Interest in preventing diseases and plain old scientific curiosity has propelled the science of genetics forward with blistering speed in the past decades.
Our genetics influence nearly everything about who we are and how we perceive the world.
According to Payson, the rate at which we are learning new things about our genes is stunning: “Our understanding of genetics has increased tremendously in the last 5 or 10 years.” He says that because of our ability to map out an entire human genome, “we are going to find so many things about people, and also susceptibility to various diseases.”
So there is some good news concerning heredity diseases: Scientists may be able to treat or plan for some of these syndromes that wait like ticking time bombs in our genetic blueprints. “From a medicinal standpoint,” Payson says, “we can determine what medicine will work best for you depending on how your body will process the medicine.”
Payson sums up the importance of our genes pretty succinctly: “Our genetics influence nearly everything about who we are and how we perceive the world.”
It is amazing to think that the most simple connection, parent to child, contains such a complex and incredibly detailed blueprint for every single human being. It can influence so much of who we are and who we’ll become.
So even though you can heap some blame on your folks for your less-than-noteworthy fastball or regular ol’ tastebuds, you can also be grateful for your best attributes because those have been passed down to you as well.
On the surface, the phrase “clean eating” evokes our thoughts and feelings about healthy dietary options that are unprocessed and highly beneficial to our overall well-being. An interest in clean eating is in many ways a positive shift in terms of our attitudes toward holistic nutritional health. In fact, recent statistics indicate a gradual movement toward healthier eating choices across the United States.
While eating a so-called clean diet can have many beneficial effects on our health, there is the potential for an interest in healthy eating to become an obsession. In particular, while today’s social media climate has the power to inspire us with imagery, recipes, and how-to’s, it can also showcase a carefully curated world of endless green smoothies, raw food diets, and toned bodies that may fuel obsessive behavior and result in unintended damage.
What is clean eating?
The term “clean eating” has become ubiquitous among health and fitness communities, and the specifics of its definition tend to be dependent on the context in which it’s used. Fundamentally, clean eating is about the inclusion of whole, unprocessed foods in your diet and the exclusion of over-processed, unhealthy foods. For some people, clean eating may simply mean that they attempt to eat whole foods whenever possible. For others, this could mean a paleo-inspired or vegan diet. Some people also opt to remove GMO foods from their diets completely.
In theory, following a clean eating–inspired diet is beneficial for your health, helps you maintain a healthy weight, and can sustain your energy needs—whatever they might be. Problems can arise, however, when clean eating ceases to be about health and begins to be about identifying different types of food as either “good” or “bad,” “pure” or “impure.” Dairy and gluten are two good examples of ingredients that are now on the outs for many people who follow clean eating plans, even if these individuals have no medical condition or ethical perspective that necessitates avoiding them. In these cases, clean eating can become potentially dangerous as it moves away from a healthy eating plan and into the territory of a newly emerging eating disorder called orthorexia.
Orthorexia Nervosa: What You Need to Know
Orthorexia nervosa is a term that was coined by Steven Bratman, MD, in 1996 to describe the health-obsessed behavior, or “fixation on righteous eating,” that he was noticing in some of his patients. Orthorexia nervosa manifests as a need for dietary control and a desire to only consume foods considered pure or good, unlike anorexia, which involves “an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat” and intentional restriction of caloric intake despite being underweight.
Because of the relatively new understanding of orthorexia nervosa, it isn’t included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition—the current go-to for psychiatric diagnoses in the U.S.—despite having a profound effect on those who suffer from it. The damaging effects of orthorexia arise when the pool of acceptable food choices becomes smaller and smaller, to the point where a sufferer may only find themselves able to eat one or two foods. Other symptoms of orthorexia nervosa include intense feelings of guilt if the sufferer doesn’t adhere to a clean-eating diet, isolating themselves from group meals and situations in which food has been prepared by others, depression, anxiety, and obsessive behavior. Ali Eberhardt, a registered dietitian with a strong focus on eating disorders such as orthorexia, believes that while clean eating doesn’t always lead to orthorexia, it can often signal the beginnings of obsessive behavior. She says, “There are people who are able to eat clean without developing obsessive ideas about food. However, the more rules, rigidity about food in a person’s diet, or if there is any predisposition to develop disordered eating, the more potential for this diet to be a catalyst.”
Although orthorexia often begins with an interest in clean eating, clean eating in and of itself doesn’t indicate that someone will eventually struggle with orthorexia. Clean eating often begins with the elimination of processed foods from your diet, which makes it important to understand just what it is that makes a food processed (hint: it probably isn’t what you think!).
What does the term “processed” mean when referring to food?
The term “processed” brings to mind frozen TV dinners, sugary cereals, and mystery lunch meats—all foods without very much nutritional value that include a surplus of salt, fat, and sugar. In reality, processed foods are any foods that have been changed in some way during preparation. Although this definition absolutely includes the aforementioned unhealthy processed foods, it also includes store-bought and homemade methods of preparing food including canning, freezing, baking, and dehydrating. It isn’t the actual act of processing that diminishes a food’s nutritional benefits but the excess salt, fat, and sugar that are so often added to improve flavor in commercially prepared foods. In fact, there are certain foods that require processing to be edible at all.
Which processed foods fit into a healthy eating plan?
Unless you have unlimited time and financial resources, it is difficult to eat only homemade foods. Luckily, there are still minimally processed foods that have an important place in the average American diet. For example, frozen fruits and vegetables are actually preferable to fresh in many circumstances due to nutrient retention and convenience. Canned tomatoes are another example of a processed food that is preferable to fresh in many cases due to the short growing season many Americans experience in the northern hemisphere (when purchasing canned tomatoes, just be sure to check sodium levels). Canned fish, especially sardines and salmon, makes heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids easily accessible, especially compared to the time it would take to prepare fish from scratch.
Generally speaking, processed foods make the leap from healthy to unhealthy when they are ultraprocessed.
What makes a food ultraprocessed?
With few exceptions, frozen meals such as lasagna, pizza, waffles, chicken wings and nuggets, breakfast pastries, and TV dinners are jam-packed with all three processed-food offenders: salt, sugar, and fat. Deli meat, hot dogs, and pepperoni sticks commonly involve the use of sodium nitrite, which has been linked to health problems such as migraine headaches and digestive issues, as a preservative. Soda, juices, iced teas, energy drinks, and protein shakes can all be guilty of packing massive amounts of sugar into fairly small servings.
Everyone knows that candy and chips aren’t ideal foods to be snacking on every day, which is why marketers will describe chips as “whole grain” or candy as “organic” or “without added sugar.” The reality? These products are typically still unhealthy choices that aren’t fit for everyday consumption.
Do certain processed foods have benefits?
There are certain foods that are processed in a way that can actually boost their nutritional value. For example, in the U.S., milk and non-dairy milk products are often fortified with vitamin D during the processing stage, which is highly beneficial to people living in cooler climates with less daylight. Eggs, juice, margarine, milk, and yogurt are often fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that our bodies are unable to create themselves but are necessary for heart and brain health. Fiber is added to many breakfast cereals, crackers, and health shakes to improve digestive health and help prevent certain types of cancer. Regular canned salmon contains small fish bones that become softened and edible during the canning process, resulting in a much higher calcium content than regular salmon.
Of course, while each of these foods is nutritionally superior because of processing, it’s still important to read the labels and make sure they haven’t had an excess of salt, sugar, or fat added to make them tastier.
A Note About GMO Foods
GMO stands for genetically modified organisms, and when it comes to food, it indicates that an ingredient has been genetically modified. Although the term GMO is painted in a negative light by some authorities in the clean eating community, the truth is that there are very few studies on the long-term effects of genetically modified foods. Penn State University hosts a GMO literacy project that aims to shed light on some of the misconceptions surrounding the safety of genetically modified foods. The resource gives the question “Are GMOs safe to eat?” the following answer:
There is no solid answer to this question because no irrefutable evidence has been presented that proves GM food crops are any less safe to consume than non-GM foods. The fact is that GM crops have not been in commercial production for an extensive period of time, therefore the health benefits/risks have not been researched to a point where a conclusive decision on their safety can be determined.
It’s also a fair observation that the people most consumed with worry about the danger of GMO foods are financially privileged and living in wealthy, first world countries when, in fact, GMO foods may very well be the solution to feeding a growing worldwide population.
How to Eat Clean Without Exhausting Yourself
Clean eating doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavor full of deprivation and unhealthy cravings. In fact, clean eating can be a joyful way to nourish your body. Problems arise when the goal is perfection in terms of food, but it can be a rewarding experience to treat your body with kindness and respect by eating foods that are nutritionally robust. Focus on whole foods that you enjoy eating such as fresh produce, grains, legumes, nutritionally dense canned and frozen convenience items, lean dairy, and locally sourced meat and fish.
Also, make room in your diet for the occasional treat. Studies show that people who allow themselves the occasional less-than-healthy option are able to stick to their diets with greater ease than those who don’t.
Make it a habit to double recipes so that you have leftovers for lunch and dinner throughout the week. Grain and legume-based salads will keep in the fridge for several days and can be paired with simple proteins such as meat, fish, and tofu to create satisfying meals.
Shopping for Meat While Eating Clean
When sourcing ethical meat, it’s important to adopt the attitude that smaller amounts of high quality meat are much better than large amounts of low quality meat. Since ethically sourced meat is generally more expensive than supermarket meat, this is an especially important point to make note of. Whenever possible, buy your meat from a trusted butcher who won’t shy away from answering any questions you might have about where the meat comes from and how the animals are slaughtered.
Learning to Trust Your Body
Developing a healthy relationship with food is an important step when trying to eat in a way that is nourishing for your body and your mind. Eberhardt offers the following advice for individuals who may be questioning their relationship with clean eating:
I think if someone is wanting to eat well, the focus should be on eating a balanced diet and incorporating whole foods from a variety of sources without labeling it as good or bad. When we attach a label to food, whether it’s healthy or unhealthy, good or bad, we also attach emotion. If I eat ‘good’ I feel proud, like I have strong willpower, and am disciplined. But if I eat ‘bad’ I can feel shame, guilt, and a need to compensate. Learning to trust our bodies is a key element to developing a healthy relationship with food.
If for any reason you feel like you might be veering into obsessive behavior with food, make an appointment with a registered dietitian, family doctor, or mental health professional to talk about your feelings and concerns when it comes to your current diet.
If you’re looking to eat clean on the go, try the following recipe.
Curried Quinoa Pilaf Salad
This curried quinoa pilaf is simple to make and will leave you with leftovers for workday lunches and easy late-night dinners. Experiment by adding other vegetables and fruits you enjoy. Serve this salad warm or at room temperature with a side of chicken, fish, or tofu.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of quinoa, uncooked
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 cup of orange juice
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. dried turmeric
1 large sweet red pepper, finely diced
1 small zucchini, finely diced
2 oz fresh goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
Zest of one orange
1 cup of finely minced flat-leaf parsley
½ cup of pomegranate seeds
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Special Equipment:
Fine-mesh sieve
Medium-sized, lidded saucepan
Large salad bowl
Method:
Rinse the uncooked quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water for two minutes. This will help remove the thin layer of saponin coating the quinoa that can cause it to have a bitter or soapy taste.
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in the saucepan, adding the diced shallots and finely minced cloves of garlic once the oil’s hot. Stir until the shallots begin to soften and become translucent.
Add the rinsed quinoa and stir until coated with the olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Stir in the curry powder and dried turmeric. Cook the pilaf for two minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour in the orange juice and vegetable stock and increase heat to medium-high. Once the liquid begins to boil, turn the heat down as low as possible, cover with a lid, and allow to steam for 15 minutes.
Remove the quinoa from the heat and let sit for another fifteen minutes before removing the lid and fluffing up with a fork. Set aside for an hour to let cool.
In a large salad bowl, combine the sweet red pepper, zucchini, crumbled goat cheese or feta, orange zest, flat-leaf parsley, and pomegranate seeds. Fold the cooled quinoa into the mix and stir gently until combined. Sample and add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Serve the salad warm or at room temperature as a leftover with fish, chicken, or baked tofu slices.
Between the hustle and bustle of the holidays, prepping for the new year, and fighting the winter blues, this time of year always gets me dreaming of an escape—like the wellness retreat I took at Fivelements, an eco-conscious health resort in Bali. I knew I’d come back to “real life” feeling healthy and relaxed after a few days of noshing on nutritious raw foods, reading and writing in my private villa, and enjoying spa treatments.
But I was surprised to discover just how motivated, balanced, and recharged I felt after taking a few days to focus on myself in a beautiful, supportive destination. Taking a retreat was a game-changer for an otherwise tough season—and a strategy that now helps me get through every winter.
While the cost of luxury resorts is out of reach for most of us, there are a slew of less expensive retreats that will restore you. From surfing and yoga camps to choose-your-own-adventure getaways, here are five of the best upcoming wellness retreats to help you recharge this winter.
(Costa Rica; Feb. 10–17)
Known for her physically lively, spiritually uplifting classes, yoga teacher Julie Serow is leading a next-level practice this February at the Relax & Revive Yoga and Pilates Retreat in Montezuma Beach, Costa Rica. You’ll find inner peace during Serow’s yoga and meditation classes and build strength in partner teacher Kristi Cole’s Pilates classes—all three are offered daily on the weeklong retreat.
Off the mat, you’ll have plenty of free time to go horseback riding on the beach, hike to hidden waterfalls, engage with local street performers, and enjoy nutritious foods with the rest of the group. If that doesn’t make you say “ahhhh,” we’re not sure what will. Price: Starts at $1,450
(Boone, North Carolina; dates vary)
Women in need of a recharge are spoiled for choice at the Art of Living Retreat Center. If you’re trying to find more joy in your life, the signature Happiness Retreat, which is offered every weekend, will teach you practical tools you can use to feel more confident and less stressed out—and find a greater sense of enthusiasm in your everyday life. You’ll learn Sudarshan Kriya yoga, a technique of breathing and posing exercises that research shows may reduce stress and anxiety.
The Happiness Retreat is one of dozens of options at the Art of Living Retreat Center. Check out the calendar for other upcoming themes, like the art of silence, yoga, and meditation. Price: Starts at $545
(Morocco; Dec. 23–30; Dec. 30–Jan 6; Jan. 13–20; Feb. 17–24)
The only thing that’s better than devoting seven days to hitting the waves and your mat is doing it in Morocco—and you can experience it for yourself on a Yoga Surf Retreat at Villa Mandala.
Picture this: After waking up in your tranquil bedroom, you’ll kick-start your day with two hours of vinyasa yoga as the sun rises, dig in to a nutrient-packed breakfast, then suit up for a couple hours of surfing instruction with qualified coaches. When you’re not in downward dog or hanging ten, you can relax at the oceanfront swimming pool, indulge in a massage, go cliff jumping, wind down with sunset yoga, and eat dinner under the stars.
Price: Starts at $904
(Québec, Canada; choose your own dates)
Need a spiritual recharge? At Le Monastère des Augustines, you can sleep in a restored original cloister and choose a wellness retreat that fits your needs and budget. This beautiful spot offers a range of options that aim to help visitors feel balanced, renewed, and regenerated.
Some include a holistic health consultation, massage, nature walks, meditation, and yoga. No matter which one you choose, you can expect to ease into each day with a healthy breakfast held in silence at the restaurant. Price: Starts at $74/night
(Cabarete, Dominican Republic; choose your own dates)
If your idea of a retreat involves stepping outside your comfort zone, you’ll love the offerings at eXtreme Hotel, an eco-sports adventure hotel with beachfront accommodations in Cabarete, Dominican Republic.
All of its Yoga Plus weeklong retreats include in-depth yoga classes daily, access to the gym, river tubing, and tours of the hotel’s organic farm—but you also get to pick creative add-ons such as surf instruction, kiteboarding lessons, and circus classes (like flying trapeze and aerial arts). No matter which ones you choose, you’ll end the retreat feeling strong, invigorated, and confident. Price: Starts at $930
My daughter is now 4 years old, but I can still remember one of my favorite mornings from her babyhood. It was Mother’s Day and she was 10 months old. I was home with her full-time then, and all I wanted was the morning to myself. Her dad took her out for a grand total of three hours. I think they went to the museum, but that wasn’t my concern. My concern—for once!—was me and only me. Once they were out of the apartment, I made myself some pancakes, got back in bed, and watched an entire movie. In silence. Alone. With my pancakes and coffee. It was bliss. And yet! A small part of me felt guilty. Why? Because I was alone, taking care of myself. I was being wholly unproductive and indulgent and (dare I say?) lazy. There was dirty laundry and tons of dishes in the sink and I needed to shower and shouldn’t I use this time to write? Did I even have a right to do this? And by “this” I mean: nothing. Yes, yes, yes. It now pains me to think that I didn’t believe I deserved this tiny quiet moment of respite. After all, before I had kids, most of my weekend mornings looked just like this: Hours in my PJs, watching TV or reading on the couch. It felt indulgent then, too, but I had little guilt about it. I reasoned that I needed a rest from the work week. I deserved it. Guess what? Moms do too.
Making Time for You
Before I had a child, I was always slightly annoyed by parents who claimed to “never have any time.” Didn’t single, childless people also have busy schedules? Wasn’t I rushing from one thing to the other, too? Didn’t I also have a job? What I didn’t see, of course, was all the in-between time: the nightly wakeups, the frantic mornings getting everyone out the door, the sick days and doctors appointments, the meetings that go late, the sitter who cancels, the PTA meetings and parent–teacher conferences, the hours spent trying to get the kid in bed. As a childless person, going out for a drink at 7 p.m. felt like an excellent way to unwind and take care of myself. So did sleeping all day on Sunday. With children? Impossible. I also didn’t see that taking time away for your children—by, say, getting that 7 p.m. cocktail with an old girlfriend—might not be a purely uncomplicated thing. Now I do. The most challenging factor in almost any mother’s life is balancing her own needs with those of her children. Just this morning, for instance, I spent way too much time worrying about missing my daughter’s Thanksgiving celebration at school in favor of actually meeting my deadlines. I could have gone, but I would have been filled with resentment for putting her before me again. I had to calculate which event was more important to me and to her, and I reasoned that this was not of great significance to her—or to me. Obviously I won’t be missing every event at school, but this one seemed less vital in the grand scheme of things. In other situations, I will put her events first over mine. It’s an ongoing balancing act but one that gets easier over time.
Early Days
Even though I wasn’t technically working the first year of my daughter’s life, I took a friend’s advice and hired a babysitter for a few meager hours a week. I started with four hours, and when I began working part-time again midway through the year, I upped the sitter’s hours. At first, those hours might have seemed indulgent, but they hands down helped me keep my sanity and enjoy the rest of the time I spent mothering. I used them to swim, to sit in a cafe and write for a few hours (remembering the Me before Child!), or go to a Pilates class to work on getting my body back after a C-section. The beauty of it was that it was money well spent: When I came back, I felt invigorated and ready to care for her again. I also felt more like myself—energized, capable of complete thoughts, adult. But that break didn’t work so well if I felt guilty about it. In fact, the first time I left my daughter with a sitter, I sobbed hysterically to my mother on the phone because I felt so bad “abandoning her” (my words) in a stranger’s care. My daughter was 3 months old and already my back hurt so much I could barely lift her. I was going to an appointment with an osteopath down the street—so that I could lift her again. Over time, however, I learned that those hours away from her weren’t just good for me. They were good for her. That sitter stayed with us for three years and became a part of our family, offering my daughter love and support and joy that I couldn’t have given her. I was giving her a chance to form another deep bond, to learn that Mama wasn’t the only adult around to care for her. And I was teaching myself that I actually still mattered.
How do I take time for me? Some tips:
If you are a stay-at-home mom, or even a freelancer who works part-time, hire a sitter for a few hours a week. The dividends will come back in spades.
If you are working full-time, it is still imperative to schedule time for yourself. Choose one thing you can’t live without and put it on the calendar. Do you need to run? Meditate? Hang out with girlfriends once a week? Journal? Practice yoga? Make it happen regardless of what else is going on. This time will feed you in ways that will make you a better mother.
Schedule in some “Should-less” time once a month. I heard this in an interview with Ellen Burstyn on Death, Sex & Money and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. It’s time where you don’t need to do anything. It may be a whole day (heaven!) or 10 minutes at the end of the night. You deserve time to just do whatever.
Unless you are a single mother, remember that you have a co-parent—someone else around to take on some of the responsibility. Your partner (or your community) can take over for you for a few hours so you get the time you need to stay sane.
Happy Mom, Happy Family: Hard as it is to believe (and I am so guilty of this!), making a martyr of yourself won’t actually make anyone happier. It’s okay for your kids to see that you have a life outside of them—in fact, it’s vital! It allows them to open up to the rest of the world, to rely on other adults, and to be strong, independent beings.
Until recently, the last time I made homemade holiday gifts was when I was in elementary school. Since then, DIY holiday endeavors have brought to mind childlike crafts that never come out quite as planned. Needless to say, DIY and chic were not terms I associated very closely.
However, this year I discovered that DIY holiday presents have grown up. Thanks to social media (hey there, Pinterest and Instagram) there are now plenty of do-it-yourself holiday projects that are fun to make and even more enjoyable to receive. Most of us have a secret—or not-so-secret—love of crafting, so this year why not reconnect with the thrill and satisfaction of making the perfect gift with your own two hands?
Plus, you’ll be able to avoid the stores, which at this point are packed with last-minute shoppers. Here are three chic DIY gifts that will leave your girlfriends going gaga!
In winter, almost everyone loves curling up with a warm cup of cocoa, coffee, or tea. It’s even more enjoyable when you’re sipping from a great mug that puts a smile on your face. That’s why making custom coffee mugs for your friends is such a great idea. You can customize each mug, delivering just the right dose of inspiration, silliness, or sarcasm to get your friend through her morning.
This technique from the blog Glued To My Crafts is great since you don’t need to worry about things getting messy with paints and brushes. Just order or pick up plain ceramic mugs and oil-based Sharpies (not the ones we see most often since those will wash off in the dishwasher).
You can use stencils, or just draw whatever comes to you. When you’re done, make sure your kitchen is well ventilated and put the mugs in the oven at 350°F for half an hour. Then turn off the oven and leave the mugs inside until they’re cool. In just a few hours, you’ll have a great DIY gift that your friends will love!
If your girlfriends have a taste for savory treats, consider making them infused olive oil, which can be used for cooking, dipping breads, or dressing salads. This chic twist on the classic holiday treat jar looks beautiful and is an unusual gift that most people will enjoy using. Plus, your friend might even invite you over for a great meal featuring the oil you gifted her.
To get started, purchase a large container of high-quality olive oil. Simply pour oil into each of your selected containers, adding ingredients that have complimentary flavors. Rosemary, peppercorns, and sun-dried tomatoes will all look pretty in the packaging while delivering great flavor. Thyme, oregano, and sage are also popular options.
Over time, the olive oil will pick up the flavors from the jar, giving it an extra level of sophistication. One note of caution: Be sure to only use dried herbs (nothing that contains water), to avoid bacteria growth.
If your friends are as busy as you are, they probably need time to relax. What better way to do that that in a luxurious bath? Gifting your friends bath salts will inspire them to take some time for themselves, which is exactly what most busy women need around the holidays—or at least first thing in the new year!
To make your salts, combine one part baking soda, three parts Epsom salts, and six parts sea salts (according to Martha Stewart’s recipe). Add a few drops of fragrance and color (if desired) and mix it all together. For an especially festive take, layer different colored salts on top of each other in a clear jar. Just be sure to seal the container tightly to keep the salt from clumping before use.
This year, save money and have fun by giving DIY gifts. Your friends—and your bank account—will love it!
