Hudavi’s Tips to Have A Healthy & Harmonious Holiday Season!

The Holidays are a wonderful time of year but they can also be stressful and it can be difficult to maintain a healthy life style. Our wellness experts are here to help! We’ve put together a list of tips to stay healthy this holiday season, while still participating in all the merriment.

1. Manage Stress: Take a break, schedule time to yourself, get a massage, or simply enjoy time with your friends and family.  It’s important that during this busy time of year you make sure that you’re taking time to de-stress.
2. Load up on fruits and veggies:  During those big holiday meals, try taking large portions of dishes with nutrient rich fruits and vegetables and take smaller portions of the less healthy dishes last.  Using a smaller plate can help with portion control, as well.
3. Drink Extra Water: Increase your water intake during times where you know you’re going to be eating more sodium and fat rich foods.  Our bodies often mistake dehydration with hunger and increasing your water intake can help flush the system so you can avoid that turkey hangover.
4. Just say “No,” to packaged holiday candies and cakes: Its likely you’ll have access to some yummy homemade treats so if your going to indulge your sweet tooth avoid those preservative packed store bought deals and stick with the real stuff.
5. Schedule time for exercise:  It’s so important for overall heath to take at least 60 minutes a day to do some moderate exercise.  For those super busy folks who don’t even have an hour, taking four 15 minute breaks to go for a quick walk or do a few yoga poses or dance around your living room can have the same health benefits as getting a whole hour in at once.  Regular exercise can also help manage stress which brings us back to tip #1.
6. Get plenty of sleep: We can’t emphasize how important getting enough sleep is.  Lack of sleep contributes to elevated stress  hormone levels, increased overeating, a lowered immune system and more.
7. Meditate: Going back to tip #1 again, meditation is an excellent way to reduce the effects of stress but it’s especially important during this time of year to center yourself and reflect upon the past year.
8. Make a plan: It’s easy to read these tips and say “Yes, but who has time for that?” simple, you do.  With a little organization and planning and remembering that it is OK to say “No” to some things you can get the most out of your holidays and stay healthy while you do so.

We hope that these tips will be helpful to you.  We love the holiday season here at Hudavi Wellness and wish all of our guests a happy and safe holiday season.

Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States.  One out of every eight women will receive a new diagnosis this year.  Fortunately, the majority of breast cancer cases are not genetically caused and may be preventable through a combination of diet and lifestyle changes.

Here are Dr. Williams’ suggestions for reducing your risk of developing breast cancer:

• Avoid foods such as refined sugar, excess carbohydrates, saturated fats (found in red meat and dairy), and alcohol.  These foods are all linked to poor health and increased breast cancer risk.
• Eat foods that are good for you: Daily consumption of at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit lowers the risk of developing breast cancer by 25%. Add ½ hour of daily exercise to that and lower the risk by 50%!
• Get regular exercise: A great way to boost your immune system, manage stress, support detoxification, and maintain a healthy weight is through appropriate physical activity.  Walking, bicycling, swimming, and weight bearing exercise are all great ways to get moving.
• Take your supplements: Appropriate supplementation with Green Tea, Vitamin D, and Melatonin can exert a powerful action against breast cancer. 5 cups of green tea daily can reduce breast cancer risk by 20% and maintaining optimal vitamin D and melatonin levels is critical to breast cancer prevention.  Consult with your doctor to determine the appropriate supplement regimen for you.
• Get tested: Exposure to certain chemicals in the environment can play a role in developing breast cancer. Many environmental toxins are carcinogenic (cancer causing) and can affect the balance that controls breast cell division and growth. Testing your blood or urine for exposure to these chemicals is key to appropriate treatment and prevention.  Ask your naturopathic doctor to order these specialty tests for you.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with

Chard & White Beans

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash, halved (see Tip) and seeded Acorn Squash
• 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 large bunch chard)
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Note)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each squash half so it rests flat. Brush the insides with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch (or similar-size) microwave-safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until the squash is fork-tender, about 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in water, tomato paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in chard, cover and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in white beans and olives; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
3. Position rack in center of oven; preheat broiler.
4. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl. Fill each squash half with about 1 cup of the chard mixture. Place in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil in the center of the oven until the breadcrumbs are browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

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