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December 15, 2021

Healthy Holiday Recipe Ideas

You deserve to eat whatever you want over the holidays. I am happy to tell you that YES you can still indulge in delicious, traditional holiday treats that you LOVE without sacrificing your health. Today I am sharing my healthy holiday recipe ideas that are based on your holiday favourites.

Do you often feel like there is no point in sticking to your healthy habits over the holiday season? Is there too much temptation? Do you feel like you don’t get to enjoy the holidays because you can’t eat your favourite holiday foods? Do you feel deprived when you don’t allow yourself to eat whatever you want? Even I used to feel that way when my family and I started our health journey.

Now I won’t even think about letting a holiday pass without a delicious turkey,

holiday stuffing, cranberry sauce and MORE but there is a secret to my success. I have been making seriously scrumptious swaps that my family LOVES and you can do it too. All it takes is a little know how, a little love and a kitchen! The most important way to stay on track over the holiday season is to set yourself up for success. I am going to share my top ways of ensuring your are happy to stay away from the really unhealthy stuff and what to make instead. These recipes will leave everyone asking for more!

 

SWAPS FOR ALCOHOL(1:45)

There are tons of delicious and fun ways to drink healthy over the holidays. You can hear more about my favourite fancy mocktails in my video at 1:45.

PALEO SWEET POTATO SAUSAGE STUFFING RECIPE BY UNBOUNDWELLNESS (3:20)

Everyone wants to enjoy stuffing over the holiday season. Check out one of my favourite recipes from UNBOUNDWELLNESS, click HERE. You can hear more about my take on stuffing in my video at 3:20.

MY VERSION OF CHOCOLATE TURTLES (4:40)

I don’t have a go-to recipe here, I kind of make them on my own. Here is my homemade version of turtles!

Ingredients:

10 Dates

Vanilla Extract

Walnuts or Pecans

Dark Chocolate (6 squares)

One teaspoon Coconut Milk

Sea Salt

Instructions:

1. Mix 10 dates with some vanilla and 1 tbsp hot water.

2. Roll into balls and press walnuts or pecans into 4 corners of the ball to make feet of the turtle.

3. Melt dark chocolate – 6 squares in a stainless steel saucepan on low with 1 tsp coconut milk. 

4. Put the dates on a tray and press in nuts. Drizzle chocolate on top, then top with a pinch of sea salt.

5. Put the turtles in the fridge for 1 hour.

6. Keep ‘leftovers’ refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.

DESSERT (6:34)

This is my favourite substitute for cakes and treats after your meal. This one may take more will power, until you try the coconut whipped cream! I share this simple swap in my video at 6:34.

HOT COCOA (7:15)

Beekeepers Naturals Cacao Superfood Honey

A healthy hot cocoa is the perfect drink for the holidays. If you can enjoy a nice hot drink with your kids that is nourishing and healing, that’s a win! You won’t regret this delicious superfood. My simple hot cocoa recipe is featured in my video at 7:15.

GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE BY THE VEGAN8 (8:25)

This is my new favourite gingerbread recipe. Gingerbread is a staple in my house at this time of year. You won’t want to miss this awesome recipe by the Vegan8 by clicking HERE.  Hear more in my video at 8:25.

LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION?

Check out my latest post in The Bosnar Health Blog as I do a deeper dive into these products and some of my other favourites! To join me and my team for live events, visit our Events Page.

by Dr. Kristina Bosnar

Chiropractic Doctor with a Special Interest in Perinatal & Pediatric Care

Advanced Clinical Training from the Institute of Functional Medicine in

Pediatrics

Nutrigenomics

Methylation

Cognitive Decline

as well as

THE ReCODE METHOD®(BREDESEN PROTOCOL) PRACTITIONER CERTIFIED

AND THE WAHLS PROTOCOL® HEALTH PRACTITIONER CERTIFIED

Kristina Bosnar
December 1, 2021

Healing Holiday Gift Guide

A couple wrapping holiday gifts under the tree

Unique AND Healthy gift ideas have been hard to come by in the past. This year, I have a lot of patients asking me what they should buy for their loved ones. It is important to me that the products I recommend in this healing holiday gift guide are going to transform your home into a healing sanctuary. Luckily there are tons of amazing companies that are doing it SO right in 2021.

These presents are the gifts that keep on giving. I’ve made sure to include options at different price points for stocking stuffers and beyond. These ideas will give you exactly the response you are looking for from the people you love. The best part? You will   be doing it all while improving their health.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When applicable, some of these Amazon purchases will be supporting TWO awesome small business owners!

My Healing Holiday Gift Guide

BEEKEEPERS NATURALS
CACAO SUPERFOOD HONEY

I absolutely love cacao superfood honey by Beekeepers Naturals. It reminds me of such great memories of being a kid. Do you remember having hot chocolate as a special treat when it was cold outside?

As a parent, looking at all the terrible ingredients in hot chocolate mixes nowadays, it appalls me. When I finally came across this cacao superfood honey I was really excited. The healing powers of the honey in combination with the polyphenols and cacao, this product is truly a superfood all rolled up into one beautiful teaspoon you can mix with warm milk or water.

My kids and I use coconut or almost milk in our house. Now on those chilly mornings when I want to give my kids a special treat, I can. I also increase the nutrient density of their breakfast with a healthy hot chocolate. I want to make them smile and there is nothing as cozy and warm as a nice cup of hot chocolate in the morning. Especially after coming in from outside. 

PROPOLIS THROAT SPRAY FOR KIDS

I want to share with you the one incredible doctor biohacking supermom secret that I have stashed in my car, in every purse and even in my kids sports bags. It is the Propolis Throat Spray for kids by Beekeepers Naturals.

As the Winter comes around, I want to support my kids immune system at 150%. I love to give my kids a quick spray or two before they run out the door or get out of the car for the day. The propolis in this throat spray is extremely tough on germs. The buckwheat honey is antioxidant rich and makes the taste of this spray nice and sweet. It’s an easy throat spray to take for kids. The taste alone is why I actually recommend this version to adults as well.

Anything that is sweet and yummy you are more likely to use, especially when it is readily available. I just love this spray. It’s small, convenient and you can store it anywhere. It’s also a nutrient dense layer of protection for our kids and for ourselves throughout the colder seasons. Generally, we keep our favourite Beekeepers Naturals products stocked at the Bosnar Health clinic because our clients love them. Luckily, you can also have it delivered straight to your  door through the Beekeepers Naturals website. Don’t forget to use the discount code ‘bosnarhealth’ for 10% off your purchase!

USE PROMOCODE:

bosnarhealth

FOR 10% OFF!

INVEST IN BEEKEEPERS NATURALS
THE LOVE TUNER

The Love Tuner is an excellent pattern interrupt. What do I mean by this? It means that when I am experiencing a difficult moment I can use the love tuner as a way to bring healing vibrations to my nervous system and to the people around me. It was a no brainer for me to buy this for my kids last year. They will go upstairs and use them on their own when they are feeling stressed but most of the time when we use them it makes us laugh. Putting us into that healing vibration has been a really great gift for my family. It is especially thoughtful for any of those who are more musically inclined. If you know someone who self regulates with sound, this is a great way to easily and quickly tap into their brain. This is such a thoughtful way to give the soothing gift of music to someone you love.

INVEST IN the love tuner
The muse headband
MUSE – THE BRAIN SENSING HEADBAND

This came out a couple of years ago and it is a biofeedback headband that you put on your head. It actually senses brainwaves, allowing you to learn to get better at meditation. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for other ways to destress and get into that relaxed state. Maybe meditation apps normally doesn’t work for you, or it takes too much time out of your day. The muse offers tons of different types and lengths of meditation. As you listen to your chosen soundtrack, the muse will offer various breathing techniques or visualizations to get you into that parasympathetic, healing state.

INVEST IN THE MUSE HEADBAND
The Oura Ring
THE OURA RING

One of my absolute favourite biohacking purchases I made three years ago is this ring! The inside of the ring has little sensors that track biomarkers. For those of you sports enthusiasts, you may recall the NBA bubble used this tracker for a safe reopening and ended up using it as a tool to improve their game. This ring tracks heart rate variability, deep and REM sleep, average body temperature…the information it can give you is pretty amazing. For example, if you’re getting sleep, is it restful? Not only will this help level up anyone’s health, it is a great preventive tool as well.

invest in an oura ring
THE RELAX INFRARED SAUNA

Throughout my years of practicing Functional Medicine, I spent a long time looking at saunas. 

Some of the most beautiful saunas out there were either very expensive or big and bulky. When a colleague introduced me to the relax sauna, which is a portable sauna, I didn’t believe it would be any good. When I tried it, the results were remarkable. The relax sauna gave me the ability to enjoy a personal far infrared sauna session in as little as 10-15 minutes.

Most saunas, including my big beautiful expensive wooden sauna, are not only more expensive but they require more space and more time. If you are like me, time is precious! The cost and effort required to get the same amount of benefits was so much shorter with my Relax Sauna. Once I started using it regularly, I fell in love with it. I can pack it up and take it with me when I go up North.

My favourite part is that it can easily be set up in less than 5 minutes. Not only is it useful for houses, apartments or smaller rooms, it is also at an affordable price point. I personally use the infrared sauna during my own gut healing protocols. I also encourage most of my patients to use the sauna during detoxification protocols. 

My son calls it the ‘spacesuit’. If I can convince my kids to sit in there for 8-10 minutes (without overheating), they will experience the same healing benefits as I do! Being able to use this biohacking tool to help my family manage the toxins in our environment and the stresses in our lives has been a game changer for us as a family. 

USE PROMOCODE:

kristina2

FOR $75 OFF!

INVEST IN A RELAXSAUNA
ORGANO GOLD ORGANIC KING COFFEE

Not only am I a Doctor to hundreds of patients, but I am also the CEO of a six-figure business and a mom of 3 kids. Obviously, this means I am always looking for ways to biohack my busy life. There is only one way to start the day off right if I want things to go right and it starts with my morning routine. I rely on Organo Gold Organic King Coffee to set the tone of my day. When I have my King coffee I can feel productive, organized and ready to get the day started.

There is nothing worse than waking up and feeling like you’re already behind. Unless it is getting up in the morning and drinking something that you know for a fact isn’t good for you and doesn’t make you feel good. That’s is how I used to feel after my morning coffee. When I started to swap my regular coffee for the Organo Gold King Organic Coffee, I knew I’d found a winning solution for my morning coffee habit. Now I always feel excited about having my morning coffee because I know for a fact that it is nourishing me.

This organic coffee is infused with organic Ganoderma Lucidum spore powder, which is the spores from a Reishi mushroom.

This immune boosting drink is full of antioxidants. Now I can confidently consider my morning coffee my first act of self care for the day. If you know me, you know that this is my morning elixir. An Organo Gold Organic King coffee with coconut milk and honey. That’s my morning routine and you have to give it a try! 

INVEST IN ORGANO GOLD REISHI MUSHROOM INFUSED BEVERAGES
THE FIVE-MINUTE JOURNAL & THE FIVE-MINUTE JOURNAL FOR KIDS

As the Doctor Biohacking Supermom, I am always looking for ways to instill healing habits in my kids and into my own routine. The Five-Minute Journal offers an incredibly easy process of tapping into the healing power of gratitude. As a busy woman who runs a business and has three kids, I find it hard to be in the moment and be grateful for my blessings. Mostly because there are always 20 other things to do! When I do make time for my Five-Minute Journal either first thing in the morning or last thing at night, after only two or three minutes I am brought into the present moment and feeling that power of gratitude.

As a Doctor, I realize the benefits of a regular gratitude practice and I want to pass this on to my kids because they are growing up privileged in a way that I never was.

Using the Five-Minute Journal, and yes there is a Five-Minute Journal for kids, allows my whole family to take a step back and realize all that is right in our lives.

Gratitude has an incredible impact on my mood and on my mindset and the Five-Minute Journal let’s me do this quickly and easily.

INVEST IN THE FIVE-MINUTE JOURNAL
THE BERKEY WATER FILTER 

I like the Berkey Water Filtration System because it is extremely well researched. This filter removes bacteria and chemicals from your water while leaving behind a beautiful delicious flavour. If you don’t have the luxury of installing filters in your home, the Berkey is an excellent option for any space. It is portable, affordable, easy to use and filters large enough amounts for a family on a daily basis that can be bottled up and put away.

I love to put my filtered water into nice glass jars and leave it in the fridge like I’ve had fresh spring water delivered.

I love the fact that the Berkey filter is so easy to maintain and that you can take it anywhere. Literally, you decide to go to a cottage, you can literally pick it up and bring your Berkey filter with you.  There is no other filter in the world like it!

INVEST IN THE BERKEY WATER FILTER
THE AIR DOCTOR FILTER 

When we moved into our new home, I immediately purchased an Air Doctor. A lot of people asked me why I would purchase an air purifier after moving into a brand new home? It probably wouldn’t have mold and we had taken extra care, using non voc and environmentally friendly materials. What most people don’t know is that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. Not only that, but the dust and dust mites in bacteria, viruses and pollen can grow in any space, in any room. The Air Doctor filter was tested and proven to capture 100 times smaller particles than the typical HEPA filters. As soon as I discovered this information I put one in each of my children’s rooms.

In today’s modern age, our children are exposed to environmental toxins regularly.

It was really important to me, especially after my first child suffered from croup and respiratory tract infections a lot, that I covered all my bases. Now I use the Air Doctor multiple times a week, and even more when we don’t open the window, because it genuinely makes a difference to how they sleep. They sleep soundly and seemingly have way less congestion. Even if you don’t think there is a problem, you can always invest in cleaner indoor air in your family home. 

INVEST IN THE AIR DOCTOR FILTER
Some of my other FAVOURITE healthy gifts include

LOOKING FOR MORE GIFT IDEAS?
HEALTHY GIFT IDEAS FOR KIDS
LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION?

Check out my latest post in The Bosnar Health Blog as I do a deeper dive into these products and some of my other favourites! To join me and my team for live events, visit our Events Page.

by Dr. Kristina Bosnar

Chiropractic Doctor with a Special Interest in Perinatal & Pediatric Care

Advanced Clinical Training from the Institute of Functional Medicine in

Pediatrics

Nutrigenomics

Methylation

Cognitive Decline

as well as

THE ReCODE METHOD®(BREDESEN PROTOCOL) PRACTITIONER CERTIFIED

AND THE WAHLS PROTOCOL® HEALTH PRACTITIONER CERTIFIED

 

Kristina Bosnar