Holidays are the day of love, family and feast. My mission is always to educate you and teach you how to get and live DEFINED(ladies) get RIPPED(men) year round. One of the keys to being able to stay fit year round is always thinking 5 steps ahead. You are going to have social events every week, every month, every year for the rest of your life. You are going to have multiple big holidays every single year for the rest of your life.
So what does that mean? That means you are going to have to learn how to plan ahead, and learn how to navigate these social and holiday situations intelligently. Being fit means ALWAYS thinking ahead, making smart choices, being disciplined and being consistent.
There is also strategies on how to prepare for this day so you can eat PIE, DRINK alcohol, and STILL get FIT through the holiday season. How to prepare for the holiday so you can eat or drink and truly get away with it. I told you HOW to prepare for this holiday so you can eat MORE and enjoy time with your loved ones.
If you missed it, click this link to see it. How To Prep For Thanksgiving!
Today Im going to teach you some tips and tricks on how to change up the ingredients so you can make your favorite dishes just healthier, cleaner, and with much, much less calories but keeping it tasty! Healthy food doesnt have to be boring and Im going to give you some quick and easy tricks and tips to keep it exciting without expanding your waistline or destroying your health.
Just remember, living ripped requires you always being committed to the lifestyle, thinking 5 steps ahead, being disciplined in social situations and eating smart ALL YEAR long.
So lets get to the tips.
Tip #1. Remake your recipes.
I mention this in the prep article, but there is a healthy alternative for EVERY single thing you could imagine. No matter what your favorite food is, the food you look fwd to the most(mine pumpkin pie), there are smarter, healthier, cleaner, lower calorie option recipes all over the internet.
The recipes Im about to recommend are super easy to make and made with all natural ingredients. So the key is when searching for a new recipe is to search on Google for “Paleo Recipe_____” or “Keto recipe___”
The reason I say search Paleo/keto is because anything that qualifies as Paleo/keto doesnt have Flour(wheat or white) or Sugar(refined) in the ingredients. The average American consumes 360lbs of SUGAR annually, which come from sugar and flour(bread, pasta, pizza, cereal, etc).
Flour is sugar to the body and these two are the top 2 killers in America, the top two reasons why Americans are fat. And the top 2 things that cause cravings and binging. Also the cause or our cancer, obesity, and heart disease epidemic.
So eliminate those from your life. Theres BETTER foods you can eat. Whatever you want to make, Search for your favorite dish in Paleo or Keto form and you will find a smarter, healthier option that will keep you ON POINT. All you gotta do is a quick google search, for example, search “Paleo Pumpkin Pie. Paleo Turkey. Paleo Ham. Paleo pie crust. Paleo mashed potatoes. Keto Pumpkin Pie.” etc.
Although Im not one that follows a Paleo style diet, I do believe in always eating REAL food just like the Paleo community. This trick here is the hack getting great recipes without jeopardizing your results.
Tip#2. Replace your Flour with a smarter alternative.
Your recipe should be following the tip #1 rules. But just incase you arent listening I want to reiterate AVOID flour One of the absolute WORST ingredients you could consume is Flour(white, wheat), its worse than sugar, highly inflammatory and damages your body in tons of ways.
Incase you dont know, todays Wheat crops have been hybridized, scientifically engineered, and have Super Glutens which our bodies cannot digest efficiently. They wreck your gut lining leading to inflammation and chronic diseases/ailments.
On top of this contain Round Up(glyphosphate weed killer). Along with having very addictive effects leading to cravings and over eating. Along with spiking your blood sugar putting you in a fat storing mode from that and the the Insulin burst.
By avoiding this stuff like the plague, this will eliminate the Gas, Bloating, digestive discomfort, lethargy, brain fog, skin disorders, depression, anxiety, and cravings for the days after. One of the major reasons emergency rooms are flooded every year after thanksgiving, and christmas are because of this ingredient. Leaing to flu, pushing people over the edge into heart attacks etc.
If you dont listen to me understand its highly inflammatory and will cause all the above and also lead to an injury, joint pain, muscle pain for 7-14 days AFTER consumed. Which means you are going to be tight, achy, in pain, and your workouts are going to suck if you eat it, or you will pull, tweak, or tear a muscle.
Its TERRIBLE. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms now you know why. The foods to watch out for if others bring them (bread, pasta, baked goods, pies, pie crusts, fried foods, flour tortillas etc)
So if your recipe calls for flour what would be the smarter choice?
Replace Flour with Almond flour, or coconut flour. Using coconut or almond flour will also reduce the carb intake DRASTICALLY because they are higher in healthy fats. Healthy fats will make you fuller longer and will help keep you from over eating and gaining weight. I will discuss some options in the tips below.
Just make sure you follow tip #1 for you recipes and avoid all foods that contain flour that others bring to the party.
Heres some sites that usually have awesome recipe ideas.
https://paleoleap.com/paleo-thanksgiving-recipes/
You should also share this article with those people coming so they get ideas, jump on board, or at least understand why you are eating differently than them.
Tip #3. Replace refined Sugar with better alternatives.
If you followed tip #1 this is done. Now in all years prior I have suggested that people trade out any sugar ingredients with Honey or 100% Organic maple syrup(My personal choice), or Brown Rice syrup. This eliminates the refined sugars which are highly addictive and can drastically spike blood sugar levels leading to a crash following. But I recently discovered something new that I do making my famous pumpkin pie and it comes out awesome and had a fraction of the calories and eliminated most of the carbs!
What is it?
Monk Fruit Extract!!!
This is similar to how Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener, but this one has a much better flavor without the after taste, and bakes well. So this year, my recommendation is to use Monk Fruit instead of honey or pure maple syrup, for one reason, it slashes your calories and carbs! As you know, when it comes to burning fat, avoiding gaining fat, its a CALORIE game.
So this year, if you want to slash calories more, this is what we are going to do. Noone will even notice, this stuff tastes just like sugar, kinda crazy.
Now with that said, be very careful about the brand you buy, some of them I found have Dextrose or Maltodextrin in the ingredients which is actually SUGAR! So dont just read the front label and nutrition info actually check the INGREDIENTS LIST thats where the truth is. You should only see Monk Fruit and some also have Eythritol. These are fine. Anything else, avoid.
The brand I found which is online(amazon prime it), Whole Foods, Sprouts, Mothers carry it is called Lakanto Classic!
Sugar is 8x more addictive than cocaine, which leads to you craving and binging on more of the same. So Avoid it and replace it with healthier options like Maple Syrup or Honey or Monk Fruit. Holidays ONLY!!! Although these arent as bad as refined sugars they are still tasty, still packed with natural sugar (honey/maple syrup)and can lead to cravings and overeating if you add them to your normal everyday life. So holidays only!
Tip #4. Protein Is Priority. There are two hacks to this that are absolute life savers for holidays and social events. The first one is the appetizer. You see, most people put out chips, bread, and other carb foods for appetizers/snacks.
This is a fitness FELONY. This spikes blood sugar, leading to a crash, insane cravings and non stop binging for DAYS. So we have a smarter choice and its one of my personal favorites, Deviled Eggs.
Deviled Eggs are packed with protein and good fats, both of which make you FULL because of the hormones that are triggered when you eat them. So by starting off the social gathering with Deviled eggs you are saving yourself, and your loved ones from over eating and getting fat because you will be feeling full already.
What happens if you snack on deviled eggs and feel full?
You eat less when it comes to the thanksgiving meal!!!! This is a win!
Just make sure you make your Deviled Eggs with Paleo Mayo(find homemade recipe on google. or buy premade at Whole Foods or online)
I would boil up 5-8 dozen eggs(Costco sells Organic 24 pack cheap, use 3 of those packs) because these bad boys go quick! I usually make 130+ and theres never any left overs.
Hack #2 is mentioned in the holiday prep article here Thanksgiving Week Prep To Get Fit During Holidays but I will say it again. When its time to sit down with the family for dinner/brunch your very first full plate is a pure PROTEIN plate. This means your first plate of food is pure turkey, eggs, steak, ham, lamb, or fish. You do NOT get to touch anything else until you have finished your PROTEIN plate.
That means no potatoes, no fruit, no pie, no alcohol until you have done this. The reason we do this is to keep your blood sugar from spiking, leading to a crash, which prevents cravings and binges. No cravings, no binging, leads to no excessive calorie consumption and you getting fat.
Now after those two things are done, its time to enjoy the foods you like. The smart ones of course. You get to eat your potatoes, fruit, Paleo Pie(recipe coming up below), or have a glass of wine.
You follow those two rules and it will save you and your loved ones from over eating 1,000’s excessive calories. Which means you survive the holidays without any weight gain. Yay!
We have talked about ingredient changes, so lets talk about some of my favorite ways to make pies and pie crusts.
Because lets be real, we all know thats the only reason you like thanksgiving, the pie, dont lie. lol
Tip #5. Low Carb Crust and Delicious Healthy Pie Filling.
CRUSTS
Pecan Crust (This is amazing but high in calories)
Heres how to make it:
1 cup pecan pieces (frozen)
2 T melted Grassfed butter (Kerrygold at store)
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey or 2 tbsp Monk Fruit
1. Take pecans out of the freezer and measure them into a food processor (you can use a blender, but be careful not to blend them down too small). Pulse the processor until the largest pieces are as big as lentils or split peas.
2. Add the butter and the sweetener (Maple Syrup or honey). Blend until it’s mixed evenly.
3. Dump it into a pie pan, and push with your fingers to cover the bottom and sides. It should be the right consistency to mold the crust to the pie pan evenly.
Nutritional Analysis: Whole crust is 1058 calories, 41 Carbs(Good Carbs), 100g Fat(GOOD fats), 10g Protein. This Equates to 132 calories, 5g carbs, 12.5 grams of Good Fat, 1.25 grams of protein per slice.
If you use Monk fruit its about 960 calories and less carbs.
Compare to Normal Pie Crust. 1800-2000+ Calories with 216g Carbs(Blood Sugar spiking, Body Fat Promoting, addictive kind), 108g Fats(not so healthy kind), 9g protein.
That means if you choose the Pecan Crusted over a normal pie crust you save Almost 100 calories per slice and eat 22g less of carbs per slice. Thats a WIN! And even more if you use Monk Fruit.
ALMOND FLOUR PIE CRUST (This is my personal crust choice this year)
Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour
1 egg, 1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp coconut oil or Grassfed Butter
1tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey or 1tbsp monk fruit
Instructions:
1. In a food processor or bowl, briefly mix almond flour and salt.
2. Add in melted coconut oil(butter), Maple syrup(or honey) and egg and mix until a ball is formed.
3. Press dough into a pie dish. Note: this pie dish was larger than the standard 9″ size, so the crust didn’t extend as far up the sides but you get the idea.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.
I will say the Pumpkin pie recipe below tastes better with the almond flour crust, but I also have listed a crustless option to save calories. Yes, I have thought of everything.
So we talked Crusts, lets talk PIE.
Most peoples favorite pies are Apple and Pumpkin so take either one of these pie recipes below and put this filling into can be made using any one of the crust options above, or go crustless to reduce calories like the one below.
What I mean is to put this same filling into a Almond crust, a pecan crust or just go crustless.
CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE!!! (This comes out amazing even with no crust!)
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup Monk Fruit(I’d do just shy of 2/3 cup its sweet) or ½ cup Maple Syrup or Honey
½ tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cardamom
¾ cup Unsweetened almond or coconut milk
1-2tbsp of Grassfed Butter or Coconut oil
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a glass pie dish with Grassfed Butter or coconut oil.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, slightly beat the eggs.
4. Add in the following to the eggs, hand whisking after each addition to combine well: pumpkin puree, honey, salt and spices, milk.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. You can check if toothpick inserted into center comes out relatively clean, but after 1 hour and 10 minutes, it should be done. You should check at an hour to make sure it’s not burning, if it is, it might need to come out early. You want the pie to set, but you don’t want the top to brown/burn.
6. To serve, slide a silicone spatula under each piece (rather than a metal cake server/cutter), which keeps the pie piece from breaking. (Your first piece may be less successful since it’s hard to slip a spatula under when there’s no room, but I haven’t had problems with any piece thereafter).
7. Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream (optional).
You can use that same Pumpkin Pie filling recipe above and put it in your Pecan Crust or Almond Crust, or you can go Crustless. Just make sure if you are using crusts to bake them for 10mins first before adding the filling.
Now lets talk Apple Pie
APPLE PIE FILLING (Use one of the 3 Crust options listed above)
Ingredients
5 medium apples (or 3 extra large apples)
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp monk fruit
Instructions
1. Peel apples, core, and slice into thin strips.
2. In a large bowl, add sliced apples and the rest of the ingredients. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix the ingredients delicately and well.
3. Place the apple pie filling evenly into the pie crust. Sprinkle 2tbsp of Monk Fruit
4.. Make your own side Dishes
Whipped cream, cranberry sauce are both packed with BAD sugar. So here are some smarter recipe options that are quick and easy.
Whipped Cream
b2ap3_thumbnail_whipped-cream_20151224-142710_1.jpg
Ingredients:
– 4 cups fresh berries (a mixture of your favorite)
– 1 lemon
– 1 can full fat coconut milk (14 oz.), refrigerated for 6 or more hours
– 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
– 2 Tbsp. raw honey
– Dash of cardamon (optional)
Directions:
1. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or overnight). This will cause the cream to separate from the milk. Open the can of coconut milk and scrape out the cream into a medium sized bowl. Hint: I always open the can from the bottom and pour the milk out into a separate container before scraping out the cream. You can use the saved milk for other recipes.
2. Add the vanilla and raw honey (and a dash of cardamom if desired). Whip the cream with a hand mixer for about 3-5 minutes. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Wash berries and place in serving bowls. Squeeze the lemon juice and pour over the berries – use as much or as little as you like. Place a big scoop of Coconut Whipped Cream alongside the berries and serve.
4. Use to top off Pumpkin pie, apple pie etc.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
12oz Organic Cranberries
3/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed/juiced Orange juice
1/2 Cup Honey
Directions:
1. Mix all 3 ingredients into a pan and simmer on medium heat. Stir often, simmer until the sauce thickens and the cranberries all pop.
2. Refrigerate.
3. Serve at room temperature.
So there you go, there are the tricks and tips by trading out the terrible ingredients with smarter choices. I found all of these recipes by doing a quick google search “Paleo___recipe”. Be sure you do the research to find your favorite recipe and make a healthier, smarter version. Make sure you follow all the Holiday RULES and you will have an great time, get to enjoy some good foods and you will stay lean through the holidays.
My mission is to educate you, inspire you, to live better and live to your full potential.
You follow these rules, and you will literally be getting FIT through the holiday season while the other 99% is getting fatter like they do every year.
Men, If you like what you’ve read, youll love my book “The Shredded Executive” it teaches you step by step how to get ripped, just like this article but in more detail and includes macros, mindset, nutrition hacks, and workouts.
Theres also a womens version called “Booty Gains” because most women want a defined body, with a nice booty. So ladies, I’ve got you too!
Both books found here, Click here to get it
If you are lucky enough to live local to me in Orange County, California and are ready to get trained in person and get the body of your dreams, msg me on facebook
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Make sure you share this article with your friends and family. So they know what to expect from you, and so maybe they too can jump on board with you. Be willing to be the weird one, the disciplined one that stands out. When you are rocking that physique that stands out, they will start to understand and be inspired by your lead.
Have an awesome holiday Shredders!
Daymond Sewall
