5-day Self-Care Holiday Rebellion Challenge

Welcome to my 5-Day Sef-Care Challenge-Holiday Rebellion Style

The 5-Day Holiday Rebellion Challenge

DAY 1-SIMPLE SWAPS: CHOMP THE (CARROT) CHIPS & DIP

Want a little cheeky Holiday Rebellion?

Looking for slivers of sanity, simple swaps and self-care amidst the munching madness?

Rebel against salty, greasy processed chips!

While careening your shopping cart to gather festive holiday snacks, skip the store-length "chip" aisle, (yes, it truly is an entire grocery store aisle!😳) and swing through the produce section for a bag of conveniently ready-to-eat crinkle cut carrot chips! 🥕BOOM! Instant bag of crunchable, satisfying, snacking happiness full of genuine rebellion, rather than a featherlight bag of sadness, artificial colors and questionable ingredients.

Savor the crunch, goodness and vibrant color while skipping the day-after "sodium swelling". Magical and delicious with store-bought hummus! Enjoy & Cheers Friends!

DAY 2-BE A SAVVY SHOPPING SWAPPING REBEL

Do you ever wish plant proteins were as readily available to grab-and-go as the carnivore varieties on every corner and every convenience store?  Me too!

Do you leave home unprepared for “hangry” emergencies, running errands unfed and undernourished, ravenous and racing?

Bonus: Would you like to uplevel your holiday gathering with a little “wild plant vibe” charcuterie board?  Come along for this ride!

When my kitchen is not torn up in a remodel and the holiday pressure valve isn’t in play, I love to make my own plant-based meat (seitan) for instant gratification.  The homemade version takes a bit of time and commitment, but makes a LOT, tastes incredible and freezes beautifully. I’ll expand on that process in my upcoming “Meatless Moments Mindset” Masterclass so join my Meatless Monday Adventures to stay in the know.

There is a time and place for lovingly, home crafted plant protein recipes, but the pre-holiday scramble, while in full sprint mode are not that time. For now, my friend, we are in the holiday trenches…don’t be a hero!  Quick and convenient plant protein does not have to be illusive in the wild. Take the assist, and the win, from store-bought convenience foods designed for magic on-the-go moments, like plant-based deli slices and vegan jerky, that will ease your stress, fuel your plant-powered greatness and maintain your ROCKSTAR energy + contribute to a graze-worthy holiday moment charcuterie board to share that everyone, even meat-eaters, will love.

Leaving home emergency kit prep: Roll slices into a resealable bag and grab some of your favorite crackers.

Running wild, running errands. Survival mode activated.  Tear into the package, (maybe wait until you’re back in the car if possible), peel off those slices like a savage and indulge for an instant downshift on the hangry spiral scale.

Rebel convenience ingredient turned art form: Adorn a wooden charcuterie board with artfully draped plant-based deli slices and an array of assorted nuts, fruits and even a well-placed vegan cheese, if you’re feeling frisky. 

Share your wild plant moments with your own heart-centered, soul circle of friends and family.  Enjoy and cheers, friend!

DAY 3-HOLIDAY HYDRATION HAPPINESS HABIT

Don’t be a victim of holiday dehydration, be an H2O gulping rebel! Drink water like its medicine for your soul.

Holiday party cheer can create an atmosphere of reckless abandon, bloated mornings and hangover headaches.

You find yourself downing delicious hors d’ oeuvres, swilling wine or cocktails and diving into that vat of your aunt’s salty, crunchy, highly addictive snack mix that makes an appearance every year!  So much of the fun is indulging in foods we aren’t face to face with most of the year, but hey…it’s the Holidays!  Why not? I get it.

The joy of the season’s merriment combined with generalized insanity makes it easy to ignore the healthy, routine habits we spend all year cementing…like drinking more water.  Is it me or is that a goal of most of us these days?  As I kid, I don’t remember that being a thing. At all.

In Holiday Rebellion style, I challenge you not to give up the good fight!  There are easy ways to keep your hydration habits intact even while the stress, salt and seductively dehydrating snacks and beverages find their way into your mouth. 

First and foremost, please enjoy that holiday happiness and the camaraderie of family, friends, food and favorites of all kinds that for some unknown reason, we wait all year to enjoy. There’s that. 

My favorite way to keep my hydration high is with my  life-changing 24-ounce FreeSip Owala water bottle. To say I’m obsessed is putting it mildly. I’m normally not cool enough to be privy to trendy acronyms, but IYKYK!

I’m on my third Owala bottle now, due to unfortunate and mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the first two.  Thankfully, there are more.

I was first introduced to this magnificent bottle by my former employer who gave me one as a contest prize and all I had to do was choose the color I wanted.  I had no idea what I was in for, but I am eternally grateful!

I will wax poetic about this bottle in the future but for now, I’d like to say, you need this in your life. Period.  They also make fantastic gifts for absolutely everyone. You’re welcome!

The 24-ounce bottle fits snuggly in your cupholder, but there are other sizes. It doesn’t spill if it tips over, unless of course you don’t snap the top shut after a drink or accidently pick it up by the finger loop before screwing the top back on after a refill, both crimes of which I have sadly committed. Thankfully, it was only water, and my keyboard was not involved.

I also love that you can flip the top open with just one hand, by pushing in the latch with your thumb.  There you will find a unique spout/straw combo that allows you to sip without tipping the bottle.

My current bottle is my personal mobile art creation and is adorned with stickers from my recent travels. Places I love, memories I’ve made and places I yearn to return. It makes me happy with every glance and sip.

They exist in a mind-blowing array of amazing color combos. When I spot someone with one, I get an immediate dopamine hit of excitement, kinship and respect.  Especially if it’s the same color as mine. It’s weird, I know.

This, my friend, is one way you will stay hydrated and happy through the holiday season!

Another idea, since this 5- day Holiday Rebellion challenge was created to offer plant-based food tips, you can also load up on high-water content foods, like celery, cucumber, lettuce, berries and tomatoes. Colorful hydration of another kind!

Chew and sip with savvy to your happy, hydrated heart’s content!

DAY 4-FEED YOUR (GUT) FRIENDS

There’s a party going on…in your gut!  These rambunctious partygoers are in charge of your health, both physically and mentally, more than you may realize! Treat them like your guests of honor!

We can’t be healthy holiday rebels on cocktails, cookies and candy canes!

Let’s keep our gut friends well fed and happy, by serving them the fiber-rich foods they crave and thrive on, so they can help YOU and your immune system stay strong and resilient throughout the holiday season and beyond.

Fiber is only found in plant foods. 

Fiber is what we are most deficient in, contrary to popular belief. 

Get this microbiome party started with dips and spreads made from beans, edamame or eggplant. Like my Espresso Martini Hummus that can double as dessert, made with black beans and served with graham crackers, pretzels, plantain chips or banana slices. Guacamole with edamame or green peas, Garlic Eggplant spread (Baba Ghanosh), Italian White Bean dip with Italian Herbs or your standard issue store-bought hummus are amazing with veggie trays, crackers, pita and sliced fruit. 

Espresso Martini Hummus

• 1 can of black beans rinsed
• 1/8 cup of maple syrup
• ¼ cup of cocoa powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 Tbsp vodka (optional)
• 5 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Mash with any of the following: potato masher, fork, blender, food processor, immersion blender.  I used a potato masher. (My kitchen shenanigans are still compromised by our remodel!)

Go for the fiber gold and your gut will reward you!   Cheers, Friend!

DAY 5-BE A SELF-CARE REBEL

Keep your fabulous flame afire; by front-loading some rebellious self-care so you can embrace the season’s magic, feeling fresh and guilt-free!

Instead of watching your flame of holiday happiness flicker out like a waft of smoke at the bottom of a burned-out candle, transfer your flame to a new one. Pronto.

If you’ve been rushing, shopping, wrapping, baking, struggling, stressing or hanging on by a thread…you’re most likely putting yourself last on your holiday to-do list.

Let’s make a pact. 

It’s time to carve out some radical self-care mini moments today to stay balanced and resilient, mentally and physically, and to enjoy those upcoming magical moments!

My grandma who owned a candy store taught me the value of balance, of eating a good meal, at least a few fruits or vegetables, before diving into the treats.  This is  your sign to fuel your fabulousness with some healthy nibbles before diving into reckless abandon.  Eating well is self-care and a particularly radical move with all the treats orbiting you this month.

I see you.

Balance and self-care can be anything meaningful to you. Even the tiniest of moments count.

Nourish: Enjoy a sliced apple or banana with peanut or almond butter, eat some nuts or make a good ol’ peanut butter sandwich.  This is always a good move before having cocktails.

Sip: Warm your heart and soul. Savor a cup of hot soup or favorite tea.

Relax: Sit down, close your eyes and take five deep, slow breaths that you feel all the way to your belly. Breathe into your heart. Let  your shoulders fall far from your ears.

Listen: Play a relaxing or favorite song, even for a moment before you get out of your parked car.

Appreciate: Step outside and look at the beauty of nature. Really see the miraculous unfolding in front of you.

Open: Let go of perfection and embrace your messy and beautiful life.

Choose to love!

Then, go and enjoy the celebrations, the cookies and the cocktails. Make new memories, have moments that matter and most of all, love and care for yourself.