As great as the holidays are, the post-holiday "back to work" transition can be killer. If you had nearly as much fun as I did over break, then today must have been excruciating! It's important to keep a positive attitude and stay upbeat...the workday will only seem longer if you act sluggish and complain. How does one avoid sluggishness you might be asking?
That answer can vary from person to person; many people turn to caffeine. I've given up caffeine for a number of reasons: it can be addicting, it dehydrates the body, and - most noticeably - it can lead to extreme energy crashes. Who wants to hit that 2:30 p.m. wall of exhaustion? Not me! My shield for warding off sluggishness is eating complex carbohydrates. Foods such as nuts and grainy, fiber-rich breads (I love Ezekiel brand) fill you up and keep you energized for longer periods of time because they take longer for the body to digest. My favorite mid afternoon snack is an almond butter & organic, no-sugar-added fruit jelly sandwich with Ezekiel bread. It is satisfying and provides that boost that you need!
Another way that I keep post-holiday workdays from being pity-parties is to simply smile. It's amazing how a little expression can make a big difference: others will see you smiling and return the pleasantry...plus, you might even just fool yourself into being happy!
After my long day of ab+j (almond butter + jelly) and encouraging smiles (which got results!), I was totally wiped out. After my festive and decadent Thanksgiving, I wanted to cook something healthy - - that was also incredibly easy. For me, this translates into some kind of vegetable-rich casserole that I can throw together without much thought. Tonight's casserole is adapted from Dreena Burton's great book Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. It is full of pantry and freezer staples and takes mere minutes to assemble.
Polenta Casserole
- 1/2 tube prepared Polenta, chopped into small pieces
- 15 oz. white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups tomato sauce (I use Newman's Own brand)
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- splash red wine vinegar
- drizzle agave nectar
- dash paprika
- dash powdered mustard
- dash dried oregano
- splash Tamari or soy sauce
- 1.5 cup vegan "Mozzarella" cheese
- salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the polenta, beans, tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, thyme, vinegar, agave nectar, paprika, mustard, oregano, and Tamari in a large bowl with salt and pepper (taste the sauce and adjust seasonings).
Pour the mixture into a greased 8x12 baking dish and sprinkle with the vegan cheese and additional salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. If the cheese hasn't melted at this point, turn the broiler on and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. serves 4
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A Word on Exercise after Holidays
It can be tempting to skip exercise on the week after a vacation or holiday. We often have a mile-long list of "to do" items and we probably don't want to exercise after all that time off. For example, I really really really need to get to the DMV to renew my licence and plates. I was thinking about skipping my Tuesday run to get to the DMV, but I realized that my run is just as important as my "to do" list. There is no good reason why I can't go to the DMV on Thursday instead. Subconsciously, I was probably just trying to figure a way around my exercise. But I'm not going to!
If you find yourself making excuses not to exercise, or start flooding your workout time with items from your "to do" list, back off and remind yourself that your health, well-being, and fitness are just as important as everything else. No excuses =)
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