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Don't Get Weighed Down By Holiday Bingeing
5 great tips on how to avoid the gift of holiday weight gain

It’s hard to believe that a year has nearly past and the holidays are now on top of us. Since the holidays are close at hand, Steviva Brands president Thom King is here to offer you some sound advice that may make a difference. Here are a few tips to get you through the holidays without being burdened with seasonal weight gain and disappointment that follows:

How to Avoid the Gift of Holiday Weight Gain.

1. Do not try to lose weight during the holidays. Simply maintaining will be a huge accomplishment.

2. Expect the holidays to be a challenge. The Holidays are filled with potential pitfalls that will erode your discipline. Sometimes this will put pressure on you. Prepare for it and you will prevail.

3. Get support for eating properly. Find a support partner and speak with them daily. This really makes a difference. If you resist this suggestion, then you will probably gain Holiday weight. Weight loss is best done with the help of a support system, particularly during a stressful time. If you attempt to go it alone you will definitely increase your chances of failure. So get a buddy!

4. Be cognizant of family issues. Holidays usually mean time with family. If your family puts the fun in dysfunction you can expect unresolved family issues to emerge. This can create powerful emotions in you. You may feel the the desire to self-medicate with food to cope with these emotions but, don't this will lead to weight gain and potential self loathing. If you identify these issues prior to family gatherings, you will be better prepared to manage the feelings they generate.

Almost all overeating is due to emotions. This rings true regarding holiday pig outs. Holidays bring up feelings of loneliness, family conflict, past hurts and resentments, anger and many other painful emotions. These stressors combined with the easy availably of comfort food can lead to the perfect weight gaining storm.

If you know your baggage, you can make proactive decisions about how to manage it. If you simply walk into family gatherings like the wounded wildebeest into a tribe of hungry lions, you can count on a mad dash to the dessert table.

Everyone carries some family baggage. You are not alone in this. A dose of self-reflection and inner honesty will go a long way towards helping you no balloon up during the coming season.

5. Let family members know that you are trying hard not to succumb to holiday weight gain and that you want their support. Ask them to resist tempting you to eat food that will throw you off and to provide you some fresh veggies and sugar free delights.

It's really important to have a support mechanism. Somebody you can count on. Find a good buddy and then use them for encouragement and strength to do what needs to be done. You don’t need to handle family drama alone.

We have found that the more dysfunctional the family, the more support you will need to handle them. If you choose to walk this path alone, you may quickly find that you are lost in a food vortex.

In the spirit of the upcoming Holiday Season we would like to give a few recipes which cut out the high glycemic weight packing carbs and ones that will help you through this wonderful time of the year.

Sausage Stuffing
Carbs Per Serving: 6g
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1 Pound Sausage -- Seasoned
2 Large Onions -- Finely Chopped
3 Stalks Celery -- Finely Chopped (3 To 4)
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Head Cabbage – Finely Chopped
15 Ounces Chicken Broth -- Canned
3 Eggs -- Beaten
Seasonings

Instructions:
This has all the taste of real stuffing, without the bread. You won't miss the bread and can "stuff" yourself as much as you like.

Sauté your onion and celery in the butter.
Add sausage, brown, crumbling the sausage finely.
Let the oils and butter brown on the bottom of the pan to get that great combination flavor.
Add seasonings you like such as thyme, oregano, pepper, salt, to taste. If your sausage was pre-seasoned you can just add a little black pepper.
Add cabbage and continue cooking.
Add chicken broth to moisten as dish starts to get dry.
Put in a 3-4 qt baking dish and add the eggs.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Cranberry Relish
Carbs Per Serving: 4g
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1 Cup Dark Rum
1 Tsp. Lemon Rind – Grated
4 Cups Cranberries – Raw Fresh or Frozen
3⁄4 Cup Stevia Blend
3⁄4 Cup Walnuts – Chopped, Pecans or Almonds

Instructions:
Put Stevia Blend and rum in saucepan, heat to boiling.
Add cranberries and lemon zest, bring back to boil and immediately lower heat so the mixture is on a low, rolling boil, just above a simmer.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chopped nuts, mixing in thoroughly.
Let cook 1-2 min, then remove from heat, cover and let cool completely.

The rum and lemon zest adds tremendous richness complexity to the sauce. But, if you want to forego the rum, just substitute an equal amount of water.

Candied Yams
Carbs Per Serving: 7g
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
6 sweet potatoes
1⁄2 cup butter
2 tbs. Molasses
1 cup Stevia Blend
2 tbs. vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup water

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Boil potatoes in skins until about half done.
Drain water from potatoes, remove skins, & cut in lengthwise slices.
Place slices in a greased baking dish & dot with butter.
Make a syrup by boiling together Stevia Blend, molasses, water, & vanilla.
Pour over potato slices.
Bake 45-50 minutes, basting frequently with syrup.
Cook until potatoes are transparent.

Instead of Pumpkin Pie you can substitute these awesome Pumpkin Squares. They are a great after diner treat that won’t weigh you down.

Pumpkin Squares
Carbs Per Serving: 7g
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1 Cup Whole Grain Bake Mix
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Cup Stevia Blend
1⁄2 Tsp. Baking Soda
2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1⁄2Tsp. Ground Ginger
1 Tsp. Ground Cloves
1⁄4 Cup Chopped Nuts(Optional)
1/2 Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
2 Large Eggs

Cream Cheese Topping:
4 Oz. Softened Cream Cheese
1⁄2 Tsp. Vanilla Flavoring
2 Tbs. Stevia Blend Or A Tiny Dash Of Stevia Powder

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix eggs, oil and sugar together well.
Add pumpkin and stir again.
Add remaining ingredients and blend for about 1 minute.
Pour into a lightly sprayed and dusted 9” x 9” square pan.
Bake for 22 –25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely!

For the optional topping, mix cream cheese, Stevia Blend or a tiny dash of Stevia Powder, and vanilla.
Spread onto cooled cake.
Cut into 16 squares.

Eat well and have a happy holiday season!

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Thom King is the President for Steviva Brands, Inc. Steviva, Inc. is one of the largest importers and manufactures of all natural stevia.

Stevia is processed from the herbal plant “Stevia Rebaudiana”. When refined into a white powder extract (stevioside), it becomes 200-300 times sweeter than sugar creating an intense effect upon the taste buds without raising blood sugar levels and contains no carbs or calories. Research indicates that both diabetics and persons suffering from hypoglycemia may use Stevia.

You can find these recipes and others by visiting http://www.steviva.com.

For more information or to schedule and interview with This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it contact John Avery with AKS Public Relations at 310.455.9876 or Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it