‘Tis the Season to Keep Your Energy Tank Full
The holidays are approaching quickly, and for many people that means your schedule will get busier. You may have less time to plan and prepare meals and snacks. So, you’ll probably rely more on take-out, dining out, delivery, and quick convenience meals from the supermarket. You may visit the drive-through and vending machines more frequently. You may grab whatever you can find in the refrigerator or pantry and call it “dinner.” You may skip some meals altogether.
It may also be harder to find time to exercise. And that holiday planning, shopping, travel, and family
gatherings can cause stress. After you have survived the holidays, it is suddenly the end of the year, and you are exhausted and a few pounds heavier. How can you prevent this?
To survive a busy, stressful holiday season, you’ll need more energy. And the scenario I described above will deplete your energy tank. Your body is like a car, and you need a tank full of good fuel to keep your engine running smoothly and your energy level up. Here’s one way to help you get through the holiday season (and the whole year!) with more energy and productivity.
“When you skip a meal, your body goes into starvation mode which slows your metabolism, makes you store fat, and depletes your energy.” Chef Lisa
Don’t Skip Meals, Especially Breakfast
As I’ve said before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day for your brain, your energy level and your metabolism. In the morning your fuel tank is low, so you need to refuel with a healthy breakfast that includes lean protein and good carbohydrates (like eggs and fresh fruit). This will jump-start your metabolism and give you sustained energy. Beware of caffeine and sweets because those can put you on an energy rollercoaster with dramatic highs and lows. When you skip a meal, your body goes into starvation mode which dramatically slows your metabolism, makes you store fat, and depletes your energy. Click here to learn more about the research.
To maximize your energy and productivity, eat three balanced meals (lean protein, vegetables, whole grains) daily along with a healthy afternoon snack. Examples of good snacks are a handful of nuts, string cheese, Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, or carrots with hummus. The more whole, unprocessed foods you eat to fuel your body, the more energy and productivity you’ll have to survive the holidays. After the holidays, if you follow this plan every day, you may be surprised at how great you feel!
The recipe below is an easy and versatile slow cooker recipe. Put it in the slow cooker, do a little holiday shopping or activities, and in a few hours you’ll have delicious, tender chicken ready for dinner!
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp garlic granulated
- ½ tsp basil dried
- ½ tsp oregano dried
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes drained, if canned
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tbsp chicken base
- 3 cups hot water
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Mix spices together and coat both sides of each chicken breast. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, and sear both sides of the chicken over medium high heat. Dissolve chicken base in the water. Place seared chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker, top with onions and sundried tomatoes, and add the chicken stock.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-5 hours, until chicken is tender and cooked through to at least 165 degrees. Stir in fresh spinach to the sauce just before serving.
- This is a versatile chicken recipe. You can eat it with the cooked sauce over brown rice, with a side of marinara sauce over pasta or spiralized vegetables, or with a mixed vegetable salad. The sauce is also delicious (and a little decadent) if you add some cream and parmesan cheese after removing it from the slow cooker.
About the Author:
Chef Lisa Woodie, owner of Homemade Fresh, LLC, provides tips and recipes to nourish your body with whole food fuel. She relocated her business to the Hendersonville area after serving clients in Charlotte for 11 years. Homemade Fresh is a meal preparation business that personalizes meal plans based on
each client’s tastes, preferences, and dietary requirements. She plans your meals, shops for the ingredients, prepares and packages the meals, and leaves them in your refrigerator with easy heat-and-eat instructions. She also provides service for dinner parties, paired food and wine tastings, events with hors d’oeuvres, and other types of catered events. For more information, visit www.homemadefresh.net.
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