Healthy Christmas Breakfasts!

Wake up bright and breezy on Christmas morning after Santa's visited and enjoy a healthy and delicious breakfast to set you up for a hectic (and calorie laden) day..

Casserole

Breakfast casserole is a common Christmas breakfast that allows you to prepare the meal on Christmas Eve and pop it in the oven when you wake up. Don’t use unhealthful ingredients like sugar, syrup or sweetened bread, though. Make breakfast casserole with egg whites as the base. Spinach or other greens will bulk your casserole and add an enticing texture. Cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes or red bell peppers add flavor and the right color to contrast the greens, making breakfast more festive. For a bit of meatiness, add crumbled turkey bacon or tempeh. Don’t spray the casserole dish with oil; use parchment to prevent sticking and to shave calories and fat from the dish. Most importantly, stick with one 4-ounce serving to keep from overeating. A 4-ounce slice of casserole made from egg whites, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes has around 100 calories and 0.25 grams of fat.

Oatmeal Muffins

Normal sugary muffins typically are unhealthy, but if you make an oatmeal substitute, you can have something similar on the menu. Use plain, rolled oats and season them with warm, inviting flavors such as cinnamon and nutmeg to make the muffins smell like Christmas. Adding water to the oats until the mixture is thick and soupy creates the “batter” without excess calories. Muffin cups negate the need for oil and give you the chance to choose Christmas colors. Sprinkle red fruits over the top for added sweetness. An oatmeal muffin with 1/4 cup of rolled oats and a halved strawberry on top has just 90 calories and 1.2 grams of fat.

Broiled Grapefruit

A tangy grapefruit with a flavorful topping of sugar and spice is an ideal choice for Christmas morning. Sugar creates a crisp, caramelized coating on the grapefruit that makes this dish seem more complicated than it really is. Once you slice the grapefruit in half, you’re ready to sprinkle it with cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin or allspice for a pleasing aroma and then sprinkle a pinch of sugar over that. As the fruit broils, the sugar will melt and the grapefruit’s flesh will soften. A half grapefruit with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar has 60 calories and 0.2 grams of fat.

Fresh-Squeezed Fruit Juice

Skip sugar-laden fruit juice and make fresh-squeezed juice for Christmas morning. The juice from three oranges is enough to yield a 1-cup serving that brightens Christmas morning breakfast. Squeezing juice isn’t time consuming if you have a juicer. Alternately, make a pulpy juice by pureeing a peeled fruit in the blender. A 1-cup serving of fresh-squeezed orange juice has only 112 calories and 0.4 grams of fat.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-christmas-morning-breakfast-5413.html

Tips to sleep well!

With the festive season looming, it's inevitable late-night shopping, office parties and excited children may hinder you from hours in bed. Therefore, now is the time to make the most of your sleep with these tips..

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.

Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a "circadian clock" in our brain and the body's need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep-in.

2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.

A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional. Finally, avoid exposure to bright before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.

3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.

Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep – cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Also make your bedroom reflective of the value you place on sleep. Check your room for noise or other distractions, including a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring, light, and a dry or hot environment. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise," humidifiers, fans and other devices.

4. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.

Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.

5. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.

It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine. For example, if looking at a bedroom clock makes you anxious about how much time you have before you must get up, move the clock out of sight. Do not engage in activities that cause you anxiety and prevent you from sleeping.

6. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.

Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.

7. Exercise regularly. 

Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.

8. Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it can produce an alerting effect. Caffeine products, such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate, remain in the body on average from 3 to 5 hours, but they can affect some people up to 12 hours later. Even if you do not think caffeine affects you, it may be disrupting and changing the quality of your sleep. Avoiding caffeine within 6-8 hours of going to bed can help improve sleep quality.

9. Avoid nicotine (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.

Nicotine is also a stimulant. Smoking before bed makes it more difficult to fall asleep. When smokers go to sleep, they experience withdrawal symptoms from nicotine, which also cause sleep problems. Nicotine can cause difficulty falling asleep, problems waking in the morning, and may also cause nightmares. Difficulty sleeping is just one more reason to quit smoking. And never smoke in bed or when sleepy!

10. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime.

Although many people think of alcohol as a sedative, it actually disrupts sleep, causing nighttime awakenings. Consuming alcohol leads to a night of less restful sleep.

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/healthy-sleep-tips