Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

All season,  we’ve been telling you how to avoid weight gain, make healthier choices at holiday parties and trick yourself into exercising. Today ““ in honor of all your hard work ““ we’re sharing some of our favorite decadent holiday desserts. Whether you attempt one of these amazing creations or just drool at your computer screen, we hope you enjoy. White Christmas peppermint layer cake: bright frosting and candy ornaments, what’s better than that? Nutella cherry hazelnut fudge: we all love Nutella! Café Latte’s turtle cake: it’s still the most-popular item on St. Paul’s Café Latte’s menu Egg nog cheesecake…

According to Health.com, you can find healthy ““ and tasty ““ snacks for your next bowl game party, either this weekend or in February. And, we promise you’ll find more than just carrot sticks ““ you can even serve wings and chili. Check out the full carousel for yourself here. These are some of our favorites: Lemon-drop chicken wings are only 173 calories per serving Zucchini fries at half the calories of regular fries Instead of twice-baked potatoes, substitute sweet potatoes for 341 calories each Beef and beer chili at only 261 calories per serving If you’re attending a bowl…

2014 was a pretty cute year. Or at least it was according to Buzzfeed. Actually, we can’t object after looking at all of the cute things that happened this year. If you’ve had a stressful holiday season or need a break from Aunt Edna, the puppies, babies, kittens and rescues on this list are sure to brighten your day, month and maybe even 2015, which is also looking very promising cute-wise. Here’s our favorite:

We know it’s tempting (and cost-efficient) to let your snow angels outside in the winter with whatever gear they had last year ““ or whatever they’re willing to put on this year. However, bundling them up tight with new scarves, gloves, hats and boots may be more important than you think. Here are some new tips we learned from FamilyTime.com about keeping your little ones warm outside: Overly tight boots will impede circulation and could make your children feel colder. If you’re going to get snowsuits, invest in waterproof. Toddlers who won’t be crawling around in the snow are the…

We’ve all been there – you don’t want to hurt your mom’s feelings when you visit her during the holidays, but, you also don’t want to tack on extra pounds. Sure, the mountains of cookies, homemade fudge and snack mix look delicious, but if you’re committed to losing weight or keeping it down, even the most persuasive “food pushers” will understand. It just takes a little communication. MyFitnessPal.com offers four ways to not give into the pressure, while still being a gracious guest. We particularly like Number 4: Respond with values, not outcomes. This is about communicating that you’ve made…

What disease came to mind when you read the title of this article? I bet it wasn’t loneliness. It may surprise you to know that loneliness is more common than the “common cold,” and the number of lonely people in the United States is on the rise. All human beings are lonely at one time or another.   However, loneliness becomes a concern when it negatively affects an aspect of health (mind, body, spirit) and quality of life. Why are we feeling lonelier? The “village” lifestyle we used to live is rare today. Americans aren’t living near family and…

You’ve probably heard there are several ways to get healthier skin that are expensive or involve more sleep than you currently allow yourself. But did you know there are also several foods you can add to your meals that will improve your complexion? Watch this short video from Women’s Health Magazine to learn more about how walnuts, cauliflower and other foods add vitamins to your diet that will boost collagen production and decrease inflammation and other aging effects. Remember to place these foods in your cart during your next trip to the grocery store.

If you insist on having eggnog this holiday season, we found a healthier way to enjoy it from MyFitnessPal.com. You actually cook the oatmeal in milk and eggnog then, of course, top it with cinnamon. You can also top it with nuts and fruit, such as cranberries (to add a festive touch of color), bananas or raisins. We found some other yummy oatmeal recipes that may also spark your interest: Pumpkin pie oatmeal Apricot honey oatmeal Blueberry coconut oatmeal Cranberry orange oatmeal

You may have already thought about your resolutions for 2015. This year, instead of a New Year’s resolution that may disappear before the end of the month, consider making a single lifestyle change to recalibrate your health. We have four suggestions to get you started. 1. Promote brain health According to Dr. David Perlmutter, Neurologist and author of Grain Brain, we can make four lifestyle changes that will decrease the probability of Alzheimer’s and other neurological problems while improving our overall health status. Adhere to a gluten-free diet Decrease carbohydrate intake and select low glycemic foods Increase good fat intake,…

Most cultures have a tradition of eating certain foods on New Year’s Day to assure a prosperous and healthy new year. Even the least superstitious of us, tend to partake of these foods just because they’ve become an annual tradition. Black eyed peas and sauerkraut are a New Year’s tradition in my home, and even though my children turn up their noses and make faces, they’d miss it if I didn’t serve it! Here are a few of my favorites: Black-eyed peas Thought to have originated in the southern United States, they are eaten to promote prosperity. The peas look…