Holidays Archives - Community Healthcare Network

Tis the season for gift giving! If you’re looking for meaningful gifts that promote health, physical, and mental wellness, consider options that will benefit those in your life all year long.

Here are some thoughtful gift ideas:

Potted herb plants – Choose potted herb plants for cooking and wellness.
Home work-out gear – Encourage and promote fitness by staying in gear for virtual at home classes or any work-out routine.
Healthy meal kits – Prioritize nutritious eating by treating your loved one to a year-long subscription to a home meal delivery service.
Water bottles or water filters – Encourage hydration on the go with a re-usable water bottle.
Fitness or sleep trackers – Gift a gadget that helps monitor and set physical and wellness goals.
Gym membership – Give the gift of motivation and physical activity. Sponsor a 6 or 12-month gym membership or streaming subscription.
Language learning membership – Promote continual cognitive learning at any age. Fund a membership to a language learning app.
Gift card to a healthy restaurant – Gift your loved one a nutritious meal at their favorite restaurant.

Personalize your gift-giving this season and consider crafting handmade gifts that show you care:

Bath bombs – Moisturizing bath bombs help hydrate skin, relax and soothe sore muscles (see recipe on next page).
Family scrapbooks – Gather mementos, pictures, and notes in a scrapbook using personalized decorations reflecting your recipient’s interests.
DIY handmade journals – Create a personalized journal where your recipient can feel empowered to memorialize their thoughts, dreams, goals, wishes, and experiences.
Scented sachets – Sew small fabric bags with dried herbs or lavender to freshen up drawers or closets with a natural, clean and calming scent.
Infused oils and vinegars – For those who love to cook, fill decorative bottles with olive oil, vinegar and fresh herbs or spices to garnish foods and use as marinades.
Customized recipe book – Collect and handwrite all your favorite recipes on special paper and organize them into a recipe book.
Custom candles – Craft personalized scented candles using essential oils and decorative jars.
Personalized mugs – Embellish plain ceramic mugs with oil-based paint or markers and personalize by adding names, quotes or designs that reflect each person’s personality.

By: Geri Herisse, CHN Harlem Registered Dietitian

What is Haitian Independence Day?

January 1^st marks Haitian Independence Day when revolutionary, Jean-Jacques Dessalines “the father of Haiti,” pronounced that Haitian-born slaves were free and independent from colonial French rule. General Dessalines and an army of “les gens de couleur libres” (free people of color) defeated the French military and declared Haiti a free republic. On January 1,1804 Haiti became the first black free independent republic nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Joumou Soup

Before emancipation, Haitian slaves were forbidden to eat joumou soup or squash soup, a delicacy reserved for white French slave masters. After winning the war, to commemorate Haitian freedom, the newly-emancipated Haitians celebrated by preparing squash soup. This act symbolized freedom, independence, and pride.

In keeping with this traditional ritual, many Haitian families in Haiti and throughout the diaspora prepare the soup every year to remember the freedom that their ancestors fought for. Usually, the matriarch in the family will prepare the ingredients the night before and actual cooking takes place on the morning of the 1st. It is believed that eating joumou soup on January 1st serves as a blessing for a prosperous and healthy new year.

Joumou is not only served on New Year’s Day but is reserved for important milestones and events in Haitian life. Usually served on Sundays when the family gets together or at a funeral reception, the soup is believed to help restore and revitalize the body, a symbol of fortification and strength.

Joumou Soup Recipe

Adapted from A Taste of Haiti Expanded Edition (Serves 8-10 people)
Ingredients:

2 pounds pumpkin/squash peeled, cut into large chunks
2 pounds beef neck bones
1 lime, cut in half
2 scallions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed and mined
1 shallot, minced
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 tablespoons Haitian pikliz
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 cabbage leaves, cut into 4 pieces each
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 to 6 whole cloves
½ cup penne pasta or macaroni
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into 4 pieces
1 large turnip, peeled, cut into pieces
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
Salt, pepper, and more herbs to taste

To prepare:

Cook pumpkin over medium heat in 6 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Clean meat with lime juice. Marinate meat with scallions, onion, garlic, shallots, green pepper, pikliz, salt and black pepper.
In stockpot, add the meat with 1 cup of water and cook covered, over medium heat for 40 minutes.
Add 3 cups of water and pureed pumpkin and bring to a boil for 40 minutes.
Add celery, cabbage, carrots, and whole cloves. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and more herbs to taste.

By: Bella Herold, CHN Nutritionist, MPH, RDN, CLC

Our bodies change during menopause. What we eat and our lifestyle choices can help make this change easier:

Hot flashes and insomnia: Lower levels of estrogen and progesterone during menopause can cause hot flashes. Hot flashes can lead to insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep).

To get better sleep: Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks 4-6 hours before bedtime. Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Practice a regular sleep routine. Eat a light evening meal and exercise early in the day or at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Changes in body composition: Your body composition is how much fat, bone, and muscle your body has. Lower estrogen levels can lead to an increase in fat and the loss of lean body mass. These changes can also increase the amount of fat that is stored in the stomach area.

Change your exercise goals from 30 minutes to 60 minutes each day.
Eating more protein can help during menopause. Aim for about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight or try to include 25-30 grams of lean or plant-based protein at each meal.

Bone Health: Lower reproductive hormones also can lead to a decrease in bone mineral density, causing your bones to get weaker.

Make sure you are getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein. If you are over 50, it is recommended that you get 1200 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day.
Quit smoking and try to exercise each day to help slow bone loss. Include weight-bearing activity and resistance training in your routine.

Heart Health: Your risk for heart disease increases during menopause.

Eat more lean and plant-based protein, heart-healthy fats, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Eat less sodium (salt) to support heart health.

Mushroom Shawarma Pitas
(Pita bread sandwiches filled with various vegetables)
Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients:

3/4 pound mushrooms of your choice, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/3 inch wedges
3 tbsp plus 2tsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
4 pitas
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
Cilantro or mint, chopped, for serving

To prepare:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms, red onion, 3 tbsp oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
Roast until tender and browned, about 20 minutes. Add the pita directly to oven rack to warm during last 5 minutes of cooking.
Toss cabbage with 2 tsp oil and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and turmeric.
To serve, add the yogurt to pitas and top with cabbage, mushroom mixture, and herbs.

By: Josie Thiele, RD, CHN HIV Nutrition Manager

Mindful eating can help us to make more intentional food choices and be aware of our feelings related to eating. Try these tips to help practice mindful eating during the holiday season:

Don’t skip meals. “Saving calories” for a big holiday meal can lead to low blood sugar, more food cravings and overeating. Listen to your hunger cues. Allow yourself to have balanced meals and snacks like you would on any other day.
Enjoy. Many holiday foods hold special memories or cultural relevance. Avoiding them may lead to cravings or feeling unsatisfied. Allow yourself to enjoy these foods in moderation.
Reflect. Try to identify your emotions before you start your meal. Are you truly hungry? Are you feeling stressed? Sad? Lonely? Bored?
Practice self-care. As you notice your emotions, find ways to address them like taking walks, meditating, resting, and embracing social support from loved ones or professionals.
Tune in. Chew your food slowly. Notice the colors, tastes, textures, smells of your foods and how eating them make you feel. Check in during the meal and notice how the feelings of hunger and fullness change.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

1 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 diced apple
1/3 cup toasted and chopped pecans

How to prepare?

Make the dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl combine the sliced Brussels sprouts diced apples, toasted pecans and dressing and toss to coat.