Creating New Holiday Traditions posted on Nov. 9, 2015 By Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, B.S., D.C., N.D.

Creating New Holiday Traditions

This holiday season can be a time of great joy, and sharing many festive foods with family and friends. Join the growing movement of healthier food choices in food preparation. Here is a simple guideline of some specific foods to avoid and why, along with what foods to use instead.

                    Avoid These Foods                                                Replace With These Foods

Junk Food Snacks (contain corn and other GMO foods canola/cottonseed oil) (Corn sweeteners are contaminated with mercury and GMO)	Organic Fresh Fruit or Whole Food Organic Snacks (Read labels to avoid corn or GMO. Look for minimal use of sweeteners.)
White Bread (Contains GMO, rancid oils)	Whole Grain Sprouted Bread
Prepackaged White Flour (rancid, no nutrients)	Fresh Ground Organic Whole Grain Flours
Commercial Soy Products including soymilk, tofu, soy protein and vegeburgers (90% of soy is now GMO)	Organic Almond Milk or Rice Milk or Make your own milk from organic nuts/seeds good filtered water and a blender.
Man-Made Artificial Sweeteners   White Sugar (made from GMO corn), Fructose AKA High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS	Stevia, Organic 100% Cane Sugar, Organic Honey, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Raw Sugar or Organic Maple Syrup
White Table Salt (contains aluminum)	Celtic Sea Salt has 86 minerals (Sea Salt has been refined and has only 23 minerals)
Commercially Prepared Oils, Shortening, Margarine (Usually rancid synthetic oils with added chemicals and food colors) Canola Oil /Cottonseed Oil (from GMO seeds)	Organic Coconut Oil, Raw Organic Butter (both are solid at room temperature - use as shortening) Organic Cold-Pressed Food Oils (best in dark bottles) Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Dried Fruits with sulfur and food coloring (food colors are now mixed with aluminum)	Organic Dried Fruits

Avoid overeating during the holidays, and overindulging in too many sweets. Both of these can cause digestive stress that can linger past the holiday season. If digestive issues remain unresolved, contact Dr. Sherry Yale, DC at TLC Holistic Wellness in Livonia for a no-charge consultation to learn how alternative health care can help solve this problem. Enjoy creating new traditions with healthy food.