Life is full of possibility and adventure so why not navigate travel, vacation, attending parties, and throwing parties with complete ease? Instead of giving in and suffering with the consequences of succumbing to peer pressure, you can set yourself up for success — especially if you are the host! Living with YOUR INNER ATHLETE in mind doesn’t mean you have to give up your social life.
Always Plan The Menu
1. Take Control
When it’s your party, you can control the menu. Even if you ask people to bring things, it’s easy to ask for items that either aren’t food or are a specific item you’ll need (see below).
Appetizers can be simple cut veggies, fruit, and hummus. Meals can include a big salad with toppings/dressing people can add on their own, quinoa + bean salads, or wild caught seafood. Include a low-glycemic dessert and soon enough everyone will be amazed at how delicious healthy can be.
2. Summer Drinks
If you choose to have alcohol red wine is one of the healthier choices. Mixed drinks and beer tend to contain a lot of sugar. You can always substitute Sparkling water with lemon and lime for alcohol. Check out our delicious Summer Drink Menu below!
3. Delegate If People Want To Help
People will ask if they can bring something, so have a list of easy things they can bring that won’t send them to the grocery store to pick up cookies.
Here are a few ideas:
Flowers, Cutlery, Fresh Fruit, Cut Veggies, Sparkling Water, Bags of Ice
Check out the recipes below for a delicious start to planning your own party or to bring wherever you’re headed.
Summer Beverages
Optional: Garnish with any type of fruit slices – lemon, lime, strawberries etc.
Sparkling Lemon/Lime Splash
Serves 4-6
1 Bottle of Cold Sparkling Water
Juice of 2 Lemons (or 2 Limes)
Liquid Stevia* to taste (Plain or Lemon Drop)
Optional: Garnish with any type of fruit slices – lemon, lime, strawberries etc.
USANA Rev 3** – Health Energy Drink
My favorite energy drink on the market – all natural and with all the power of an energy drink but without the artificial sugar or chemicals. With vitamins, antioxidants, and caffeine derived from green tea, Rev 3 is a great alternative to the sugary energy drinks on the market.
Working Out:
Pour 1 USANA Rev 3 can into your 1L workout bottle – fill to the top with water. This will power you through your workout and is great for recovery as well – natural energy and help you drink more water.
Cool Summer Energy Drink
Pour 1 USANA Rev 3 can into a large wine or glass with crushed ice. Add raspberries or strawberries as garnish.
Mint Infused Lemon/Lime Tea
Refreshing, lightly scented water – perfect for summer
Serves 4-6
Juice of 2 Limes AND 2 Lemons
1 tsp of Lemon Zest and 1 tsp of Lime Zest (skin of lime/lemon finely grated)
4-5 sprigs of mint (Optional – also add 2-3 springs of lavender OR thyme)
Place everything in a large glass pitcher and pour 2 cups of hot water over mixture
Add 1 tsp of agave nectar (or to taste) and 3-4 drops of Stevia (or to taste). Plain or Lemon Drop Stevia taste great.
Allow mixture to steep for 15-20 min.
Add 4 cups of cold water and place in fridge to cool. If you want to drink immediately, add ice.
* Stevia is an all natural sweetener available at most health food stores. It has 0 calories, does not spike your blood sugar and contains fiber. I use the liquid form of Stevia by“Sweet Leaf”
Purchase at health food stores in the supplement section. It comes in an eyedropper bottle – easy to use, no bitter after taste and lasts forever as a little goes a long way. There are so many flavors–Plain, Vanilla Crème, English Toffee, Lemon Drop, Root Beer, and Chocolate etc. I experiment with all the flavors.
Main Dish: Quinoa + Black Bean Salad Cabbage Cups
1 cup organic quinoa, cooked
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
1 can organic black beans
ground pepper to taste
dash Celtic sea salt
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 squeezed lemon or lime
(or you can use one of the Tessemae’s brand dressings – I love Lemon Garlic or Salt and Pepper). Mix the salad and dressing together.
Peel off the leaves of 1-2 small heads of red cabbage and put the quinoa salad in each cup. Garnish with avocado slices (optional).
{Recipe Credit: Tara Hantske – LiveWell International}
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