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How This Busy Mom of 4 Boys Makes Holiday Meals Easy and Fun for the Whole Family

Certified Body Ecology Coach Roxsanne Bockman says some people in her family are “addicted to sugar.” So how did she pull off a sugar free holiday meal for 22 sugar addicts? This mother of 4 shares some simple tips to get you started on your own healthy Body Ecology meals!

Did the holiday season leave you more exhausted than invigorated?

There’s a reason you and your family feel sluggish! Think about all those heavy meals, loads of sugar and alcoholic beverages you consumed over the past couple of months.

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Stevia, a natural, calorie-free, herbal sweetener, isn’t just great for sweetening your drinks. In fact, just 2 drops can enhance the flavor of fruits, milk kefir, guacamole, and salad dressings in a way that even your kids will love.

Holidays don’t have to mean weight gain, energy crashes, and stress. Just ask Roxsanne Bockman, a certified Body Ecology coach, natural health consultant and busy mom of four who prepared a healthy, low-sugar Thanksgiving meal for 22 people!

Think it’s too difficult to please all your guests? We’ll show you why they’ll actually appreciate your efforts, whether it’s for next year’s holiday season or any upcoming family gathering.

Roxsanne’s Thanksgiving Tradition

With her parents, three siblings and their spouses, and 13 total grandchildren in the family ranging from 3 to 23 years old, cooking for a large group is no easy task. Which is why, in the past, they didn’t.

“My mom and dad would always rent a hotel room somewhere where all the kids could play, and they’d have so much fun,” Roxsanne says. “My mom would end up bringing cold lunch meats, cookies and snacks – it was all sugar. And at night we would order out pizza.”

This year, though, Roxsanne proposed a change.

Since they were holding Thanksgiving on Roxsanne’s home turf in Wisconsin, she told everyone that she’d single-handedly take care of the holiday meal. No more take-out for this family.

“It was not a big sit down, so instead of a main course, I prepared a variety of dishes,  appetizer style,” she says.

Roxsanne’s Healthy Holiday Menu

Roxsanne’s meal still included plenty of proteins, carbs, and fats, but it was markedly healthier than years past. A sampling of her dishes included:

      • Homemade meatballs – “I have access to amazing quality meats.” A variety of meatballs made in crock pots included beef, chicken and turkey.”
      • Healthy sauces, such as tahini -“To go with the meatballs.”
      • Huge veggie trays – “I tried for a lot of variety so that everyone could pick from them.”
      • Hummus, avocado dip and yogurt dip “For the vegetables. I sweetened the guacamole with a bit of Stevia and the kids absolutely loved it.”
      • Free range, organic hard boiled eggs
      • Soaked nuts – “The Body Ecology way – so that they’re easier to digest.”
      • Pomegranate, berries and other sour fruits – “Displayed beautifully.”
      • Pieces of wild-caught salmon – “For delicious protein and a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.”
      • Lettuce and nori wraps – “I wanted to show how to use sea vegetables.”
      • Young coconut kefir cheese pudding – “Made from whole coconuts and Kefir Starter. Everyone loves this.” You can make your own young coconut kefir cheese with this recipe. Sweeten with Stevia to taste and sprinkle with some cinnamon for a delicious pudding!
      • InnergyBiotic – “Believe it or not, everyone likes probiotic liquids in my family.  Probiotic-rich InnergyBiotic is a favorite with the kids and all the adults. Sipping probiotic liquids has the added bonus of increased energy and improved digestion.”

“No One Asked For The Cookies”

It’s one thing to cook a healthy meal for people who value and understand the importance of balanced nutrition, but what about all those children and picky relatives?

“What surprised me most is that no one asked for the cookies,” Roxsanne says. Because of the absence of refined sugar“all the kids were so well behaved and they went to bed very easily.”

The next morning, the hotel offered a huge buffet breakfast with all of the standard fare: pancakes, waffles, meats and pastries. But Roxsanne had a different plan.

“I showed everyone how easy it is to make a green drink in the hotel room.”

Everyone else still ate the hotel breakfast, and predictably ended up crashing soon after. But Roxsanne was still going strong, proof that high-energy, quality foods trump high-sugar starches any day of the week.

Why It Worked: Tricks and Tips

Roxsanne faced a tough audience. Some of her family is “addicted to sugar” and regularly eats and drinks mostly processed foods.

“My mom has always shown love through sugar and I was raised that way. There were always hot dishes, and if she couldn’t get us to eat it, she’d dump sugar on it.”

But Roxsanne’s goal wasn’t to force a style of eating upon anyone. Instead, she turned it into an educational opportunity for the kids and an enlightening experience for the adults.

“The key,” says Roxsanne, “is variety, high-quality foods and beautiful presentation. I cut the veggies small and arranged them on pretty trays. When serving a meal, you’re feeding the eye as well as the palate.”

Initially, Roxsanne was nervous that family members would crave sugar or still be hungry. But given the high quality proteins and fats, that was not the case. In fact, she was surprised by the ease and simplicity compared to years past.

“It was not the perfect Body Ecology meal, but it’s inspiration for square one. We have a long way to go. You don’t need to jump from one extreme to the other.”

After receiving phone calls from her family thanking her for her heartfelt gesture, Roxsanne says she feels energized to come up with a healthy meal for the holidays next year.

“I want to have a contest to get kids involved and ask them to bring their own healthy dish and recipe. We’re going to play with it, and take it step by step.  I met people halfway and showed them how they can compromise.”

Roxsanne’s Advice

Roxsanne told her family that food is not the reason we’re not together, it’s just here to provide us with the energy to enjoy our time together.

Her best advice? Don’t think you’ve got to change everything at once.

The biggest thing you have to do is start with yourself. Getting everyone to do everything you want them to do is stressful and often impractical.

“Once you face your inner resistance and move beyond that, it’s a lot easier.”

“I teach cultured vegetables classes here, and when you start to create a network, there are people who can call each other and get ideas and have support. Instead of doing a cookie exchange for the holidays, I suggested that we do a cultured veggie exchange.”

Roxsanne found that people appreciate creative gifts and feel the heartfelt sentiment behind them.

Building a healthy community is key, and what better community to start with than your family. Stay tuned for Roxsanne’s holiday recipes and for her plans for the next Thanksgiving meal!

To learn more about Roxsanne Bockman, how she uses energy work to deal with cravings and resistance to healthy eating, and to get her free cultured vegetable recipes using InnergyBiotic, visit her website at: www.RoxsanneBockman.com.

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