I give you fun ways to organise an ethical Christmas this year, when you want to live something different. It’s easy to fall into the trap of more gifts, more plastic decorations, more ready-meals, more alcohol. How about doing something new this year?
Ethical Christmas Table
When we think about Christmas, we usually think about gifts and food. I want to talk about the food we put on the table. I believe that there is so much joy to be found in food, but even more in food that is shared.
Here I’m sharing my top 4 actions for an ethical Christmas table:
- More vegetables, less meat: I feel like eating a lot of vegetables is always my lifeline. They are full of fibre which is great for digestion. They’re also full of vitamins which we need in the middle of winter to keep energy and a functioning immune system. They’re high in anti-oxidants, especially brightly coloured vegetables, which fight radicals and toxins. And also they can help you replace the meat that would traditionally be served. We know that a more plant-based diet is good of your health but also for the health of our planet. Whether you want to focus on your health or the lives of animals, this is a great way to be more ethical this Christmas. For a plant-based main, check out my Festive Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe.
- Prepare your healthy snacks and desserts: Manufactured desserts, chocolates and biscuits will always make you reach for more because of the way there are produced. The ingredients contain substances that will activate the pleasure response in your brain, and being pleasure-seeking creatures, we want more. That’s only one part of the nasty stuff that’s in there. That’s why when you make your own desserts and snacks, you know exactly what goes into them. And if they’re available when you need them, you don’t have to hesitate between a healthy option or a convenient but usually not-so-healthy option. Here are a few options for healthy and easy to make ahead snacks: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies, Pecan and Cacao Energy Balls.
- Get creative with mocktails: instead of always drinking the same thing, why don’t we switch things up a bit? Alcohol can have a festive connotation when taken in moderation and with others. And at the end of the year, when you want to relax, it’s so easy to indulge. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty damaging to your liver. So let’s try recipes that will actually promote your digestion and even your immune system when we can. Have a sip of this Vegan Eggnog, or this Grapefruit & Honey mocktail.
- Invite someone new. Someone who could be lonely, or for who Christmas is a painful time of year. You can warm up someone’s heart more than you know.
Inspiring Gatherings
Let’s be honest, sometime Christmas is not all happy family, Christmas songs in the background with a beautiful Christmas tree and everyone loves each other. It can also be a time of grief, of isolation, separation, when people ignore each other for X or Y reason.
And last year, I decided to make use of the beautiful people around me and relationships that I nurture. A few days before Christmas Day, we met with all the women in my family to spend some time with just us, for us. No husband, brother, father. A time far away from preparations and constant demands.
It was a time where we reflected on the year that had gone past. We had to acknowledge a couple of achievements from the year, and to identify how we felt. We also shared in smaller groups challenges and intentions for the year to come.It was beautiful and so resourcing.
Is this something you could organise in your surroundings, do you have people who have deep desires and inspiring paths? How can you make this time of the year a starting point as much as it is an ending of the year? How can you step outside of the Christmas frenzy and anchor yourself in deep conversations, goal-setting activities?
Charity starts at home, and if you want to be able to be present, give your best, you have to look after yourself. You have to know where you stand, how you can elevate yourself from the daily noise and busyness that we often bury ourselves in.
Want more for your health, for your personal growth, your relationships. Choose you, and you’ll be able to give back. Give of yourself and you will receive blessings. This is a never ending virtuous cycle.
To a Beautiful Christmas
Before we jump into a busy period, it’s always good to be prepare, to anticipate so we can make plans. This year, I plan to look for thoughtful ways to gift my loved-ones (not all of them, the ones I will have drawn the name of 😉 ). I plan to slow down and look around me for people who need a helping hand. I plan to nourish my body and also to take it easy. We don’t want a world of restrictions but of healthy habits.
Happy Christmas everyone 🎅🏼
