Welcome to The Quest, a newsletter intended to inspire and inform those interested in experiencing optimal well being in body, mind and spirit.

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In this issue of The Quest:
1. The Quest Quote
2. Healthy Holidays: Tips for a peaceful, joyous and healthy season
3. Food Bank – Lose calories by giving them away!

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1. Quote:
Love is the beginning of the journey, its end, and the journey itself.  ~Deepak Chopra

2. Tips for a Peaceful and Healthy Season
Stress can undermine our best intentions to enjoy the holiday season. Over scheduled and under pressure, it’s no wonder that many of us overindulge—often for a solid four weeks leading up to Christmas—with the plan to diet it all away come New Year. Several late nights, alcohol, and rich food will not only take their toll on the way we look, but also on our mental and spiritual well-being. Here are some practical tips for making it through the holidays so that the only thing you’ll need to lose in the New Year is the all-too-common resolution to lose weight.

1)       Learn to recognize and acknowledge your true hunger and appetite. Don't automatically accept seconds. If you know you have already eaten plenty, stop. There will be other occasions. 

2)       While Christmas is a special time for being with family, it's just another day of the year when it comes to what you eat. Don't undo all the good work of the year by gaining pounds over Christmas and then feeling disappointed with yourself.

3)      Plan some quiet time for yourself. Don't feel obliged to attend every event you are invited to, if you really don't want to go, don't; just politely decline.

4)      If you have had a particularly heavy night, try to take it easier the next day. Eat lighter foods, increase your water and fresh vegetable intake, and stick to lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey (no short supply at this time) and fish.

5)      Eat breakfast, no matter how small - a piece of fruit, yogurt, whole meal cereal, or scrambled eggs on toast. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar.

6)      Drink juices containing carrot, apple, beetroot, parsley, spinach and ginger to aid in detoxification and provide the body with nutrients, especially vitamin C. Include herbal teas: chamomile, peppermint, ginger, fennel or green, as they can help settle the stomach.

3. Food Bank
When it comes to food, how fortunate we are that our worries often revolve around having too many options yet there are people in every country of the world that don’t have enough to eat—year ‘round. Take 3 minutes to go through your non-perishable food items and donate them to a food bank, or any other organization that will take them. One item will make a difference.