What Does Your Valentine Really Want?

Flowers. Chocolates. Diamonds. Teddy bears. Pretty handmade cards – all traditional gifts for Valentine’s Day.

But what does your true love honestly REALLY want?

I think, given a choice, that most people would skip the material gifts and opt for “quality time” with you and just feeling secure in knowing that you’re there, healthy … and sticking around!

Getting and staying healthy is the best gift to give your kids, too. Showing them, by example, that they can take charge of their health by good diet and lifestyle choices is priceless. And that starts with making healthier food choices ... whether it’s bad to better, or good to great. To me, any steps made toward good health are a gift of love.

So … what does it take to give this gift? If it’s not prompted by a health crisis that forces a change, it just takes really thinking about your choices and making good nutrition a priority.

And then making some easy switches: Brown rice instead of mashed potatoes and gravy. Steamed green beans instead of French fries. Tossed salad with olive oil and lemon dressing instead of potato salad with gobs of mayonnaise. Fresh fruit instead of triple-chocolate cake or ice cream for dessert.

And, eat as many vegetables as possible. Don’t like them, you say? Then try this tip: Cut down on sugar and or artificially sweetened and flavored foods … and your taste for the sweetness in vegetables will return. Guaranteed.

I’ll leave you with this beautiful and delicious dessert recipe that would make a lovely ending to a healthy Valentine’s dinner:

POACHED PEARS WITH GINGER ALMOND CREAM
4 pears
2-3 inch cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups of 100 percent pear juice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamon

Peel pears and square bottom for standing in pot. Put in cinnamon sticks in between pears. Pour pear juice over all. Sprinkle nutmeg and cardamon into juice. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, simmer for 35 minutes. Take pears out. Cook leftover sauce down into syrup.

ALMOND CREAM
4-inch piece ginger (to make juice)
1 cup raw blanched almonds (removed skins)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla

Pulverize almonds in a food processor. Add ginger juice, maple syrup and vanilla. To make it creamier, you can add a little more pear juice.

Happy HEALTHY Valentine’s Day!

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This Post was written by Meg Wolff from www.becoming-whole.com