True to holiday spirit, I wanted to share with you my absolute favorite holiday drink indulgences. I call them indulgences because they taste so great, but the health benefits abound, so once again, there’s no guilt involved. I love that! As you know, the more raw foods and drinks you consume, the more life you have in your body. I have compiled my top 4 raw faves. I hope you and your families enjoy them as much as my family and I do.

The common ingredient in all of these is cinnamon. Of course you’ve heard the mighty benefits of cinnamon by now. Magnesium, fiber, calcium, and iron top the charts for the nutrients it carries. Studies also show us the blood sugar regulation, LDL (bad) cholesterol lowering, and blood pressure effects it has on our bodies. By my testing, the Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon is a leap above the others. Also take note that if you eat this type of cinnamon with any fruit, the cinnamon and the fruit will work in synergy to create even more health benefits for you than if you ate them apart from each other. So if you get nothing else out of today’s article, start using quality cinnamon… like a crazy person!

Cinnamon Creamy Hazelnut
2 C Hazelnut milk
Soak about 3.5 oz of raw hazelnuts overnight, drain and then mix 2 cups of water, a couple raw pitted dates, a pinch of pink salt, a pinch of vanilla, and blend until smooth. (If you’re okay with the pulp, leave it. Otherwise, squeeze the liquid through a cheese cloth and save the pulp for raw holiday cookies!)
1Tbsp raw honey
½ tsp Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon
Mix ingredients and warm in your dehydrator or over double boiler (use a thermometer and ensure it stays under 116 degrees to keep all the rawmazing properties!)

Raw Vegan Gluten Free Egg Nog
1 1/2 C soaked almonds (soaked at least 8 hours and then drained. Reminder: soaking nuts allows the enzymes to be more functional for digestion)
3 C pure filtered water
4-6 pitted medjool dates
1Tbsp coconut oil (lightly melted)
1tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
1 pinch of ground cloves
1 dash of pink salt

Blend almonds for 2-3 minutes and strain the mixture (set the pulp aside and use it for later for those raw holiday cookies). Rinse blender and pour strained almond milk back in. Blend in the other ingredients until smooth. Warm as above, or serve chilled!

What Holiday Season is complete without Hot Chocolate!? By now you must know I’m a huge fan of chocolate (raw and done right of course). This one is a recipe that makes enough for JUST YOU. That’s right, you need a little selfie time.

Soak 1/2 C raw cashews for 1-2 hours.
You’ll also need:
2-3 medium pitted dates
3 tsp raw cacao powder (or ground nibs)
1tsp raw coconut oil
a pinch of vanilla bean powder
1C of pure water or warm chaga tea
1 optional strawberry (it makes it oh so good!)
a sprinkle of my favorite Genesis raw cacao nibs (you can find on Amazon)
a sprinkle of Vietnamese cinnamon

After draining the cashews, blend everything except the nibs. If you have a Vitamix, you can blend it for 2 minutes so it gets warm. Otherwise you can use the method above to warm it while keeping it raw. Pour into your favorite ‘me time’ mug, add the nibs and cinnamon to the top, and why not garnish with another strawberry? Now this one is not just about the drink. It’s about making time for yourself this holiday season, even if it’s only 10 minutes. Thoroughly enjoy your moment and relish on all the things you’re grateful for this year.

The information provided by Dr. Allen-Bergman in this column or by any of her business, agents or employees, is for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as recommendations for a specific treatment plan, product, course of action or medical treatment/advice. If you would like further information on this or any other articles, visit EducatingWellness.com. Send questions to starjournal@mmclocal.com or mail to Fit & Fab, Star Journal, 24 W. Rives St. Rhinelander, WI 54501. All submissions will be treated in a confidential manner.