Hi Friends, Love is in the Air:)

I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day (say what you will). Peter and I have spent 9 of these together and I’m pretty sure they’ve all been celebrated with great food.

This year we’re celebrating the day in LA with one of our favorite couples. We’re going hiking (any suggestions for good hikes in LA? leave me a comment and let me know!) and then getting lunch at my favorite restaurant Real Food Daily.

Peter and I plan on spending some time together that night, and hopefully there will be a bar of Mast Brothers Chocolate (Hint, Hint! I’ve been dying to try this chocolate).

I hope you have something fun planned, and if you do, make sure you check out my tips below for indulging without over-indulging (Spring is just around the corner!).

4 Tips for Indulging without over-Indulging

1). Find Balance

If you’re going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day, then eat something super healthy for lunch that day! And visa versa, out to lunch (like us), then something healthy for dinner. It can be a lot harder to eat healthy after you’ve already been eating junk food, so if you can start your day with something healthy, like a green juice. No Valentine’s candy’s for breakfast!

2). Say No, well no thank you of course

You don’t have to take every candy and chocolate you’re offered. We talk about this a lot in our Eat Less Sugar Program, and our private FB Group, having the power to say no and not feeling bad about it. If you work at an office, the odds are very high that there will be some kind of sweets tempting you, leading up to this holiday. So please say no and don’t eat candy and coffee for breakfast!

3). Avoid Fancy Chocolates with Crappy Ingredients

I was going to rephrase this but this was exactly what I’m taking about. I won’t name names, however, I’m talking about the chocolate companies that sell expensive boxes of chocolates but the ingredients are less than stellar. Ingredients containing soy (not organic), wheat, artificial flavors, dairy, dyes and on and on. So while they look nice and cost a pretty penny, I say avoid them or at least check out the ingredients before you dig in!

4). Work for it

Get a workout in first thing on Valentine’s Day. Burn some calories and get your metabolism in tip top shape so it can process the high quality chocolate your going to be indulging in or the rich meal your dude is taking you to. We plan on doing a hike, but a run, bike, even a long walk or two. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio, and maybe a few crunches;)