Christmas in Germany: German holiday traditions, recipes, food, crafts, games, devotions

 Looking for Christmas around the world activities? How about a global hop to Christmas in Germany? Here are German holiday activities. First a little history on Germany. Ancient Germans were druids that worshiped nature. They celebrated Winter Solstice or Saturnalia from which come many Christmas traditions.Then warring Saxon, Hunnic and Teutonic tribes brought their gods of Valhalla. From them come week day names--Thursday (Thor), Friday from his vengeful wife Freya and Wednesday from brother Woden (also known as Loki the trickster). They worshiped the sacred oak, which became a deity because it was so large. Christmas in Germany: German holiday traditions, food, fun to scare off Krampus! | Examiner.com

Christmas diet tips: Holiday recipes to curb sugar cravings, tame sweet tooth

Parents, are you and/or your children trying to lose weight? The holidays are the hardest time, aren't they? Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies, holiday baked goods and desserts, Hanukkah treats, Three King Cake--from Halloween to Epiphany, the Christmas season equals sweets. And it's so hard on the poor kids--so many goodies, so little time! So here are Christmas diet tips to curb sugar cravings and holiday recipes for sweet tooth tamers.  

It's appropriate to raise diabetes awareness around the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, New Year's Eve, Epiphany, whatever festivals you celebrate, they all involve food and especially desserts and sweets. Get-togethers can be really hard for diabetics and dieters. Here are ways to cut sugar and fat in recipes, so diabetics and dieters can have their cake and eat it too! 

Swap out oil and sugar in baked goods and replace with unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin (homemade preferred). You get antioxidants and fat burners. Use in cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies and bars--yes even chocolate kinds. Boost flavor in calorie free ways. Reduce sugar and add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves or extra vanilla. Add cold coffee to chocolate baked goods to give chocolate a nice bite. 

Bake with milled flax seed instead of eggs and oil. Flax seed is full of good MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). Substituting flax seed reduces cholesterol, saturated and transfats and adds omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. One tablespoon flax seed plus three tbsp. water equals on egg. Three tablespoons flax seed and water equals one tablespoon oil, butter, margarine. Trade wheat for whole grains. Bake with oats, chia seed, cooked quinoa and whole grain flours. You'll get the most fiber and omega fatty acids for your calorie investment. 

Swap out milk. Cut calories, fat and sugar substituting almond, flax and coconut milk for dairy in foods. Plus you get fatty acids. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk has the best taste and lowest calories. Substitute Greek yogurt for dairy. Use plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of cream, cottage cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, milk, sour cream and some cheeses. Sweeten healthier. Use fruit and 100 percent juice, pure maple syrup. 

Avoid artificial sweeteners except for Splenda, stevia, monk fruit and xylitol. Ideal sweetener (xylitol) has zero calories, is safe to use and doesn't taste bitter like stevia can. Swap alcohol for tea or coffee. Booze is an appetite stimulant and metabolism depressant. Tea and coffee do the opposite. But watch the sugar. Eat This Not That says coffee is a sneaky source of added sugar. Brew your own. Add fat-free, sugar-free non-dairy creamer. Freeze and slush for an iced coffee treat. You can bake with non-dairy creamer, too Swap ice cream styles. 

Enjoy frozen yogurt, Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers frozen novelties. Top desserts with light whipped topping. Look for lowfat and low sugar ice cream varieties. Hudsonville vanilla has only 130 calories per serving. Have some candy. Seriously. But make it dark 70 percent cacao or higher chocolate. Dr. Oz says high cacao dark chocolate is a fat burner. Please pass the Ghirardelli Intense Dark!

Bake with almond butter, Or try PB2. a fat free peanut powder. Use PB2 chocolate for a light Nutella alternative. Mix with yogurt for a fruit dip, trifle or torte filling or cake frosting. Blast fat with a Molotov Fruit Cocktail. Try this antioxidant-rich fat blaster fruit grenade. Mix chunk muskmelon and honeydew, grapefruit sections, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and sliced bananas. Top with Greek yogurt, shaved 70-percent cacao dark chocolate, sunflower seeds, milled flax seed, pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds. Make desserts multitask, burning fat while satisfying your sweet tooth