Rooted in everything gastronomically fulfilling and wholesome, Talia Chai is a vivacious Toronto-bred Holistic Nutritionist and Natural Foods Chef. Though don't let her credentials intimidate you: she is the consummate bubbly girl next door (literally—you can find her at The Detox Market a block away from ChickAdvisor headquarters!) With the holidays and the inevitable sugar-temptation just around the corner, Talia is here to advise us on how to indulge smartly.

How can we indulge during the holidays without sabotaging our diet?

First things first, eat a healthy pre-party snack. This way, you will have room left to enjoy all the tasty party treats, but you'll end up eating way less.

I recommend snacking on nutrient dense foods that are high in protein and fibre, to keep you full and satisfied.  You could make your own trail mix with raw unsalted almonds, hemp seeds, raw cashews, pumpkin seeds and dried unsweetened cranberries or cacao nibs (basically raw, unprocessed chocolate nibs). Other great snack options are fresh veggies and hummus, a bowl of bean and veggie soup or chili, a smoothie with pea or hemp protein powder and also half an avocado sliced on sprouted grain toast sprinkled with sea salt, chilli flakes and drizzled with olive oil.

Chocolate and cheese, both drool-worthy, but which is the healthier option?

My choice would be chocolate. Chocolate can actually be very good for you—seriously! I would even classify it as a super food. Generally speaking, the darker it is, the healthier the chocolate gets. Dark chocolate contains less sugar and more fibre. It's also incredibly high in antioxidants and is rich in minerals like magnesium, which is good for muscle relaxation among many other things. Hence why we ladies experience chocolate cravings while PMSing.

To get the real benefits, I would recommend eating chocolate with 70% cacao contents or higher. Also, look for fair trade or even better, direct trade, to make sure your cacao beans have been ethically sourced. Melt it, put it in smoothies, bake cookies with it, drink it hot with almond milk and cinnamon. The options are endless!

Happy hour strikes again... for the fourth night in a row. Any tips for those of us enjoying some holiday cheer?

I have one tip for choosing the healthiest alcoholic drink—the less sugar in it, the better. Why? While alcohol depletes your body of nutrients, stresses out your liver and dehydrates you, sugar does the same thing. So you're creating double the damage when mixing sugar and alcohol (and increasing hangover potential).
Good options include a vodka soda or water with lemon or lime, red wine (rich in the antioxidant resveratrol) or a classic martini made with vermouth, vodka or gin. If you're really craving a sweet cocktail, make your own so that you can control how much sugar goes into it. Whip up a fizzy pink lemonade with freshly squeezed lemon juice (good for the liver), vodka, crushed raspberries, sparkling mineral water and maple syrup to taste.

It's our turn to play hostess. What is a healthy (and easy) dinner to serve friends?

So many options! If you don't want to spend any time in the kitchen beforehand, ordering sushi is always a great option. Don't forget to include miso soups, seaweed salads and steamed edamame beans (nix the greasy tempura bit if possible).

If you want to make something yourself, why not make a Mexican themed lettuce wrap bar? This way everyone can get involved and pick their favourite things. Make up a bowl of delicious guacamole with mashed avocados, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, chopped jalapeño peppers, sea salt and lime juice. Slice and put out other brightly coloured veggies like purple cabbage, red and yellow peppers, carrots, scallions and pink radishes. Get a great salsa (or make your own) and swap out sour cream for plain greek yoghurt. Put out a bowl of shredded or crumbled cheese and add a protein on the side (mashed black beans, grilled shrimp and seasoned tilapia are all good options). Wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves and lay them out for people to use instead of tortillas.

Voila! Healthy Mexican!

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