Page 21 - December 19. 2024 Bulletin

LIVE WELL. WORK WELL.

MONTHLY HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2024 EDITION

MONTHLY

RECIPE

APPLESAUCE
COOKIES
Makes: 12 servings

Giving Your Favorite INGREDIENTS
Recipes a Healthy Makeover 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine (or butter or shortening)
1 egg
Food is part of holiday traditions, and your family may look forward to
certain recipes. Luckily, there are some ways to make your favorite recipes 2 tsp. baking soda
a bit healthier. Consider these ways to transform your holiday recipes: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
• Fat—When baking, use half the butter or oil and replace the other half with 1 tsp. cinnamon
unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana or Greek yogurt.
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• Salt—Gradually cut back the salt to see if you can taste the difference. You can 1 cup raisins
reduce salt by half if baked goods don’t require yeast. 1 cup nuts (optional)
• Sugar—Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half. Instead, add
spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg, or vanilla or almond extract PREPARATIONS
to boost sweetness. 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the cookie sheet.
• Healthy swaps can also increase the nutritional value of your classics. Get 2. Cream together the sugar, margarine and egg.
creative and experiment with other ways of creating healthy recipes for your 3. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda,
most beloved holiday traditions. flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix well.
____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Stir the flour mixture into the margarine mixture
just until moist.
Sugar Substitutes 5. Add the applesauce, raisins and nuts (if using).

• Stevia—Swap out 1 cup of sugar for 1 teaspoon of stevia. 6. Drop dough by a heaping teaspoon several
inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake for
• Honey—Add in a quarter of the amount of sugar listed.
10 to 12 minutes.
• Coconut sugar—Use an unrefined sugar cup for cup.
____________________________________________________________________________________________ NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(per serving)
Poor Sleep in Your 40s Can Accelerate Brain Aging Total calories: 282
Sleep is good for your overall health, and new research focuses on how it’s important Total fat: 8 g
for brain health too. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco and Protein: 4 g
other institutions found that sleep deprivation can make the brain age faster. The study Sodium: 377 mg
revealed that people in their 40s with poor sleep quality have a brain age that’s 1.6 Carbohydrate: 50 g
to 2.6 years older by the time they’re in their 50s, compared to those who consistently Dietary fiber: 2 g
get quality sleep. Saturated fat: 2 g
Total sugars: 27 g
To combat this, focus on building healthy sleep habits. Try to fall asleep and wake
up at the same time every day, aiming to get at least seven hours of sleep. Cultivate Source: MyPlate
a quality sleep environment by keeping the room cool, dark and quiet and avoiding
devices before bed. If you have concerns about your sleep habits, talk to a doctor.

Zywave, 2024.
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be construed a medical purposes. © 2023 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

21