Hello everyone. This is Monica Rineagle, the nutrition diva, here with your quick and dirty

tips for eating well and feeling fabulous. Although the sun is going down earlier these days and

temperatures are getting frigid, it always lifts my spirits to see all the houses and gardens

in my neighborhood lit up with festive lights

and holiday decorations. No matter which winter holidays you celebrate, seasonal decor is a nice

way to brighten up the darkest days of the year, and it can even be nutritious. Those traditional

garlands made from popcorn and fresh cranberries are not only lovely, in a homespun

kind of way, but they're also very high in antioxidants. Popcorn has always been a favorite

snack around my house. It's high in fiber, low in sugar, and you can crunch your way through a

giant bowl of the stuff for the same number of calories as you'd get in a

small handful of potato chips. Plus, it's a surprisingly good source of antioxidants, providing twice

as many polyphenols per serving as many common fruits. Now, I want you to skip the pre-packaged

microwave popcorn, because most are made with harmful chemicals,

artificial colors and flavors, and an excessive amount of salt. It's cheaper, healthier,

and more delicious to make your own using my recipe for healthy microwave popcorn. And you'll

find a link to that in the transcript for today's show, which is at Nutrition diva.com. When shopping for

popcorn kernels, look for the yellow ones. They're higher in antioxidants than white. And if you can

find blue or purple popcorn, you have hit the polyphenol jackpot. Cranberries are another

seasonal superstar ranking near the top of the list in terms of high

antioxidant fruits. In particular, cranberries are rich in anthocyanins, the same pigments that make

blueberries and other berries so good for you. And cranberries are also extremely low in sugar.

Normally, this would be a good thing, but with cranberries, it's a bit of a

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