Thanksgiving week is typically a week of total overindulge…and why not? Well, actually WHY? There is absolutely no need to stuff ourselves full of the kinds of foods that leave us feeling awful just because everyone else does. There’s a way to enjoy your Thanksgiving week AND still feel vital, full of energy, and ready to rock. It’s simply about substituting with a few healthier alternatives, and stopping eating when you are full!
Before indulging in something that I suspect might not make me feel great, I have taught myself to PAUSE, and ask myself the following question:
“It is my priority right now to experience all these sweet/salty/fatty tastes and to fill my belly full, OR is it my priority to nourish myself so that I feel full of energy & fantastic? ” I give myself a choice. Sometimes I choose the former, but 99% of the time, I choose the latter because I want to FEEL good for the whole day.
Here are my Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tips:
1. Wake up to a full glass of warm water with half a squeezed lemon every morning this week. It will cleanse your digestive system, and help to fire up your digestive enzymes. You can enjoy your cup of tea or Joe after, but start with your lemony brew first!
2. Drink a full glass of room-temp water with 1/2 a squeezed lemon before every meal. Again, it will help fire up your digestive enzymes, and help to make your stomach feel a little full before you start indulging.
3. Try using a really healthy sugar substitute for baking this week. I love Monk Fruit, a Chinese fruit powder that is a gazillion times sweeter than anything you’ve ever tasted, but has the glycemic index of Stevia (but no bitter aftertaste,) and zero calories.
4. Use raw coconut oil instead of butter when you are baking and frying because it’s a super healthy oil, which can actually increase your metabolism.
5. When you are baking your Pumpkin Pie, make sure your canned pumpkin is organic and packaged in a BPA-free can (BPA is the toxic chemical that is found in the lining of many cans). I love Farmer’s Market Foods Organic Pumpkin Puree.
6. Make a beautiful fruit salad for desert, full of organic season fruit such as apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and pomegranate seeds.
7.Try to source as many of your ingredients locally, and make sure they are organic (particularly meat). Local Harvest is a great website to find pretty much everything you need, close to you.
8. Instead of bacon bits to give flavor to side dishes, try Wildwood’s SprouTofu Meatless crumbles – they are so delicious and healthy.
9. Make homemade cranberry sauce, rather than buy it in a jar/can. It is so easy to make: fresh cranberries, water, sugar – that’s it! It’s also choc full of goodness.
10. Prepare a healthy dish for the family for the days prior to, or just after the big day. Here’s a delicious recipe, which is a perfect for a Black Friday dinner!
RIGATONI PASTA SALAD
Ingredients Serves: 6
Salad:
1 16 oz. package Monterey Gourmet Foods™ Chicken & Cheese Rigatoni
2 Italian squash, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced and quartered
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dressing:
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
1. Boil 4 quarts of water. Add rigatoni to boiling water. Bring back to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 ½ minutes. Remove from water and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables and toss together in a large bowl with salt and pepper.
3. Cut each cooled rigatoni into 5 pieces. Add to the large bowl and toss.
4. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Dress the salad to your liking.
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