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 (this is the 11/19 unedited version of my bi-weekly article in the Evansville Courier & Press)

 I love Thanksgiving. For me, it’s much better than Christmas due to the fact that the holiday season hussle, bussle and stress haven’t taken over my already crazy life. Nope, Thanksgiving is family time and with that comes mountains of food that could feed an army (or in my families case a small third world country).  As much as I love all the wonderful holiday fare I must say I don’t love the after effects which usually include being sprawled out on the sofa, top pant button undone, reeling in some sort of turkey day triptipan coma. I think I can get an amen to that. 

Did you know that the average Turkey Day meal is around 3000 calories ( the average daily intake is 2000 calories!). Think I’m exaggerating? Check out http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blthanksgivingcalories.htm and you can calculate exactly what damage you might do this Thanksgiving. Interesting but a bit scary. According to Cedric Bryant, American Council on Exercise chief exercise physiologist, “A 160 lb. person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal.” I don’t know about you but I have better things to do on Thanksgiving than spend 4-5 hours exercising. Dr. Bryant goes on to say, “Many people don’t just stop at the meal.  Snacking throughout the day can lead up to a total caloric intake of 4,500.” The moral of this story? Show a little control at the table this year and consider offering a few healthy options for your loved ones.  

Before you all get your panties in a wad and leave me ugly messages about poo-pooing on a holiday (I remember you fall festival people), let me just say, I want you to enjoy this wonderful day and all the joys it brings. I just think that in this day and age where two out of three Americans are overweight we should be a bit more mindful of how much we are eating, even on holidays. So, to help you create a bit more “healthy” Thanksgiving tradition I thought I would throw out a few ideas that are tasty and good for you to boot. Pumpkin- It’s not just for pumpkin pie y’all. Use pumpkin (or sweet potatoes) instead of plain white potatoes when making your mashed potatoes and gravy. You’ll be adding a highly nutritious vegetable, rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamins, always a good thing. Plus it will be a nice and colorful surprise for your family and friends. Or make this quick and easy pumpkin soup: combine cubes of fresh pumpkin (or use canned unsweetened pumpkin) with chopped onion, clove of garlic, and low fat/sodium chicken broth. Cook until tender and then puree until smooth. Add a little cinnamon or nutmeg to really capture the Thanksgiving spirit. 

Cranberries- Now, I don’t know about you but every year my mom plops down a can of cranberry sauce (usually still I the can shape) and every year she is the only one who eats it. Why not give this fruit that cleanses and purifies the body its due respects.  Besides this time of year we can all benefit from this yummy berry which is full of antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and have been shown to reduce the risk of some types of cancers and other chronic diseases. My favorite way to add spice to this usually boring lump of a dish is to add chopped apples, raisins, orange zest and holiday spices. For great ideas and healthy recipes go to www.oceanspray.com.  When it comes to Thanksgiving the healthiest thing you can do for your family is to shift the focus from food to family. Enjoy conversation and your loved ones but be mindful of just how much Thanksgiving vittles you are taking in. I don’t want to poo on your Thanksgiving dreams but with obesity percentages at an all time high (and getting higher) I think we all need to be mindful, even on Thanksgiving.  This time of year we tend to obsess over food and that’s not healthy in any season.  Slow down, have a little of your favorites but don’t over do it and put your focus on family this Thanksgiving. I promise you it’s a healthy move that you’ll never regret. Happy Thanksgiving friends.

I often preach about how as parents we need to put our foot down more when it comes to what our children are eating and drinking. I feel that most parents and grandparents (you guys are particularly bad about giving the kids too much junk) are in the dark when it comes to knowing just how much caffeine, sugar and chemicals that their children take in on a daily basis. Many just let the kids grab what they want, when they want then act all surprised when they end up with an overweight child, a child with health issues or severe cavities.Let me prove my point to you…

Take 9 year old Eddy (name changed so that my friends and family won’t ditch me for talking about them-LOL). Eddy is my son’s friend that comes over from time to time. He has some serious “hyper-tendencies” and I believe takes medication daily to control his “condition” (I can go on about that one also but another day).

Given, we are a healthy household and I don’t keep the typical kid junk foods around but would you believe this kids mother sent him over with a bag full of junk food because she “just knew he wouldn’t eat my food”. You may think I’m exaggerating but his bag contained, fruit gummies, cheese crackers, a candy bar, Pop-Tart sticks and a Mt. Dew.

Talk about keeping a kid held back and never trying anything new. Because I find how parents feed their children incredibly interesting, I began to ask “Eddy” what kind of foods he eats and likes. First of all he explained he hates water and milk and refuses to drink anything but soda and Kool-aid Jammers. He also never eats a single vegetable (which he said with a very proud smile) and will only eat hot dogs and chicken nuggets. He said he hates eating breakfast and if he eats anything it’s a donut or Pop-Tart. And might I add I always see this kid with candy in hand.

I asked him what his favorite fruit was….long pause…(his brain a workin’ hard here)…he finally said to me “what’s a fruit again?” Now I’m sure he knew what fruit was but he couldn’t think of a single one that he liked to eat. NOT ONE! (He said his mom doesn;t keep fruit around). I went through the list banana…nope, too mushy….apple…nope, don’t like the skin…orange, “yuck”…COME ON! I couldn’t believe it!

Later I very cautiously spoke with his mother and she explained that she tries to get him to eat better but he won’t try anything. I explained she really gives him no reason to because she will turn around and give him the other stuff the second he won’t eat the healthy stuff. Plus, she and her husband make no attempts to eat all that healthy so why should “Eddy”. Just doesn’t work that way.

1) You must make the decision as a family to eat and live healthier. Get rid of some (yes, I said some…it is a process ya know) of the unhealthy things, limit how much unhealthy/junk food you and your family eat or just stop buying it all together (my preference).  

2) Put some effort into finding healthier recipes you all like, snacks that are tasty but not full of crud and sugar and just make this whole healthy thing a new adventure instead of a punishment or chore. You didn’t learn to walk overnight and learning to shop, cook and eat healthy doesn’y happen overnight either.

Solutions are there…you first need to be willing to make the changes as a parent…then your kids are more likely to accept and follow. If you aren’t doing the deal then why should they? Also, get the kids involved in cooking and preparing healthier foods. They will be more likely to eat the food they cook then be forced to eat something YOU say is “good” for them. I do this often when I want my kids to try a new recipe or food.

Just Remember, YOU ARE THE PARENT! YOU CALL THE SHOTS! PERIOD!

Look, I know that you can’t be there all the time and kids will trade their carrots for a ding-dong any day BUT you can show them how to make better choices and grow their taste buds for healthier foods simply by walking the walk at home and providing tasty alternatives to the usual chips, soda and sweets. Yes, you will have to do some work and start showing them by WALKING the WALK YOURSELF but aren’t your kiddo worth it?

I often get a lot of flack from moms when I say “buy the healthy stuff and don’t have the other junk around” (except as an occasional treat). I feel that when they get hungry enough they will at least try your Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Pita Pizza, English Melts, Hi-Protein Pancakes or Sunrise Shake (all of which you can learn about in my Healthy Grocery Store Tour Kit). They aren’t going to starve, I promise you. If you are consistently encouraging them to make better choices AND explaining why the other junk is bad for them they will take you up on SOME (I’m not that unrealistic) of the new healthier options you are making available to them. 

My point is very simple today, take a good hard look at whether or not you are really giving your kids opportunities to be healthy or if YOU are the reason they are making the poor choices in the first place. I know that’s kind of a crappy thing to say but they don’t buy the groceries…you do. What you expose and teach them when they are little will set the stage for the rest of their lives.Hang in there parents and grandparents! There is a wealth of info out there to help you. Keep your eyes peeled for healthy foods and recipes. Always be willing to try new stuff and the little guys will see that and catch on, it may take a bit, but they will eventually come around.

Raising healthy kiddos is hard these days but IT IS POSSIBLE, with effort and consistency!Check out my main page and you will see many resources I have available for you. Recipes, exercises, articles, my newsletter and Healthy Grocery Store Tour DVD. Feel free to post your feeling and thought below (good or bad). We can all learn from each other. Take care and raise those kiddos healthy…there’s no telling what they will achieve!

Darlene

It starts on Halloween and doesn’t stop until New Years…the demise of our healthy diet and lifestyle. Every year we go into the holidays with good intentions and come out with an extra 5-10 pounds and some serious doubts to whether or not we will ever get the weight off and keep it off.

You should start with this question…are you willing to give a little here and there and show a bit of self-restraint this holiday season in order to keep from ending up with belly that resembles Santa? If your attitude is to go hog wild and just “diet” come the New Year, well, good luck with that. However, if you want to get through this season with as little damage as possible, while still enjoying the holidays, then start with these 5 easy strategies:

1) PLAN! Get a calendar and write in all parties and events immediately as you are informed of them. Also write in planned shopping days or family functions…down to your kids sport or music practices and programs. Now, pencil in 5 times each week where you can do some form of exercise. Yes, I said 5 (3 at the least). So if you know you have a party on a certain evening, plan to exercise that morning before work or walk at lunch instead. When you don’t plan your workouts the busy season will get the best of you and exercise will be the first thing you cut out. Remember, all this exercise is THE KEY to burning off the excess fat and calories you will most certainly be taking in. Just think about how many extra candy dishes, baked goods, food gifts, etc. that float around this time of year.

2) Clean House! If you have a party get ride of the non-healthy foods ASAP! Throw out ALL the seasonal treats, chips, cheese balls, sweets or other high calorie and high fat foods right after the party (or simply send EVERYTHING home with your guests). That’s right, throw them out! If the “bad” food is not sitting in your kitchen you won’t be tempted to eat it!
3) Don’t go to that party hungry! Have a half of a turkey sandwich, spoon full of natural peanut butter, handful of nuts or a piece of fruit before that party, especially the parties that start late in the evening. If you go to a party starving you will most certainly overindulge on food and drink, not so good for the ol’waistline.

4) Don’t stuff yourself! If you are at a holiday dinner and don’t want to overindulge I have a fool proof way of keeping yourself from overeating. (oh, and by the way, there is NO rule that says you have to eat everything on your plate.) Discretely shake lots of salt all over your food when you find yourself starting to feel the slightest bit full. It will appear you are still joining in on the fun, socializing with plate in hand, but that little trick will keep you from continuing to eat when you are already full and satisfied.

5) Choose Wisely. Look, I’m not about to tell you to skip all of your favorite holiday foods. What I will say is portion control! Have a little of your favorites but NOT a lot. Fill up on the turkey (breast only, no skin), watch those casseroles and lean heavier on vegetables that are au natural, watch the high fat sauces and gravies, limit alcohol and drink lots of water!