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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.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 2:33 pm and is filed under health, health food, healthy, healthy family, healthy eating, healthy food, healthy solutions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.