I hope your October is off to a good start. Not a whole heck of alot new with me lately, just getting over a nasty cold that has been circulating at my workplace (maybe I will write a blog about immune boosting cold busting foods in the near future!). I don’t usually get sick often, but I think I have been a bit too busy and run down for too long and it has caught up with me.
I am looking forward to taking some time off when I am done my job and RELAXING and maybe doing a food detox as well ? I am very excited to have more time and energy to work on getting back to a healthy balance, along with having more time to dive into working on Down to Earth Wellness and serving my clients!
Good things to come.. but first.. Thanksgiving.
Our Canadian Thanksgiving is happening this weekend. What kind of plans do you have?
So far, I think I am having a small dinner with close family which should be fun.
It got me thinking – A lot of people tend to go a little overboard during Thanksgiving, sometimes we eat too much, feel stuffed and even guilty afterwards. Now who wants to feel like that? (Not me!)
Here are a few tips to keep it healthy over Thanksgiving!
Change your perspective – It is not about restrictions but abundance. Remind yourself that you can have all the food you want, but is it healthy? How will you feel afterwards? Is this food pushing you in the direction of healthier or unwell?
Choose healthy options for Thanksgiving – Think* baked, roasted, grilled instead of vegetables or dishes that are slathered with cheese sauce, or gravy. Go easy on the sauces!
Steer clear of fried and deep fried anything– High in calories and loaded with saturated fat, fried foods do nothing for our health! (*wagging finger :P)
Get that plate looking good – Pile the green salad and veggies onto your plate – at least ½ your plate should be tasty vegetables. Choose smaller portions for complex carbohydrates (sweet potato, mashed potatoes etc) and lean natural protein sources (animal meat or plant based proteins)
Food portions – Keep the portions under control. Listen to your body and eat slowly, as within 20 minutes your stomach will notify your brain if you are full
Don’t fast before dinner – Be sure to eat your breakfast and lunch. Try to not fast all day as you may want to eat everything in sight once dinner is served!
Slow it down – Chew slowly, limit your liquids with the meal (this will help you digest better), enjoy your food, savour your food and eat when you are present. You will find that you fill up faster and you won’t need extra helpings
Save the rest for leftovers – We don’t need to go overboard on our Thanksgiving meal, save the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch(es)
Get back on track – If you over indulge and start to guilt trip yourself. Dont! Try to eat healthier the next day, focus on being healthy and try to not bog yourself down with negative thoughts ?
Contribute – If you have a healthy recipe, maybe you can bring it to dinner too especially if you know that there may not be too many healthy options available
ENJOY – It’s more about how you take care of yourself the other 364 days a year, if you over indluge here or there, that is ok, enjoy it and trust that you will be eating healthy and balanced the rest of the time!
Here is an easy and healthy vegetable recipe for Thanksgiving!
Baked Zucchini with Parmesan:
- 2 Zucchinis
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ – ⅓ cup grated organic Parmesan goat cheese
Instructions:
Slice the zucchini in 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. Mix with olive oil and oregano in a bowl. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and sliced almonds.Bake, uncovered, at 350F degrees for 35-40 minutes.Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I hope you enjoy the long weekend and keep it healthy!
