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Episode 30: How to have a healthy Thanksgiving

 

Healthy Thanksgiving

Traditionally, Thanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is a time when family members travel from far and wide to get together and celebrate. Like many of us, the food is usually what we look forward to as the holiday approaches. We think about the turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pie for dessert. However, do we realize that we’ve gone a little too shallow only thinking about those things for Thanksgiving? How do we shift from a ‘feast-mindset’ to a healthier one? Let’s figure that out in today’s episode!

Key Learnings:

Tune in and learn:

  • How to change you and your family’s mindset about ‘Thanksgiving Eve’
  • How you can be more accountable to yourself and to other people
  • Which beverages to avoid and what you can replace them with
  • Which food ingredients to add and replace
  • How to involve your family in your health goals and even strengthen family ties
  • Practical tip on how you can keep track of what you eat during the holiday
  • What to remember when you feel like you’ve gone overboard

Tips to Having a Healthier and More Fulfilling Thanksgiving:

  1. Changing the outlook from looking forward to the feast on Thanksgiving Eve to being with family as the primary aim or goal of the holiday goes a long way in easing the inner battle when it comes to food.
  2. Have your family recognize that you have started a lifestyle change so that you can lose weight and be healthier.
  3. Telling someone whose opinion you care about makes your goals real and makes you more accountable.
  4. When family becomes an impediment, take a step back mentally and think about what’s important for you, or explain to them what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
  5. Be outdoors, if the weather permits: go for a walk with your family, play outdoor sports.

Which Beverages to Avoid and their Alternatives:

  1. Avoid sugary drinks like soda or fruit juices. Water is the best drink and thirst- quencher.
  2. Experiment with different spices. Ginger is one of the ingredients that can offer a unique and refreshing flavor to a lot of drinks.
  3. If your recipe calls for sugar, use alternatives like stevia or monk fruit extract.

Food Preparations:

  1. Add more vegetables that are in season. Incorporate as many vegetables as you can in making dinner preparations.
  2. Replace butter with unsaturated oils like canola oil, olive oil, and corn oil.
  3. Try to make everything at home or volunteer in the kitchen as much as you can.
  4. Avoid buying stuff like gravy or cranberry sauce in store and try to make things like that at home.

Quotes:


“Where there is a get-together, there is a feast.”

On struggling with families impeding your health goals:

“I understand it can be difficult. However, you need to persevere and make sure that whatever you do aligns with your health goals.”

“When the festivities are on, it is easy to lose track of what you’re eating.”

“Remember, all is not lost. The next day is another day when you can eat healthier and you can eat better.”

“This is not a one-time thing; it is a journey that you take. And it is not about getting everything right all the time but getting most of the things right most of the time.”

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