20 Nov Thanksgiving Feasting–Loving or Hating Your Food
Thanksgiving is a time we are thankful for our food. Food wasn’t always so readily available so it made sense years ago to be thankful for whatever you had. Now we are overwhelmed with food availability and choices.
So how do we usually handle that? We curse our food.
“I know these are bad for me but pass the potato chips.” “I shouldn’t eat this, it goes straight to my hips.” “I’ll be bad today and have another helping.” “Carbs are bad for me.” “Fat is bad for me.” All of it probably causes cancer.
Did you know that research actually shows that people who enjoy their food gain more benefits from it? And hating on your food is another source of stress. Stress is harmful and leads to weight gain, so that can make junk food twice as bad. Appreciate your food, don’t hate it.
How do you get out of the trap of hating on food? Easy. Just Eat Real Food.
OK, it’s not really easy when the only things around you are vending machines or gas station convenience stores. But, when you can, if you eat real food, your body will thank you. Your reward will be less cravings, less time feeling “hangry”, and more energy and health. A diet of healthy real food allows you to go longer periods of time between meals so you are less often desperate for something to eat.
And Thanksgiving means a table full of food that may or may not be what you want to eat. You can make the best of things. Fill your plate with as many vegetables as possible, even if they are sweetened or laden with artificial ingredients. Vegetables are worth it.
If you are not hosting, bring a dish that suits all of your requirements. This is actually good manners anyway. Make enough for everybody, and you will be guaranteed to have something you can readily eat, likely without gluten, sugar, or additives.
Is dessert your downfall? Make a more acceptable dessert by taking typical recipes and subbing maple syrup or honey for the refined sugar in the recipe. Maple syrup has beneficial minerals and honey is full of nutrients. I’ve done that with pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Notice that both pies have a healthy, real food as the main ingredient. They are just as fun and better for you as the desserts whose main ingredient is refined flour.
Here’s a recipe for no guilt pumpkin bars. I adapted it from Dr. Jill Carnahan. No sugar, no wheat, no junk, just real food, and yes it tastes good.
Ingredients
¾ cup almond butter
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 medium overripe banana
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut flour
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup chocolate chips OR chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8in square baking dish with coconut oil. Place almond butter, pumpkin, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir until well-combined. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until smooth. Pour into prepared baking dish, smoothing with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. When cooled, slice into 9 to 12 squares and serve.
When I am in a social situation, like Thanksgiving, I choose healthy as much as possible and then I enjoy whatever is offered. I don’t try to explain my dietary requirements and I don’t criticize others for their choices. People are more important than what you eat. I want to preserve my good relations with family and friends. People who have strong social ties live longer and are less likely to get dementia. I just get back to my healthier habits as soon as I can.
So, you can be thankful for your food and for the people around you. Both of these will help you get to a healthy old age.
I am a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. I can help you find ways to make a healthy lifestyle fit in with all your holidays and social situations. Contact me and let’s get started.
How do you handle Thanksgiving? Any good ideas to share? Let us know in the Comments.
Food important in social landscape
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