How to Have A Healthy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving is today and many of us are planning on seeing family, friends, and eating good foods. Here are some easy tips to make your Thanksgiving a healthy one!

• Eat only 1 - 2 servings of turkey and other sides
• Do not overload your plate
• One serving without skin: 4 oz. = 173 calories (depending on how it was cooked)
• Limit your eating to 2nd's and not 3rd's
• Add whole grain to your stuffing (brown rice, bulgur, millet or barely)
• Lowers many chronic diseases 
• Helps weight management 
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers gum disease and tooth decay
• Include at least 3 dark green vegetable side dishes
• Has less calories per serving
• Has vitamins, lowers cholesterol, and blood pressure
• Tons of Fiber to keep your weight management in check
• Recipes:
• Broccoli, Shitake and Red Onion Roast
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots
• Use Turkey Bacon for less calories
• Healthy sweet potato recipe
• Sweet potato is loaded with vitamin C vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and iron
• Used by bodybuilders to help build muscle
• Recipe
• Sweet potato & Quinoa Casserole
  
• Healthy pie recipe
• Make sweet pies without all the unwanted extra calories
• Recipe:
• Pear Custard Pie
• If you want to try everything that is displayed to eat for Thanksgiving, then get small portions of each.
• Getting 1 - 2 oz of each dish will save you unwanted calories you do not want to take in and will save you from looking like a prude during Thanksgiving.
• Take your time while eating
• Your body does not know it is full until 20 minutes. 
• Take your time and converse with your family and friends. I'm sure there is a lot of catching up to do.
• Drink red wine, low calorie beer, fresh squeezed juices, and/or water
• Cut out sodas, especially diet sodas
• Red wine is loaded with anti-oxidants
• Drink beer like Miller 64 and other low calories that are under 100 calories
• Fresh orange juice or homemade organic lemonade has less calories than the high corn syrup prepackage ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

        ~Candace~

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Casserole Recipe

 

• Ingredients:

4 cups of diced sweet potato

3 tbsp of water

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 cup of thinly, sliced onion

2 tbsp of garlic

2 cups of chicken broth

1/3 cup of wine white

1 1/2 cup of quinoa

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 paprika

1/2 cup of queso fresco

1/4 cup of fresh cilantro

• Directions
• Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Step 2: Add sweet potato cubes, onions and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add broth, quinoa, wine, salt, cumin, cinnamon and paprika. Bring to a boil. 
• Step 3: Spoon the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are tender and the liquid is fully absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes.

• Step 4: Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 8 inches from the heat source until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Tips To Handle Family Holiday Get-Togethers, Galas or Parties!

7 Easy Tips To Handle The Holiday Events

• Eat clean and low carb throughout the day, so you can enjoy yourself at the party. You can also fast all day to enjoy yourself even more. 

• Do not attend a party or function while you are hungry; you will start attacking all your favorite foods. Make it an incentive to eat your greens first before you attack the sweets. The more you fill up with greens the less room you will have available for the bad stuff. 

o        Include at least 3 dark green vegetable side dishes

§     Has less calories per serving

§     Has vitamins, lowers cholesterol, and blood pressure

§     Tons of Fiber to keep your weight management in check

§     Recipes

§     Broccoli, Shitake and Red Onion Roast

§     Balsamic-Glazed Green Beans And Pearl Onions

§     Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots

§        Use Turkey Bacon for less calories

o        Healthy sweet potato recipes

§     Sweet potato is loaded with vitamin C vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and iron

§     Used by bodybuilders to help build muscle

§     Recipes

§     Sweet Potato Casserole

§     Marshmallow Whipped Sweet Potatoes

• If you want to try everything that is displayed to eat for Thanksgiving then get small portions of each.
• Getting 1 - 2 oz of each dish will save you unwanted calories you do not want to take in and will save you from looking like a prude during Thanksgiving.

• Take your time while eating
• Your body does not know it is full until 20 minutes. 
• Take your time and converse with you family and friends. I'm sure there is a lot of catching up to do

o        Healthy pie recipes

§     Make sweet pies without all the unwanted extra calories

§     Recipes

§     Pumpkin Pie With Rum

§     Oatmeal-Nut Crunch Apple Pie

§     Pear Custard Pie

• Drink some water between every alcoholic beverage.

o        Drink red wine, low calorie beer, or water splash with a little fresh squeezed juice

§     Cut out sodas, especially diet sodas

§     Red wine and dark beers are loaded with anti-oxidants

§     Drink beer like Miller 64 and other low calories that are under 100 calories

§     Fresh orange juice or homemade organic lemonade has less calories than the high corn syrup prepackage ones.

• Sit down at a table away from the bar and food so you won't be tempted to go get more food.

• Alcohol opens up the appetite. So the more you drink, the more you will eat ruining all the fitness goals you accomplished for the week or maybe a month. This depends on how bad you cheat on your diet. It takes 3500 calories to gain 1 lbs. of FAT! 
• If you want to try everything that is displayed to eat for the event of holiday then get small portions of each.
• Getting 1 - 2 oz of each dish will save you unwanted calories you do not want to take in and will save you from looking like a prude during Thanksgiving.

• Spend time socializing and networking so you don't focus on the food.

• Go for foods you wouldn't normally eat.

o        Eat only 1 - 2 servings of protein and other sides

§     Do not overload your plate

§     One serving or turkey or chicken without skin: 2 oz. = 50 - 70 calories (depending on how it was cooked)

§     Limit your eating to 2nd's and not 3rd's

o        Add whole grain to stuffing

§     Lowers many chronic diseases 

§     Helps weight management 

§     Lowers blood pressure

§     Lowers gum disease and tooth decay

§     Recipes

§     Bulgur Stuffing with Dried Cranberries and Hazelnuts

§     Wild Rice Stuffing With Apple and Sausage

• Look at all the food options before diving right in.

Keep Those Unwanted Pounds Off All the Way to Christmas

Tis the Season to not become a weight gain statistic. What do I mean by this? Well according to the "experts", the average person only gains a pound during the holiday season. On the other hand, overweight and obese individuals gain about 5 lbs. However, I find this information to be false because of the years I have spent taking meticulous records of my clients' progress during training people for the last 12 years as a personal trainer and 8 years as a competition prep coach. 

I used to weigh my clients every 4 weeks, but I found that this wouldn't really help them. Most of them didn't get serious until I gave them a heads up that their weigh-in was in a week. So, I decided to weigh them every Monday or every week. I have found that in my gym the average weight gain for clients during the holidays that are average and active is about 10 lbs. Overweight and obese clients usually gain about 15 - 25 pounds. I have had both fit, overweight and obese clients gain 5 - 7 lbs. in one week. So now imagine when we multiply that by 8 weeks (4 weeks of November and 4 from December). This equals to about 40 - 56 lbs of potential weight gain if you are not careful with your level of activity and food intake. In addition, this is when MOST of my clients stop training to save up for Christmas and traveling. 

I assume that when people read the "experts" statistics and it gives them to "go ahead" and "enjoy yourself" during the holidays, drink like fish and quit working out because they believe they will only gain 1 - 5 pounds. However, this behavior will only help you gain a whole bunch of fat that will take 10 times as hard to loose. Just because it is the holidays should not be a reason to throw away all the effort you have put into working out and getting healthy. If you have not even started a workout regime this year, then you are only making it harder for yourself once you get into the "New Year New Me" season. Gaining fat is easy but losing fat is super hard. It takes 3500 calories to lose 1 POUND of FAT!!! It is even harder if you are a woman. So why put yourself through this? It will only get you depressed after the parties, socials, and festivals end. 

After you read this post make the right decision for your health. You can save the unhealthy food for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas with your immediate family. There is no reason to pig out at every Thanksgiving and Christmas party. You can have an enjoyable time without eating a whole bunch of crap that will make you feel depressed later. I teach my clients how to eat a healthy meal before they  go to a holiday parties. Try this next time, it will help you stay full and only be able to try out some of the hor d'oeurvres. Keep on working out and do not let excuses get in the way. 

Think smart, eat smart and train smart!

Candace