martes, 22 de noviembre de 2011

Ten tips for a healthy Thanksgiving feast


Oh the diet nightmare...family members loading their plates with sweet sides, gravy galore, dessert buffets, and buttery mashed whatever... all for the holidays. 

Don't let food fear get you during the holidays. You know how to have a good time and do a few days of IGNITE™ later.

Here are 10 strategies to help you enjoy your holiday foods, keep the weight off, and feel great. 

1. Savor the moment. Eat slowly and engage in plenty of conversation. It gives you a greater sense of satisfaction, but studies show that slower eating helps appetite control. If you've been through IGNITE a time or two, you've learned how to eat until you are almost full, not stuffed full. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that your stomach's full. Slow down and savor each bite.

2. Stay well! Shop and select foods during the holidays that boost your immune system. Take your AXION™ and Super Fruit Global Blend™. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and spices for all the wonderful phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain. Arrange them in colorful, holiday ways. Make them a wonderful holiday family tradition. Eating something filling and raw before going to the party will help you prepare mentally and physically for what's ahead.

3. Be active! Take walks, enjoy outdoor time, and schedule some exercise to boost your endorphins. You'll be more fun to be around. You could even take walks with family members, enjoy winter sports, or schedule a winter hike. 

4. Consider these substitutions in traditional holiday recipes.

• Instead of butter, use evaporated skim milk in mashed potatoes along with a soft spread.
• Use low-fat items for appetizers. Blend fat-free cottage cheese or non-fat cream cheese with fresh herbs until smooth and creamy for a great vegetable or cracker dip (skip the chips).
• Substitute nonfat plain yogurt for some of the sour cream, salad dressing, or mayo in recipes. It adds great flavor.
• Skip the butter and oil in your stuffing. Use extra celery, onion, and chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. Add a little extra sage and pepper.
• Substitute apple sauce for half of the fat in most recipes you bake.


5. Skip some things. At the buffet, skip the creamy dips, the heavy casseroles, and the gravy. Reach for plain vegetables and sweet potatoes. 

6. Create a colorful plate. Choose bright colored foods, such as cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, squash, red grapes, and broccoli. The bland-colored foods usually have fewer nutrients and more fat...stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, casseroles, and gravy.

7. It's not a contest. Don't allow yourself to be intimidated into taking seconds or loading on multiple desserts to please someone. Just have fun and enjoy the family and the food.

Follow a one-plate rule with 1/4 veggies, 1/2 foods rich in lean protein, such as lean turkey breast, chicken , fish, sirloin, filet mignon or flank steak, 1/4 starch, such as rice or potatoes. Leave no more than 1/4 plate for dessert fruit or a decadent treat. 


8. Make everything you eat worth it! Only eat the real treats! Holidays are an important time to enjoy traditional, holiday-specific foods, such as pumpkin pie and turkey. Avoid foods you can have at any time of year...bread with butter, chips and dip, a box of cookies. You'll leave room for the special holiday treats you cherish only once or twice a year. If you don't really love it, don't eat it!

9. Enjoy the turkey! Eat a sizable amount of skinless turkey because it is so lean and low in calories. Enjoy plenty of turkey leftovers with cranberry sauce. Skip the rolls or cornbread.

10. Share the leftovers. Instead of taking home or keeping all that pie, try giving it away to friends, family, or even a local shelter. It will keep you from unhealthy snacking while you're doing your IGNITE for a couple of days after the big holiday meal. 

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