Healthy Cooking for Thanksgiving

The holiday season is notorious for packing on the pounds, but eating a good Thanksgiving meal doesn’t mean you have to eat fattening foods. And eating a healthy meal doesn’t mean you have to forego your Thanksgiving favorites. Here are some easy ways to tweak the classics to be a bit healthier for you and your family.

Spices. As long as you use tasting and add them in small increments, adding extra spices to your foods is a great way to cut back on calories. If the food is well seasoned, you won’t need to add butter or gravy to make it taste good. Plus, if food is hot or spicy, you tend to eat less of it.

Evaporated milk. This is great for adding to recipes like pies or gravy. It adds flavor without all the calories of cream. Just remember to use a product made from skim milk.

Ditch the fat. When it comes to turkey, it’s pretty easy to cut back on the greasy fat. Cook the turkey in a drip pan instead of one that collects the fat at the bottom. Before you eat the turkey, be sure to remove the skin because this is where hidden fat and extra calories can be found.

Also, don’t stuff your turkey. This absorbs most of the fat and calories you’d rather keep out. Cook the stuffing in a separate pan. If you use the drippings to make gravy, skim the fat off first. You can add broth to these dishes to keep the moisture without adding the bad stuff.

Lose the butter. Butter is a big offender on Thanksgiving. You can put it on almost anything and it adds lots of fat and calories. Instead, try using chicken broth and evaporated milk to add flavor to dishes like mashed potatoes without all the fat.

Watch the drinks. Thanksgiving calories can come from what you drink as well as what you eat. Try having water or juice with your meal rather than high-calorie drinks like eggnog, soda, or alcoholic beverages.

Salad for side dishes. A lot of what we eat on Thanksgiving comes in the form of side dishes rather than the main course. Why not skip the stuffing or the rolls and start with a salad instead? This is a healthy option to help fill you up before the meal so you eat less of the fatty offenders with your turkey. Just remember that salads can be bad for you too, depending what you put in them.

Remember that no matter how good something is for you, if you eat thousands of calories, you’re probably going to gain weight. Even healthy food should be enjoyed in moderation, so watch your portions as well as the kind of food you’re eating.

Thanksgiving Does Not Mean You Have to Gain Weight

We all know that Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with family and friends. Many of us also know it is a great way to pack on the pounds. While Thanksgiving has become associated with stuffing ourselves, there are ways to help curb your eating and give yourself a positive start to the holiday season. Here are some tips for cutting back this turkey day.

Not eating too much on Thanksgiving actually starts before the big day. Stress of making travel arrangements, buying supplies, and coordinating get-togethers can cause you to start eating more before turkey day even arrives. Remember to take time to de-stress, relax, and take some time for yourself during the month of November. This is also a good philosophy to keep through the rest of the holiday season as well.

One simple way to keep from gaining weight at Thanksgiving is to make small meal changes and substitutions while cooking. This doesn’t mean you need to go buy a tofurkey; just substitute certain ingredients for more healthy ones. Try adding extra spices to your meals so you don’t have to add much butter or gravy. You can also substitute evaporated skim milk to deserts and chicken broth to gravy and mashed potatoes to add flavor without all the fat. You can also try alternate cooking methods like letting the fat drip off the turkey or steaming veggies to make the meal healthier.

Never skip lunch on Thanksgiving, even if you’re eating early. If you’re really hungry when you go to eat, you’ll end up eating a lot more, even factoring in the extra lunch calories. Just remember to eat a sensible lunch and not pig out before the big meal. You can also cut your portions on fatty foods by adding a healthy option to the beginning of the meal, like a salad.

Many of us do pretty well when it comes to keeping our portions small at Thanksgiving, but depending on how many options there are at your meal, all those small choices can add up to a lot of calories. Instead of taking a little of everything, pick the things you want the most to eat and take a sensible portion of each of them. You’ll eat fewer calories, but you’ll probably feel more satisfied because you got to eat all of your favorite foods.

In addition to eating less during the big event, why not go for a walk or do another physical activity after the meal. This will help get your digestive system revved up to digest the extra calories and burn them off faster. Instead of a walk, try an active game like charades so the whole family can join in and bond at the same time.

Want More Energy? Give Up Soda

When we’re looking for a jolt to get us going in the morning, many of us grab a soda. All that sugar and caffeine gives us just the energy boost we need to get through the day, right? Well if you want to feel more energetic through your whole day, you’ll probably see a bigger difference if you give up the soda.

Most sodas are chocked full of sugar and caffeine. While they give you a boost when you first drink them, you also trigger your body’s insulin response, which counteracts all that sugar that’s entering your body. This counteracts the effects of the sugar and usually leaves you feeling even more tired than you started. The only way to get yourself going again is to drink more soda, which continues in a vicious cycle.

When you eat sugar with other foods, there are other materials that help to slow the absorption of the sugar. This decreases the insulin response and leaves you less tired after a meal than if you just had the sugar alone. When you drink soda, there is just sugar and nothing else to slow the absorption. If you drink soda with your meal it can help counteract this response, but it will still happen somewhat.

So, if sugar is so bad, why not just drink diet soda for energy? Well, recent studies have shown that your body reacts in a similar way to sugar substitutes as it does to real sugar. This leaves you craving not only more soda, but other sugary foods as well.

Once you get rid of all that sugar, there’s a good chance you’ll start losing weight, which will give you an additional energy boost. Plus, that energy will help you exercise more and lose even more weight!

In addition to giving you a jot of energy, the caffeine in soda also affects the hormones in your body, particularly the ones that cause stress. If you regularly drink soda or other caffeinated beverages, you will increase your regular levels of stress, which can take a toll on your body. If you give up soda, your hormone levels will be able to return to normal, leaving you less stressed out with more energy to take on your day.

Caffeine can also alter the hormones that affect your sleep cycle. Not only can it keep you from falling asleep due to excess energy, but it can also change what kind of sleep you get. So, even if you do get a full eight hours, you may be left feeling drained. Giving up soda will allow you not only to sleep more, but also get a more restful sleep.

Many people are sceptical that giving up soda will give them an energy boost, and why not? If you are drinking soda every day and suddenly stop, you’re likely going to feel tired, sluggish and unable to get through the day. The good news is that if you get over that initial withdrawal from caffeine and sugar, you’ll start to get more energy without it. You can’t just give it up a day or two, however. It may take weeks to get over your addiction and notice a real effect; you just need to stick with it.

Great Foods for a Winter Diet

One of the most important ingredients of any diet, particularly a winter diet, is water. With the cold dry air, your body loses more water. Without proper hydration, your cells can’t work as well which leaves your looking and feeling bad. Be sure to get at least eight glasses of water a day to keep your body at its best. Plus, being properly hydrated can help you eat less and feel less hungry.

A healthy winter diet needs to include protein, fruits and vegetables at every meal. This will not only provide all the nutrients you need but will help balance it out through the day, giving you energy to get by and keeping you from feeling sluggish.

While it is often more difficult to eat properly during the winter, try to find foods for your family to enjoy rather than meals that or frozen or prepackaged. Just like fast foods from restaurants, fast foods from the grocery store contain higher amounts of fat, preservatives, and other things that can harm your health. You may have to start checking more than one store or supplier, but it will be well worth your family’s health.

While we often associate fruits and veggies with spring and summer, there are plenty of options available during the winter. You can find veggies such as carrots, leeks, pumpkin, broccoli, and other greens. And winter is actually the best time to find a variety or citrus fruits, along with certain types of apples. While you may have to pay slightly more because the veggies are being shipped fairly far, the health benefit is definitely worth it.

One reason many people gain weight over the winter is because of depression. We stay inside, get less sunlight, and may feel lonely around the holidays. For many people, this triggers them to eat comfort foods that are high in fat and calories. But while food is the problem, it can also be part of the cure. Instead of grabbing for fatty foods when you’re feeling down this winter, why not grab for foods like fresh fruits and vegetables that will naturally boost your mood. This will help break the cycle instead of fueling it.

A healthy diet is not only about what you eat, but when you eat. While we’ve been taught to eat three full meals a day, it’s often healthier to eat six smaller meals, or to simply supplement yourself with between-meal snacks. This will help keep you fueled throughout the day and will also keep your mood more even to combat depression. Just make sure you’re adding healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

During the winter, it’s easy to forget that a healthy lifestyle includes not only eating right, but also getting plenty of exercise. Many of us slack off when it comes to exercising during the winter. Don’t let yourself become lazy; take time every day to get your heart rate up. This will help give you more energy to make it through the winter.

You may have to spend a bit more time and money on winter food shopping, but it’s still possible to keep you family healthy all year round.

5 Great Tips for Curving Your Cravings

Starting a diet is pretty easy. The biggest problem with diets is not getting started, it’s sticking with them. Most of use start out fine, but eventually succumb to cravings for sweet or fatty foods (or both). Here are some tips for keeping your cravings at bay.

1. Drink water. Many times, your body experiences hunger when you’re really not hungry at all, but thirsty. When you feel a craving coming on, instead of jumping for your favorite foods, try drinking a glass of water and waiting fifteen minutes. You may also want to try a low-calorie flavored water if the regular stuff isn’t cutting it. After a short wait, you’ll probably find you’re not so hungry anymore.

2. Give in. While you shouldn’t give in to every craving you have, breaking the rules every so often can actually help give you the willpower to stick to your diet. If you completely stop eating your favorites, you’re only going to crave them more. Just remember that “occasional” means once or twice a month, not once or twice a day.

3. Find your triggers. One of the best things you can do for a diet is to keep a food journal, but don’t stop there. Why not add what you’re craving to your journal, along with what you’re doing or feeling at the time. You may find that you often crave chocolate when you’re sitting with the kids, or only eat potato chips when you’re feeling lonely. If you figure out what’s making you want to eat, you can figure out ways around it.

4. Distraction. Before your next craving hits, make a plan of something you can do instead of giving in. If you like puzzles or brain teasers, you can keep some around to work on and distract yourself. Many people exercise whenever they’re craving their favorites. This not only distracts you, it helps burn more calories and keep you on track.

5. Eliminate temptation. One of the easiest ways to avoid temptation is to remove it, or at least make it a lot harder to get to. If you keep sweets in your house, you’re a lot more likely to eat them than if you have to go out to a store to buy them. And if you’re keeping the sugary snacks around for the kids, remember that if you shouldn’t eat them, there’s a good chance the kids shouldn’t either.

While many cravings are simply for foods we like, others are actually for foods we need. If you find yourself having regular cravings, you can research online or ask your doctor to find out what nutrients you might be deficient in. Once you’ve replaced the missing nutrients, you should see a decrease or elimination of your cravings.

With a little work and willpower, you can be well on your way to beating those cravings and seeing results.

Great Places to Find Vegan Food

Being a vegan has many benefits, but convenience has not traditionally been one of them. Over the years, vegans have often had to either eat raw food or make their own fruit and veggie creations. Packaged snacks and convenience foods for vegans were few and far between.

But today, it’s not so difficult to find vegan foods. In fact, most grocery stores carry a respectable selection of vegan foods, including some meat and dairy substitutes. Many of these items aren’t marketed as vegan, so you may have to do some detective work to find them. But there is help available online. PETA has a handy guide to vegan groceries on their website at http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/default.asp.

Another good place to find vegan food is your local farmer’s market or produce stand. There you’ll find fresh, locally grown produce that hasn’t been touched by preservatives. Farmer’s market vendors also often carry sauces, dressings and other locally made items that do not contain animal products.

Health food stores usually have vast selections of vegan items. They feature veggie burgers and hot dogs, soy cheeses, non-dairy frozen treats, and much more. And these stores are no longer just found in major metropolitan areas. Most smaller cities have at least one or two health food stores these days.

You can also order vegan foods online. A growing number of grocery stores are now offering online ordering and will either ship your order or deliver it to your door. There are even some vegan grocery stores that sell online, such as Food Fight Grocery.

Dining Out as a Vegan

It wasn’t long ago that eating out as a vegan was next to impossible. Few restaurants had any vegan choices besides salad, and fast food chains rarely had that. While there still aren’t as many choices for vegans as there are for meat eaters, prospects have improved significantly.

Most restaurants have at least one or two menu items that are suitable for the vegan diet. And an increasing number have entire menu sections of vegan choices. Most fast food restaurants have salads, and some have other items that vegans can eat.

There are also restaurants that specialize in vegan fare. These are most often found in larger cities, but as the popularity of veganism grows, so does the number of areas where vegan restaurants can be found. You can easily locate vegan restaurants in your area online.

Finding vegan food is much easier than it once was. A trip to any grocery store will yield many options, and if you want more, chances are there’s a store nearby that has what you’re looking for. There has never been a better time to go vegan.

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When you’re doing the cooking, being a vegan isn’t so difficult. There are many items you can make at home that do not require meat or animal products. You can make substitutions to mixes you buy at the store, and you can find delicious recipes in vegan cookbooks. But when you walk out your front door, it gets a little more complicated.

It’s true that vegans have fewer options when dining out than most people. But don’t despair. Veganism does not doom you to a life of never going out to eat with friends and family. There are few restaurants where a vegan can’t find anything at all to eat.

Fast Food

Eating at a fast food restaurant is usually rather tricky when you’re avoiding animal products. Most chains feature hamburgers or chicken as the main menu item. One might wonder if there is anything at a fast food restaurant you can eat other than the French fries. Luckily, many fast food restaurants have items that can be made vegan with a few small adjustments.

Most fast food establishments now offer salads, something that was nearly unheard of in years past. Some only have side salads, but others offer a variety of options. These salads often include pieces of chicken, bacon bits, cheese, or other animal products, but most restaurants will leave off these items if you ask.

If you’re not in the mood for salad, you could always request a bun with veggies and no meat. Add some condiments, and it could actually be quite tasty.

Casual and Fine Dining

Most sit-down restaurants offer at least a few options for vegans. Virtually all of them serve salad, but you’re rarely limited to that these days. An increasing number of restaurants are adding vegan items to their menus, and some have an entire section dedicated to foods that do not include animal products.

Even restaurants that do not consciously cater to vegans usually have items that can be modified to meet your needs. Vegetables could be prepared without butter or using non-dairy butter substitutes, pasta could be served with meat-free sauce, and breakfast plates could be served with fresh fruit instead of eggs and meat.

There are some restaurants that serve only vegan cuisine. They’re not on every corner, but many areas have them. Such restaurants offer lots of variety in their menus, making them favorites of vegans who are tired of going through menus with a fine-toothed comb just to find something they can eat. Check the Yellow Pages or a travel guide, or search online to find vegan restaurants in your area or the area you’re visiting.

Eating out as a vegan might seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. While it’s unfortunate that many vegans do not have access to exclusively vegan restaurants, there are items at most restaurants that satisfy their requirements. And remember, if you’re in doubt, you can always call ahead.

Top 5 Foods that Flatten the Belly

When it comes to wanting to lose weight, most people are looking for ways to flatten their belly. This seems to be the trouble area for most people when it comes to dieting. There is a way to work at getting rid of that trouble area. You can workout and burn calories. Overall this will help you to lose weight but it will not target your belly fat. To target that stubborn belly, you need to change the way that you eat.

A link has been found between monosaturated fats and losing belly fat. Yes, you can eat a type of fat to flatten the belly. Monosaturated fats are found in different types of plant foods. You can mix and match these healthy fats to help you to lose weight.

The first food that you need to think about when it comes to a flat belly is nuts and seeds. The best nuts to eat are going to be unsalted. Some nuts that will work for you are cashews, walnuts, and pecans. Two of the best seeds to eat are pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. A couple of tablespoons of these healthy foods will be a great snack for your diet.

The second food that will help to give you a flat belly is oils. There are healthy oils that actually help you to lose weight. Some of the oils that you can use for your diet are sunflower oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, and walnut oil. One tablespoon of one of these healthy fats used to sauté some vegetables and you are on your way to your weight-loss goals.

The third food to use in your diet is avocados. Avocados are packed with monosaturated fats. They can be used in a variety of ways. Place some in your salad or on you sandwich to make your meal belly friendly.

Olives are another food that will help to flatten your midsection. It does not matter what type of olives that you choose to eat - they are all healthy for you. For a unique way to eat your olives, try an olive tapenade spread on your next sandwich.

The final food to be added to the list is chocolate. Yes, chocolate can be a diet food when consumed in small portions. You can use either dark or semi-sweet chocolate to get the wonderful qualities of the monosaturated fats that this food has.

By adding a serving of one of these five belly fat-fighting foods to every meal, you will begin to see your midsection shrink. A simple addition to your diet and workout routine that you already have in place is all that you need to have that flat stomach that you dream about.

Beat the Blues: Serotonin-Boosting Foods

When we’re depressed or in a bad mood, some of us get the urge to eat. But if we eat the right foods, that’s not necessarily such a bad thing. In fact, there are some foods that can help improve our mood.

About Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter present in the brain. It is responsible for controlling anger, aggression, mood, sleep, body temperature, appetite and metabolism. When we’re depressed, our serotonin levels go down. That’s why some depression drugs are designed to raise serotonin levels.

But drugs are not the only way to increase the amount of serotonin present in the brain. There are certain foods that can raise serotonin levels. By eating these foods, we can improve our mood and outlook safely and naturally.

Using Food to Boost Serotonin Levels

Foods do not contain serotonin, but some do contain substances that help our bodies produce more serotonin. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is one of the most important building blocks of serotonin, and it is found in many foods, including:

* Poultry
* Chocolate
* Milk
* Spinach
* Eggs
* Crab
* Shrimp
* Pork
* Tofu
* Nuts

It’s important, though, to eat something that is high in carbohydrates with the food that contains tryptophan. Carbohydrates are needed to help tryptophan move across the brain.

Foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, will also help improve mood. DHA works by improving the synthesis and function of serotonin in the brain. However, eating foods containing DHA does not have as immediate an effect as eating those with tryptophan. DHA is found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. If you’re not a fan of fish, you can try products that are fortified with DHA. These foods will be clearly identified on the label. Try to eat foods with DHA at least three times a week for best results.

Foods with high levels of protein can block the effects of serotonin. Turkey, for example, contains tryptophan, but it is also exceptionally high in protein, so it may do little to improve mood. Similarly, when trying to boost serotonin levels through diet, it’s important to avoid eating other foods that contain lots of protein. All foods containing tryptophan contain protein, but if it is present in small amounts, it won’t negate the effects of the serotonin.

Going on a binge when we’re depressed is unhealthy, but eating certain foods in moderation can help us beat the blues. By choosing foods that boost serotonin levels, we can see effects similar to those of prescription depression drugs, but without the expense and side effects. So the next time you’re feeling out of sorts, grab a snack that contains tryptophan and carbohydrates.

Snap Out Of Your Slump With These Healthy Foods

Do you ever feel in a bit of a slump and need something to give you a boost to help snap you out of your mental misery? No need to mope around like a miserable misanthrope feeling blue-here are some great food choices to help boost your mood and get you back in high spirits or at least perk you up a bit.

**Try Some Dessert- Yes! You read that right, try some dessert! Sugar soothes us when we're feeling stressed out ( I know that to be true and will take full advantage). But before you binge on a pan of brownies, cookies and candy, know that a little sugar may soothe you, but too much will wreak havoc with your blood sugar. So, as always moderation is the key here.

**Beans -Like most legumes, beans are rich in iron. If you're low on iron like many active people are--you can be tired and have trouble sleeping, which as we all know can make you cranky, cranky, cranky. Beans are great thrown in salads, over white rice, in a tortilla with salsa, in chili and soups.

**Bananas-Stress and the lack of magnesium are so closely related that it is a good idea for those who lead an active life to add foods rich in magnesium, such as bananas to their diet. Increasing the intake of magnesium reduces anxiety and makes for better sleeping.

**Oranges-Two glasses of fresh orange juice are enough to help say goodbye to some nervousness, bad moods and depression; lack of vitamin C, can make you irritable and cranky.

**Chocolate-Hurrah! Hurrah! Now I know it cannot get any better than this! Some experts believe that like many other foods sweet and rich in carbohydrates, chocolate can have a soothing effect; others, however, consider that the caffeine and other substances contained in chocolate could act as stimulants. I don't care why, I am just so glad to hear it! Ahem, moderation here though, again.

**Spinach and Lentils-Both Lentils and spinach are full of folate, a B vitamin that you need to make the serotonin that makes you feel good. Folate is strong enough to ease clinical depression, say researchers and low levels of folate have been linked to depression. A cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid-so try some lentil soup and be happy and healthy. Also, you could add frozen spinach and make a low-fat spinach dip, have a nice spinach salad or use on sandwiches instead of lettuce.

**Walnuts- Are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids-a type of fat that's needed for brain cells and mood-lifting . Also been shown to relieve mild depression. I love to eat walnuts as a snack but they are also delicious on salads.**Salmon-Salmon is also rich in omega fatty acids and canned Salmon with bones contains vitamin D which has been linked to possibly increasing our levels of serotonin- one of the key neurotransmitters influencing our mood.

A couple other remedies that I have found lift my spirits are physical exercise-take a walk or go to the gym and having an animal companion. My cat Jaap cozies up to me and all is right with the world.

I am going to start having more walnuts, oranges and bananas for snacks and incorporate spinach and lentils into my diet. Don't worry, I already have the desserts and chocolate covered. To feeling better!