Happy Thanksgiving

This is one of my favorite holidays, with all of the traditions of giving thanks and of family many feel the same way. Unfortunately Thanksgiving doesn't have many healthy traditions associated with it. My tip for the week is to take time on the holiday for your health.

One of the best ways to do this is to take a family walk after dinner before the treats. Just spend 30-60 minutes reveling in the wonder of the fall weather and of the company of family. This is a great time to bond with your family, get your blood pumping and give thanks for the bounty at your table.

If the weather is bad, try to get do something active like help cooking, or help cleaning.


have a happy and safe Thanksgiving

With winter approaching don't forget your vegetables...

As the leaves fall off the trees and the thermometer drops it is easy to forget about the bounty of summer, and neglect to eat your recommended vegetables. However, since people are usually inside more during the winter months this may lead to the dreaded holiday weight gain.

picture from vegetablesnutrition.net

 

The best way to loose the holiday weight is to NOT GAIN it in the first place. Vegetables are full of fiber and nutrients that help promote fullness without the calories of many winter foods, so be sure to pay special attention and keep the leafy greens in your diet.

Many people find that as the temperatures cool they want to have warm food, the key thing to remember is that leafy greens can be served warm. It is easy to put a hot serving of fish onto a fresh salad, this way you get both vegetables and omega-3's. If you like Thai food, there is usually a dish like swimming rama.that incorporates hot protein with vegetables.

One of my favorite winter vegetable dishes is a warm spinach soup... this recipe is great, it has a hint of nutmeg - delicious on a cold evening!

Also remember our good winter friends... root vegetables... they keep very well and with their rich colors you know they pack a nutrient punch. Roasting a yam of butternut squash is a great way to put a vegetable on your winter table.

picture from thephilosophie.com

 

Exercise triumphs over genes!!!

It turns out that your grandmother was right, exercise can change your body. Even with all of the research out about the genes related to obesity, exercise is king. As a recent paper published in the public library of science (found here) further research has shown that exercising for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will nearly negate obesity genes impact one's body.

a young Jack Lalanne

an older Jack Lalanne

This further proves the sage wisdom of people like Jack Lanne, who pushed for exercise and proper diet for his whole life. He was a chiropractor who emphasized the healing power of exercise.

I don't know about you, but i am going to go out and get 30 minutes of exercise today.