Healthful Bites

Listen to many health reports about Thanksgiving and you’ll be pushing away from the table feeling like a certain farm animal, whether it’s a stuffed turkey, a slothful pig or a chewing cow. Well, I think it’s time that Thanksgiving, and everyone partaking in it, got a little break! While tables packed full of bountiful, gorgeous goodies can help you rack up calorie and fat counts quickly, this day does only come around once each year. Even if one consumes the astounding amount that some claim is in an average turkey day feast (3,000 calories, 229 fat grams), that would lead to about one pound of weight gain—all other things equal.

(Image from the Utz)

So the big Thanksgiving meal can have an impact on your weight, but it’s relatively small. If you go back to eating a sensible, balanced diet the day after and sneak in some extra activity (Turkey Trot anyone? Or how about a family Wii Fit tournament?), you’ll be well on your way to balancing out your indulgence on the big day.

I’m not advocating packing your plate full of four scoops of butter and brown sugar-laced sweet potatoes, two cups full of stuffing, three pounds of turkey and half of a pecan pie. But treating yourself to small servings of the “guilt-inducing” dishes you love every so often, or each Thanksgiving, will probably not have too large of an effect on your overall health. Or perhaps you could pick one or two of the dishes that are your favorites, and indulge in those alongside some lean turkey, a (less creamy) veggie-filled salad and fruity dessert.

Even though many T-day dishes are slathered in gravy, coated in sugar or topped with crispy fried onions, there’s also some great nutrition under there! I’ve talked about a couple great fall finds: the sweet potato and pumpkin, so today I’ll highlight two other different nutritional powerhouses that will likely turn up on your table.

Cranberries

Chock-full of antioxidants and fiber, these tart cousins of the blueberry may even help keep certain bacterias (such as E.coli) from sticking around inside of you for too long. Research has found that cranberries may be helpful all around the body: the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and urinary tract, as well as possibly preventing cancers, helping stroke victims recover and managing cholesterol levels.

1/2 cup of cranberries provides about 10 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C and has about 25 calories, nearly 0 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber.

• Skip the molded cranberry sauce in a can and try this Citrus Cranberry Relish. Or you can try the simple method my family uses: toss one peeled orange and one cored apple in a blender and mix. Pour in a bag of cranberries rinsed in warm water and mix again. Top it off with 1 1/2 cups sugar (or Splenda, Stevia, etc. if you prefer) and blend until it the cranberry sauce reaches an even consistency. Enjoy!

(Photo courtesy of Pacific Health)

Cinnamon

You may warm up the taste in your pie, fruit dish or beverage with a sprinkle of cinnamon, but did you know that the sweet spice may help manage blood insulin and healthy cholesterol levels? Most of these health qualities come from the essential oils in the cinnamon stick bark.

If your family is like mine (competitive), and likes to partake in some friendly (maybe) rounds of Trivial Pursuit, then be sure to whiff some cinnamon first. Smelling the spice may actually improve brain function, particularly related to memory and attention. Toss 1/2 a teaspoon or so in your Thanksgiving morning oatmeal for a brain power punch!

A couple spicy fun facts: when cinnamon dries, it rolls up into the familiar double-tubed shape, which is known as a quill. In ancient Egypt, cinnamon was prized more than gold.

2 teaspoons of cinnamon pack 38 percent of your daily recommended value of manganese, nearly 2 1/2 grams fiber and about 10 calories.

• You can give cinnamon a shot in these Cinnamon Orange pancakes for your holiday (or any day) breakfast

(Photo from Immortal Humans)

And if you’re not a vegetarian, don’t forget about the protein powerhouse: turkey!

Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday. Know that I’m thankful for each and every one of you readers! Don’t you worry though, I’ll be back before the big day with a special post this Tuesday. Stay tuned :)