Happy Thanksgiving!

(Beth)

It's that time of year again - the holiday season.  For most people this is an exciting time for family, fun traditions, and food!

This will be my first year celebrating the holidays while living a healthy lifestyle.  If you have read any of my posts on Facebook or blogs from earlier this year, you should be familiar with the phrase "food is fuel."  I believe that food is basically that - it's energy in the form of a calorie where the nutrients you put in your body help you move and function.  The quality of what you consume determines the quality of your body's ability to perform.

So why do we care about nutrition during the holidays?  Isn't it our time to celebrate and eat whatever we want?  My answer is that is up to each person to choose how they celebrate the holidays.  As always, your health is a daily choice.

For those of you who are living the "healthy lifestyle change," you can make healthy choices and still enjoy Thanksgiving!  My advice is to have a plan.  Before you arrive at this year's Thanksgiving celebration, know ahead of time what you are going to eat.  It is entirely possible to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal as a "lean and green."  Eating turkey and vegetables would be a great way to enjoy the meal and stay on plan.  Then you could bring along a Medifast brownie to enjoy while others are eating their desserts.

But if you decide 'it's just not Thanksgiving without...' then include that choice in your plan.  You are going to have one small scoop of mashed potatoes without gravy or whatever you decide.  Same idea for pumpkin pie.  Bring along a homemade sugar-free pumpkin pie or limit yourself to one small slice.  Choose one or two items and eat a small portion of each one.  It's up to you to decide if you have the self-control to limit yourself.  If you can't, then you'll need to stick to the "lean and green."

And if you totally screw up, the best part is that you can start over at your next meal or snack.  You don't even have to wait until the next day or January 1 for a fresh start.  Eating healthy involves making good choices every minute of every day.

Remember, Thanksgiving isn't about the food, football games, or planning your Black Friday shopping.  It was originally a celebration of freedom, survival, and the hope of a bright and prosperous future.  Let's be thankful for our blessings and enjoy our family and friends!