Thanksgiving

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6 Guilt-Free Choices for Thanksgiving
Great article from Beachbody I thought I would share.
By Joe Wilkes
It's that time of year when it's not just the turkey that's getting stuffed. The Thanksgiving table is full of irresistible treats and sweets, but before you commit yourself to an afternoon of gluttony, followed by the traditional unbuttoning of the pants in front of the TV, you might consider that there are a lot of options that are actually good for you. And, if you're the one planning the menu, you can include even more choices so that you can enjoy Thanksgiving without turning into a Macy's parade float.

Turkey. You can't beat lean turkey breast. With only 44 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 8 grams of protein per ounce, this is one of the healthiest things you can load up on. Even the dark meat only adds an extra gram of fat and 9 more calories per ounce. But skip the skin, which adds extra calories and fat, and go light on the gravy. Try the salad-dressing technique-dip the tines of your fork in the gravy before you spear your meat to get more flavor with less fat. Also, if you're cooking, baste the bird with broth, not butter, to keep the fat and calories low.
Cranberries. These tart little berries are bursting with nutrition, including high levels of vitamin C and several polyphenol antioxidants. (Read "6 Ways to Boost Your Antioxidant Levels" in the Related Articles section below for more about getting antioxidants in your diet.) Cranberries are also good at inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the bladder and urethra. It's also believed that cranberries contain a chemical that helps stop tooth decay, but this could be moot if the cranberries are prepared with sugar. Instead of going overboard with the sugar, try cooking cranberries in orange juice, or a little port wine, to bring out their flavor without oversweetening them.
Yams. These tasty tubers (not to be confused with sweet potatoes) are great sources of vitamin B6, which can reduce the risk of heart disease, and potassium, which can help regulate blood pressure. And because yams contain complex carbohydrates and fiber, they won't spike your blood sugar. (Read "Miracle Foods to Tame That Sugar Spike" in the Related Articles section below for more tips on controlling your blood sugar.) Candying the yams, a popular Thanksgiving tradition, will largely negate any blood sugar benefits, however. Try having them with a little cinnamon instead. They are generally sweet enough on their own, but if your guests insist on candying them, maybe serve them with a little maple syrup on the side, so at least the sugar rush is optional.
Sweet potatoes. Like their relative, the yam, sweet potatoes have lots of nutrients that regular potatoes don't have, including beta-carotene and vitamin C. The high levels of carotenoids in sweet potatoes also help regulate blood sugar, which will help you avoid the post-Thanksgiving "coma" that afflicts so many overindulgers on the holiday. Although, once again, you can easily counteract the nutritional benefits by melting marshmallows on top of the sweet spuds. But, at least marshmallows can be easily scraped off as opposed to the poor candied yam, which would have to be scrubbed down to get it back to its natural nutritious state.
Salad. Load up on salad! And by salad, we mean lettuce and vegetables, not a cream-based Waldorf salad or mayonnaise-laden potato or macaroni salad. This is a good contribution you can make if you're a guest at someone else's Thanksgiving dinner. Offer to bring a salad, with dressing on the side, and you'll at least be guaranteed that there will be one healthy dish on the table. (Read "10 Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Salad" in the Related Articles section below for some salad ideas.)
Pumpkin pie. When you're looking at the dessert selection, keep in mind that a slice of pumpkin pie has as much beta-carotene as an entire carrot. Take that, apple pie! It's also high in vitamin C. Unfortunately, it can oftentimes also be high in fat and sugar. But if you're making the pie, you can substitute skim milk for cream or sweetened, condensed milk. Some chefs even add silken tofu to thicken the pie filling, and provide the extra health benefits of soy.
If you're lucky or unlucky enough to be hosting the main event, you can try some other things to "health up" the meal. Think about offering a salad course and/or a (non-cream-based) soup course. This can prolong the meal and conversation (which can be good or bad, depending on your family) and allow you to fill up on healthy stuff before the main-course shoveling begins. Also, try scheduling the meal so it isn't eaten in front of the football game. Then, you can pay attention to your guests and what you're putting in your mouth. If you're at the mercy of some other Thanksgiving host, hope for a cornucopia of vegetables that you can choose from or offer to bring something healthy and delicious yourself. By making healthy choices, you'll have something to be thankful for instead of a couple of extra pounds.

This recipe and photo are from Prevention Magazine

SERVES: 8; Serving = 2 clusters
PREP: 10 min
COOK: 20 min
COOL: 30 min
TOTAL: 1 hr

Ingredients

1 large omega-3-enriched egg white
1 Tbsp honey
1 c walnuts
½ c raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/3 c dried cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and honey. Add the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and toss to coat well.

3. Drop by 1/8-cup measures on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned.

4. Let stand on a rack for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooled.

Nutritional Summary
Calories:91
Carbohydrates(g):5
Calcium(mg):11
Fiber(g):1
Omega-3(g):0.6
Vitamin D(IU):0

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/spiced-nut-clusters/a60a0d169e3af110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/health/diabetes/diabetes.food.recipes?cm_mmc=Recipe%20Of%20The%20Day-_-11062009-_-Health-_-Spiced%20Nut%20Clusters%20Recipe%20

Thanksgiving Quinoa Stuffing

Recipe from Beachbody
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups quinoa
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup squash, peeled and diced
2 stalks green onions, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp. dried ground sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
Light oil cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Add the quinoa and bring back to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Once the quinoa has absorbed the water, take off stove and allow to cool. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil to a pan. When hot, add squash and carrots and sauté until they begin to brown, then add celery, mushrooms, and green onions. Let the vegetables brown, and then remove from heat and mix into the quinoa. Add walnuts, cranberries, sage, thyme, parsley, mint, and 1 Tbsp. of oil into mixture. Spray a thin coating of cooking spray onto a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and smooth mixture into pan. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, until brown.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 143Protein: 5 gFiber: 3 gCarbs: 18 gFat Total: 7 gSaturated Fat: 1 g

Veggiecentric Stuffing
Great Recipe from Beachbody
8 cups whole-grain bread crumbs
1 cup onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1-1/2 cups bell pepper, diced (your choice of colors)
1 cup zucchini, sliced
1 cup yellow squash, sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup shallots, diced
1/2 cup cup raisins
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. white wine
Saute onion, garlic, and celery in white wine until pale golden. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Roasted Green Beans Recipe
This recipe comes from Beachbody
3 lbs. thin green beans, trimmed
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place garlic and oil on a baking sheet. Toss beans to coat in pan and place in oven for approximately 30 minutes. Shake pan occasionally.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 605
Protein: 25 g
Fiber: 46 g
Carbs: 98 g
Fat Total: 22 g
aturated Fat: 3 g

Sweet Potato Wedges with Rosemary
Introduction:
Not your basic yams.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil

sprinkle of lemon juice and rosemary

1. Wash and cut sweet potatoes into sticks or wedges.

2. Place potatoes in a bowl and toss with oil, then spread out onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with rosemary.

3. Bake about 30 minutes at 375° F, or until browned and tender. You may want to turn potatoes over half way through baking time.

4. Sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired.

Serves 6.

Reprinted with permission by Public Health - Seattle & King County
recipe from babyfit.com

Fat: 1.0 g
Carbohydrates: 31.3g
Calories: 142.8
Protein: 3.0g

Crunchy Pumpkin Pie

Recipe and photo are from Beachbody
Pie crust ingredients
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. water
Pie filling ingredients
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
4 tsp. vanilla
1 can canned pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix oats, flour, almonds, sugar, and salt together in small mixing bowl. Blend oil and water together in measuring cup with fork or small wire whisk until emulsified. Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. If needed, add small amount of water to hold mixture together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. Turn down oven to 350 F. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to blend ingredients. Add pumpkin and milk and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pie shells. Bake 45 minutes at 350 F or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serves 9.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 55 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 177Protein: 3 gCholesterol: 24 mgSodium: 153 mgFat Total: 8 gSaturated Fat: 1 g

Low-Fat Pumpkin Cookies
This recipe is from Beachbody

1/2 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. ginger
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup raisins or dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, blend together first five ingredients. Mix in spices, oats, and baking powder, then fold in flour, raisins or dates, and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Yields 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 67Protein: 2 gFiber: 1 gCarbs: 12 gFat Total: 2 gSaturated Fat: < 0.5 g

POTLUCK SURVIVAL GUIDE- A great guide from Beachbody

Thanks for giving

Turkey, white meat (4 oz) - 176 cal, 4 g fat
Mashed yams, unsweetened (1 cup) - 158 cal, 0 g fat
Green beans (1 cup) - 44 cal, 0 g fat
Steamed carrots (1 cup) - 54 cal, 0 g fat
Whole-wheat roll - 74 cal, 1 g fat
Jell-O fruit salad (1 cup) - 122 cal, 0 g fat
Pumpkin pie - 229 cal, 10 g fat

Give it back, thanks

Turkey, dark meat w/skin (4 oz) - 248 cal, 12 g fat
Mashed potatoes w/milk and butter (1 cup) - 237 cal, 9 g fat
Green bean casserole (1 cup) - 190 cal, 11 g fat
Candied carrots (1 cup) - 133 cal, 6 g fat
Bread stuffing (1 cup) - 177 cal, 9 g fat
Ambrosia (1 cup) - 250 cal, 11 g fat
Pecan pie - 452 cal, 21 g fat

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This recipe is from Beachbody. I thought it might be a good one with Thanksgiving coming up. A good alternative to Turkey Sandwich leftovers.

Turkey Chili

1 large red onion, sliced or diced
1-2 peppers, diced (red, yellow, or orange are best)
1 stalk green onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb. ground turkey
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 cup black olives, sliced
Salt, pepper, Italian spice mix, and chili flakes to taste
Lightly spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then brown ground turkey. Add onion, peppers, green onion, and mushrooms. Mix and simmer until veggies are soft. Add chopped tomatoes and black beans. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and spice mix. Sprinkle in chili flakes. Mix and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 281Protein: 22 gFiber: 10 gCarbs: 29 gFat Total: 9 gSaturated Fat: 2 g

Stay Fit This Holiday Season
This is a great article from beachbody I thought I woud share.
By Ben Kallen
The holidays shouldn't leave you looking like a bowlful of jelly. As fun as the holiday season is, it can be rough on your fitness program. Bad weather, stress, and lack of time can sap your motivation, while parties, visitors, and vacations can distract you from your workouts. It's no wonder so many people gain weight in November and December, only to regret it on January 2nd.

Stay Fit This Holiday Season
By Ben Kallen
The holidays shouldn't leave you looking like a bowlful of jelly. As fun as the holiday season is, it can be rough on your fitness program. Bad weather, stress, and lack of time can sap your motivation, while parties, visitors, and vacations can distract you from your workouts. It's no wonder so many people gain weight in November and December, only to regret it on January 2nd.

But it doesn't have to be that way. You can keep up or even improve your fitness level, stave off weight gain, and enjoy the holidays as much as ever. Just stick with the following guidelines.

Manage your time.
Scheduling your workouts in advance, either with a printed workout calendar or online with WOWY Supergym®, is always a good idea. But it's especially important over the holidays, when just saying "I'll do it when I have time" can be a recipe for failure. Your free time is sure to get filled up with other activities, and it's easier than ever to forget about working out. On the other hand, if you schedule your workouts just like any appointments, you're much more likely to do them when the time comes. (Better still, invite some Workout Buddies to join you for extra motivation.)

If you absolutely can't find time on a particular day, mark it as a recovery period, and make sure you have a workout scheduled for the day afterward. It'll prevent you from losing the fitness gains you've built, and ensure that you keep your exercise habit intact.

Keep up your energy.
If your holiday period is marked by flurries of frantic activity followed by a worn-out feeling, you're not alone. But you can shorten those "dragging" periods with these healthy habits:

Stick to your food plan. Loading up on high-carb holiday treats can cause blood sugar fluctuations that leave you feeling tired, while subsisting on rushed snacks or skipping meals entirely prevents you from getting the fuel you need. But regular, high-quality meals and snacks will keep you running at top speed, whether you're working out or fighting over the last Dora the Explorer doll in the toy store.
Take time to relax. A meditation session, a round of yoga, or just a few minutes sitting with a hot drink or your favorite music will go a long way toward recharging your batteries.
See the light. If your energy takes a nosedive in the wintertime, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder, a mood-dampening condition caused by too little light exposure. See if you perk up after getting more rays (either by spending more time outside on sunny days, or by using a full-spectrum light box). If that doesn't help, see your doctor.
No skipping. If you feel a little tired before a planned workout, don't take that as a signal to skip it. Chances are your energy levels will pick up once you start moving. And when you exercise regularly, you're much less likely to experience those lulls during the rest of the day.
Travel right.
This is a great time of year to take a vacation or visit family-but without advance planning, those trips can bring your fitness program to a screeching halt. Here's how to avoid that:

Protect yourself on the plane. Since there's no guarantee that an airline will have healthy food on hand, pack a meal or snack in advance, and make sure you drink plenty of liquids. If you're worried about catching something on the flight, boost your disease-fighting ability with Herbal Immune Boost.
Watch out when eating out. Travel often means a lot of restaurant meals, and that can derail your food plan in a hurry. Try to find restaurants that serve high-quality meals, or, if that's not possible, order the best of what is on the menu. (Even the IHOP® has some healthful, high-protein selections these days.) But if you eat in a chain restaurant, check out the nutrition ratings just to make sure you're not getting one of those 2,000-calorie salads.
Organize healthy activities. When you go to a warm beach or on a ski vacation, this is a no-brainer. But if you're traveling to an unfamiliar city, you should find out in advance what you can do that requires a little movement. And if you're staying with family members who prefer life on the couch, suggest some outdoor games-or, if the weather isn't cooperative, healthy indoor activities. Even a post-meal walk will get everyone's blood pumping and prevent total lethargy from setting in.
Take your workout with you. One of the many benefits of a DVD workout program is that it's portable. Decide which workouts you'll want to do during your trip, and pack those DVDs, along with a resistance band. If you don't have one, see if the place you're staying has basic gym equipment, or stick to exercises that don't require any.
Take care of your health.
Nothing can derail a workout program like getting sick. And you may be extra-vulnerable to illness at this time of year, when stress and bad weather collide with cold and flu season. But a few basic precautions can improve your odds:

Wash your hands frequently, especially before touching your nose or mouth. (A recent study found that it doesn't matter how hot the water is, but for maximum benefit, you need to lather with soap for at least 20 seconds.)
Avoid germs. If you work out in a gym, clean the equipment with antibacterial spray, or at least cover it with a towel. Warm, moist surfaces are an ideal place for germs to live and grow.
Get plenty of sleep-less than 7 or 8 hours per night can compromise your immune system. (It can also slow your exercise recovery.) Try to save the late-night carousing for times when you can sleep late or take a nap the next day.
Drink plenty of water. It's easy to forget when it's cold outside, but staying hydrated helps keep your immune system in top working order.
Get a flu shot. Remember, there are different strains of the flu virus every year, so last year's shot won't keep you protected.
Maintain your healthy eating habits, and get a complete supply of vitamins every day. (To make sure, supplement with ActiVit® Multivitamins or Shakeology®.)
If you do come down with a mild cold, it's okay to keep working out-moderate exercise can actually boost your immunity. (Though if you're following a high-powered program such as P90X® or INSANITY®, you should ramp down the intensity for a while.) But if you have a fever, chest congestion, or can barely get out of bed, that's a sign that you need to rest up and recover. When in doubt, ask your doctor.