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Eat the food... ENJOY the food!
Eat the Food... Enjoy the food!
Happy Thanksgiving week! For many of us, this is an exciting and joyous time filled with gatherings of old friends, family members, and lots of delicious food. But if you struggle with fears about holiday eating, this time can be anything but enjoyable. This is a friendly reminder to take this week to focus on gratitude and the company you keep. Enjoy moments with friends and family. Savor any time off of work if you are so lucky to have it. Spend time outdoors in the crisp Fall air. Savor the foods you often only eat a few times a year, and without guilt!
All foods can fit into a balanced lifestyle, just include the items you like and enjoy, leave out the ones you don't, and remember that one meal or day or even week of indulging more than usual won't have a significant impact on your weight or health.
Listening to body cues of hunger and satiety and learning to speak up when you need more to eat or are finished are important skills to utilize this week too. We've all heard people talk about Thanksgiving in disordered ways: exercising to earn the food or burn off the food, restricting prior to the meal in order to eat more (overeat), negative body talk during/after the meal, etc. etc... If you hear this kind of disordered thinking from your own family or friends this holiday season, I'd challenge you to change the subject, remove yourself from the situation, or advocate for food neutrality and body positivity.
Thanksgiving is about what we're grateful for and making memories, not guilt and shame. So ENJOY it all and in case you're really last minute in deciding what to make, here is an absolutely delicious cranberry relish recipe from my amazing grandmother (with her notes and suggestions too :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Cranberry Relish
1 bag fresh cranberries – rinse, chop fine in food processor, transfer to bowl
1 navel orange, peel and chop in food processor – you don’t want the white part of the rind, but do add some of the orangey part of the rind, remove from processor and add to your cranberries.
10 oz. crushed pineapple – don’t put in food processor, but drain and add to the cranberries and orange in the bowl.
2-3 stalks celery chopped fine – do this by hand
2 cups sugar
Mix it all together and let it marinate at least overnight. Enjoy with turkey and other Thanksgiving sides.
