by LORI-ANN MARCHESE
Special to CTFashionMag.com
As Thanksgiving is approaching, all you can think about is what will be on your dinner table.
From pumpkin pie to your family’s homemade gravy recipe, there are endless options of food to choose from. You can only think about stuffing yourself because it’s that time of year again where you can get away with it.
In an ideal world, that would be the case, but doing that is putting an immense negative impact onto your body. There’s no doubt you shouldn’t enjoy all your favorite foods but it is crucial to eat balanced proportions and prioritize the healthier options. Not only should you be aware of what you’re eating throughout the day, but try to incorporate physical activity to your Thanksgiving.
Just because you are stuffing your body with food, doesn’t give you the excuse to not workout. Whether it’s an early morning or mid-afternoon run or even an evening walk, exercising is so important because the number of calories you potentially can be consuming is averaged to around 2,500 to 4,500.
Depending on how much you eat, you are adding on pounds to your body. And not to mention, many of those foods you indulge in are high in fat and sodium.
The temptation of not working out on Thanksgiving may be hard to beat, but try to move your body that day. Make touch football or a scenic hike a family tradition. In the end, you’ll feel a little less guilty consuming all of that food and it will not put such a toll on your body the day after.
Starting your day off right, will help you in the long run. It has been proven that if you start your day off correct, the decisions you make throughout the day will be more beneficial to your health. With that said, the number one thing to remember is do not starve yourself all day. Waiting all day to eat until your Thanksgiving meal arrives will result in a much worse outcome. Starving yourself all day will result in uncontrollable eating during your Thanksgiving meal. Not fueling your body from that start of your day means your body’s desire for food will grow at a fast rate throughout the day and therefore, once there is food in their presence, this will activate the brain and send a message that your body is in serious need of food, which then will result in mindless and uncontrollable eating that will seem almost impossible to fight. You will end up doubling or tripling your calories if you don’t fuel your body throughout the day.
With that said, shortly after you wake, enjoy a wholesome meal to activate your metabolism. If you don’t eat your Thanksgiving meal until later at night, make sure you eat a balanced lunch to avoid overindulging in the appetizers and meal.
To beat that holiday stuffing, suggest to make a dish yourself. By doing so, you control what goes in it and you can make this recipe healthy and tasteful at the same time.
Here is a healthy, holiday stuffing recipe that you can bring to the table and make it a crowd favorite.
Holiday Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
12 ounces whole-grain bread, cut into 3/4-in. cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Directions
From pumpkin pie to your family’s homemade gravy recipe, there are endless options of food to choose from. You can only think about stuffing yourself because it’s that time of year again where you can get away with it.
In an ideal world, that would be the case, but doing that is putting an immense negative impact onto your body. There’s no doubt you shouldn’t enjoy all your favorite foods but it is crucial to eat balanced proportions and prioritize the healthier options. Not only should you be aware of what you’re eating throughout the day, but try to incorporate physical activity to your Thanksgiving.
Just because you are stuffing your body with food, doesn’t give you the excuse to not workout. Whether it’s an early morning or mid-afternoon run or even an evening walk, exercising is so important because the number of calories you potentially can be consuming is averaged to around 2,500 to 4,500.
Depending on how much you eat, you are adding on pounds to your body. And not to mention, many of those foods you indulge in are high in fat and sodium.
The temptation of not working out on Thanksgiving may be hard to beat, but try to move your body that day. Make touch football or a scenic hike a family tradition. In the end, you’ll feel a little less guilty consuming all of that food and it will not put such a toll on your body the day after.
Starting your day off right, will help you in the long run. It has been proven that if you start your day off correct, the decisions you make throughout the day will be more beneficial to your health. With that said, the number one thing to remember is do not starve yourself all day. Waiting all day to eat until your Thanksgiving meal arrives will result in a much worse outcome. Starving yourself all day will result in uncontrollable eating during your Thanksgiving meal. Not fueling your body from that start of your day means your body’s desire for food will grow at a fast rate throughout the day and therefore, once there is food in their presence, this will activate the brain and send a message that your body is in serious need of food, which then will result in mindless and uncontrollable eating that will seem almost impossible to fight. You will end up doubling or tripling your calories if you don’t fuel your body throughout the day.
With that said, shortly after you wake, enjoy a wholesome meal to activate your metabolism. If you don’t eat your Thanksgiving meal until later at night, make sure you eat a balanced lunch to avoid overindulging in the appetizers and meal.
To beat that holiday stuffing, suggest to make a dish yourself. By doing so, you control what goes in it and you can make this recipe healthy and tasteful at the same time.
Here is a healthy, holiday stuffing recipe that you can bring to the table and make it a crowd favorite.
Holiday Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
12 ounces whole-grain bread, cut into 3/4-in. cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring after 10 minutes. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
2. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring after 10 minutes. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Remove pan from heat; stir in parsley, sage, salt, and pepper. Add onion mixture to bread; toss to combine.
5. Combine stock, butter, and eggs in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle stock mixture over bread mixture; toss. Let stand 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Spoon bread mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until browned.
5. Combine stock, butter, and eggs in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle stock mixture over bread mixture; toss. Let stand 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Spoon bread mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until browned.
Lori-Ann Marchese is the owner of Body Construct LLC in New Britain, Conn. and had appeared in the television show, “Game of Crowns.”
