Give Thanks

Aside from the elaborate spectacle of food at the dining room table, Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for what’s truly important in life (and if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, giving thanks certainly still applies!).  In this day and age, it’s often easy to get side tracked on what used to be a simple question.  What are you grateful for in your life?  Take a moment to reflect on your day, the past week, month, and year and think about what has given you motivation, hope, and positive perspectives.   Write down your honest answers, and know that this is what you you should be grateful for.  

The flat screen TVs, laptops, iPods and iPads, Blackberries, and other electronic gadgets--that fill up good portions of our present-day existence--have taken away from life’s true importance.  I shall call them human-interaction-detracting devices.  Although it may be easier for older generations to accomplish this goal as they may use less and less of these distractors, let Thanksgiving be a reminder to give thanks for your life’s true blessings.  Family, friends, great conversations, smiles, laughter, great health, and nourishing (real!) food for our bodies.

When I was volunteering in Trinidad this summer, the camp coordinators started each training session off right.  Each session began hand-in-hand (kumbaya-style!) with the camp counselors sharing what they were grateful for.  Depending on how your family and/or friends begin your Thanksgiving meal, follow the blessing/prayer with each person at the table saying why they give thanks. This is the true meaning of holiday.    

Navigating Thanksgiving

Less than a week from now, I will be close to stuffed like a turkey.  My rule on Thanksgiving Day is to eat what you like and with what--no guilt.  Depending on your background, Thanksgiving is one of the few times out of the year when you get your favorites all in one--cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes AND gravy, you name it.  So the point is to enjoy it, not feel guilty about it, and hold it dear as a time of fellowship with your loved ones--even if it’s centered around a meal that’s on average 3,000 calories strong.  I mentioned “depending on your background,” because I do know people who have Thanksgiving-esque dinners almost every Sunday.  If this is you and your family, perhaps you shouldn’t eat everything that's on the table.

Chemical Potpourri

Do you have many memories of 11th grade Chemistry class?  Rubber gloves, beakers, test tubes, dissolving various compounds in a host of solutions to produce chemical reactions...Well, this is the face of modern-day foods--laced with a host of chemicals used for preserving flavor, doctoring up taste or appearance, preventing spoilage, and packaging food.  While some unpronounceable food additives are fancy names for vitamins and minerals that we know of--for example, ferrous fumarate is iron, ascorbic acid is vitamin C, and riboflavin is vitamin B2, just to name a few--a lot of other added chemicals are not.  Look at the ingredient list of just about any pre-packaged, processed food and you will need to consult your old grammar school teacher for help with pronunciation.  Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, butylated hydroxyanisole, guanosine monophosphate, and propylene glycol alginate are just to name a few.  Sound deliciously appetizing don’t they? NOT!!!  

Although chemistry has been used in the production and preservation of foods for centuries, the level used today has grown to astronomical proportions, unreasonable in fact.  Analysis by the Pew Health Group, the health sector of a public policy non-profit, found that more than 10,000 chemicals are currently allowed in human food (see more).  The regulation (or lack there of!!) of these chemicals is alarming, scary, and angering (all in one!). 

Pantry Must-Haves

Recalling that "Change Starts at the Grocery Store," below are a few pantry must-haves as you continue on your journey (and adventure) to great health!

--Nuts (of course if you have a peanut or nut allergy, the nut you're allergic to is a pantry must-not have!): These calorie- and nutrient-packed snacks are filled with heart-healthy fats.  Peanuts and almonds contain monounsaturated fats and other nuts are filled with polyunsaturated fats (both of which are good for you!  Stay tuned for details...)  Be conscious of how much you are eating, however, because even too much of good things can turn bad; moderation is key.  

A common complaint that I hear is that nuts cost too much (well at least that’s what I thought when I first started eating them a lot!).  If you have a membership to Sam’s Club, BJ’s, or Costco (or know someone who does), these are great stores to stock up on unsalted nuts (of course unsalted is the ideal).  Although you will be paying more money upfront, the 3-lb bags last a long time and certainly end up being cheaper than other options.  

Change Starts at the Grocery Store

Besides cutting back on eating out and grabbing a pre-packaged, processed food here and there, change truly starts at the grocery store when we decide what we place in our carts  We eat what’s around, plain and simple.  If there are cookies in my house or homemade sweet potato pie, I will eat it.  Perhaps, you have stronger will power, but most of the time we eat what’s around.  

So we know we need to avoid processed foods, but where to start?  Below are some helpful tips to use when you are in the grocery store, because that is where the change begins!