Happy Thanksgiving!! Go On Indulge!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here in the states and I hope everyone, everywhere, has alot to be thankful for!!

One more reason to be thankful for our meal...There are health benefits to the foods on your thanksgiving table!You can assuage any guilt for indulging on turkey day or you can allow yourself a more pleasurable time digging into leftovers and the rest of the upcoming holiday feasts. *g*


Lets start with the usual guest of honor….

Tom Turkey

He is naturally low in fat without the skin, oh but you can cook it with the skin to keep the moisture in the fat doesn’t get into the meat! Don’t eat the skin when its done and it contains only 1 gram of fat per ounce of flesh. A 5-ounce serving provides almost half of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, and is a good source of vitamins B, B1,B6, zinc and potassium. These nutrients have been found to keep blood cholesterol down, protect against birth defects, cancer and heart disease, aid in nerve function and growth, boost the immune system, regulate blood pressure, and assist in healing processes.


Stuffing- well as long as its whole grain and sage stuffing! In Studies, This lovely herb has been improving memory in college students for up to 6 hours. Apparently sage helps the brain keep making chemicals that usually drop with age. And adding it to holiday recipes helps the liver digest fatty acids!


Cranberry Sauce- all I have to say is eat it! and lots…the tannins is cranberries prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls, stopping infection, and sticking to the gums, preventing periodontal disease and from sticking to the stomach lining preventing ulcers. They are also following up on studies that suggest they may stop the growth of some tumor cells…take a look at the info on the cranberry institute site: http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/healthresearch.htm


And if you don’t know to eat your veggies tsk tsk.

But of course the most common turkey day veggie is the

sweet potato: doused in antioxidants!!!! Besides that some recent animal studies showed that the carotenoids in sweet potatoes helped stabilize blood sugar levels and lowered insulin resistance.


Thirsty?
RED WINE! Most know its good for the heart but a resent study shows its good for eye health reducing risk of cataracts glaucoma and macular degeneration. Okay that’s an occasional glass or no more than 4 oz LOL but grape juice has the same results.


Coffee: as my friends over at web MD say:

Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.


Want a boost of energy without the caffiene jitters though?

Hot Cocoa! Its packed with theobromine and it doesn’t cause jitters. Plus it has a hormone that speeds oxygen to the brain making it easer to process your thoughts faster! And it fights tooth decay!

While on the chocolate lets skip over to deserts:


Dark Chocolate has flavonols that prevent heart attacks and strokes by increasing blood flow to the heart, decreasing bad cholesterol and like aspirin reduces platelet stickiness!


Baked goods: The smell of vanilla reduces stress! And over at Duke university they found that the fat in backed goods increases moodboosting endorphins and serotonin in the brain. Not all that healthy but after a stressful day of shopping or visiting with relatives, a little indulgence can be just what you need to take the edge off.


And gingersnaps are a great cookie to indulge on! Ginger is a potent pain reliever and decreased the swelling in arthritis patients. Not to mention aids the digestion.


What about Pies?

Pumpkin! Just one slice of pumpkin pie has nearly 300% (not a typo) of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A good for eye health and proven to keep skin youthful by speeding cell turnover. And pumpkin is loaded with vitamin E fatty acids, and enzymes that promote collogen growth, this is the dessert that can help keep the skin firm and supple!!!


Apple Pie: Yummy and even better if you spinkle Cinnamon on it! in fact you should sprinkle cinnamon on everything. It stabilizes glucose levels. Just a ½ a teaspoon of this spice a day lowers blood sugar 30% which might help prevent diabetes from developing in the first place! And it also increases the amount of nitric oxide enough to lower blood pressure.


And if like me, you love this time of year cause you can nibble on candycanes *g* they can make you smarter!!! peppermint increases beta waves associated with increased alertness. People performing mental tasks while inhaling the peppermint scent complete them faster and had more correct answers than others! Also if you are still afraid of over indulging at the table despite these nutritional benefites try a candycane before you eat. peppermint is an appetite suppressent.


So dig in and enjoy! You have a bit more to be thankful for when gathered around the table!


((((((Big hugs out to everyone)))))) I hope you find yourselves surrounded by the ones you are thankful for and take advantage of the opportunity to tell them so! Thank you for stopping by,
Mari

PS> Real fact from my Snapple green tea: Borborygmi is the noise that your stomach makes when you are hungry.