My sugar free column in the IHPA (Virginia Commonwealth University Inter Health Professional Alliance) Newsletter for November 2017:
*Original article wording (newsletter has edited – for space – version and recipe):
Sugar Free Holidays?!?! Are You Serious?!?!
It is a week before Thanksgiving and I am on a drastic liquid only diet. Call me crazy, but I know I have to get a jump start on my diet before I go overboard during the holidays. Thanksgiving is a time for family, counting your blessings … and eating way too much food! So how do we have self-control and still celebrate? I want to give you a couple tips on how to get through Thanksgiving without increasing your blood sugar, over-eating, and having to buy new pants because you ate too much:
- Eat a good breakfast with protein.
- My family doesn’t eat until 1pm so I am really hungry when we finally sit down causing me to pile up my plate. If you eat breakfast then you won’t be starving later in the day.
- Don’t fix so much food.
- Do you need 12 types of meat, 5 types of potatoes, and 72 types of vegetables? Limiting your menu will help with less temptation to over-eat, less dishes to clean, and less food that gets wasted.
- Stay away from bread.
- Stuffing is a big deal for most families at Thanksgiving, but my family makes like 4 different kinds and then bakes rolls on top of that. The less bread you have, the less you will eat.
- Don’t “taste test” everything.
- Of course you want to test the mashed potatoes to make sure there is enough salt in them… but that doesn’t mean you have to test it 4 times.
- Drink water.
- You will already be getting enough calories and sugar that day, so sticking with water helps you stay full and healthy.
- Put half the amount of each food on your plate … or use a smaller plate.
- You can always go back for seconds if you are still hungry. I feel like if I put it on my plate I have to eat it, so if it isn’t on my plate I won’t feel like I have to stuff myself.
- You don’t have to try everything.
- Grandma Gertrude and Aunt Agnes won’t actually disown you if you don’t try their dish. You are an adult and can make decisions for your health.
- Only have one type of dessert or try sugar free options.
- I know it may seem like blasphemy to ask you to not have pumpkin pie AND sweet potato casserole … but your body will thank you later!
I have already limited my menu for this year, and have substituted some desserts for sugar free options. Hopefully the recipe below will satisfy your traditional tastes with a little change toward the healthy side! Have a great Thanksgiving and know that I am thankful for you.
For more tips visit Melissa’s website where you can read her blogs and connect with her social media accounts: www.zechariahssong.com
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