Eat well all year not just on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the holiday of saying thanks, being grateful and giving to others!
Make the commitment to yourself and your family to not just enjoy each other and eat well this one day a year, but celebrate good friends, family and food throughout the year.
In living in France we learned quite a bit from the French obsession with food, mealtime and overall health. Start this Thanksgiving with a thank you for not only having good food to eat, but enjoying the pleasures of food and mealtime each and everyday.
16 Tips on how to prolong Thanksgiving and the gratitude you have for a great meal and good healthy living everyday.
1. Bon appetite--Sit down at the table to eat with your family or friends as often as possible. Light the candles and enjoy the conversation and the food. Take time to taste your food and enjoy the company.
2. If eating alone, take what time you do have and enjoy your meal. Read a book if you desire, but stop working. The last thing the French would do is eat on the run, in the car, in front of the TV or at their desk or computer.
3. Balance what you eat everyday. Breakfast is small, lunch is medium or large, and dinner is the opposite of lunch. All of it is eaten sitting down with a china plate and tablecloth. Treat yourself by eating off pottery not paper. It is good for you and good for the planet.
4. Save up for a great meal and indulge yourself when you go out. Eat healthy and well at home having fruit for desert and when you go out (maybe once a week or once a month) live it up with a tasty appetizer, entrée, delectable desert, and wine.
5. Buy fresh produce from the farmer’s market and use seasonal food. Seasonal vegetables and fruits get cheaper and cheaper as the season comes to a close. Stock up and use readily, freezing the leftovers.
6. Try new recipes with seasonal food – If it is fresh, it becomes fun. (see recipe below)
7. Take a walk on Thanksgiving Day. Walk after dinner. Walk on Sunday. Walk whenever you can.
8. Don’t take things or yourself or others so seriously—Ce’nest pas grave. It's just not serious.
9. Go slow and enjoy sitting in a café. Order your café latte in a mug and savor the time. Switch to a mug from a takeout cup and feel the difference.
10. Drink a glass of red wine each day(good for the heart and avoiding dementia)
11. Drink lots of water
12. Watch the frites or any fast or fried food for that matter. Clogs the arteries, brings on diabetes and obesity and adds pounds.
13. Free up one day on the weekend (or week) that is schedule-free. Be spontaneous, get out in nature, read a book, take a nap, play games. When you have a day free—the world seems like a more friendly place
14. Have people over for Saturday or Sunday lunch under the trees or on the terrace whenever the weather permits. In the winter, eat in front of the fireplace and enjoy a long leisurely meal. Take a walk after the meal, rain or shine.
15. Share a desert and use the three bite rule. The first bite is delectable, the second bite is a must, and the third bite satisfies the palate.
16. Find the light and funny things in life all around you. Whether it is something you heard from your child or grandchild, something you saw, or something you did. Enjoy sharing stories and anecdotes and laugh about them. Sharing stories and laughter are a great way to keep us healthy and joyful.
When it comes to good food and living healthy, this quote by Mireille Guiliano of French Women Don't Get Fat sums it up.
"Tout est question d'équilibre" It is a question of balance.
— Mireille Guiliano (1946-) Author of French Women Don't Get Fat
We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a Healthy Year!
P. S – Here’s a great seasonal recipe from Epicurious.Com for Lentil Soup!
• 3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
.
Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
If you choose to have a more puree soup:
Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.
The best to you and your family on this Thanksgiving Day
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