As the Christmas holiday and the New Year approach, I
have been thinking about our attitude to the bounty offered at those
times, and the reasons why we may feel guilty about our Feasts.
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The
problem is not so much the occasional Holiday Feast days
when indulgence is expected , it is the feasting we do
thoughtlessly every day.
Absolutely
the best way to enjoy the Holiday feasting without guilt
is to modify one's everyday eating habits: at all
other times to eat moderately, and eat well.
"This is the first
generation to take as a right the ability to wake up in
the middle of the night and have immediately available
the kind of snack only a Marie Antoinette could have
commanded two centuries ago."
I cannot even remember the source of
this comment, I heard it so many years ago: but
because of its humor and relevance, it stuck with me.
While our bodies can certainly cope 3 or 4 times a year
with an overload of sugar and calories without taking
permanent harm - and they could also probably adjust to
an indulgence once a week or so if our habits at other
times are moderate and sensible - it is unrealistic to
think we can gorge on sugar and other unhealthy stuff every
day, and still maintain health.
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For example, one year instead of having the meal at
my house, I arranged to share the "fun" with another family
an hour or so away. I was responsible for the turkey, a 20
pounder which I got from an Amish family.
I brined it -
| What (and Why) is BRINING?
Many of the turkeys for sale in the markets nowadays have
questionable ingredients injected into them to produce the
effect that you can safely and inexpensively produce at
home: a juicy tender NATURAL bird.
I use our large ice chest for this. 12 hours before
you need the bird, mix 1 cup salt per 1 gallon of water -
you will need enough water to cover the bird.. no part of it
should be above water.
Add herbs - I use about a cup of chopped thyme, usually
still green in my garden at this time of year.
You
can get an excellent brining mix here (http://www.turkeyperfect.com/brine.html. Most
commercial blends use sugar to offset the salt: I never
have, but you might consider some stevia.
Place the bird in the chest - or whichever container is
convenient for you to use (I have had people use the bath
tub ....but XL freezer bags can work for a less than giant
bird) cover with the flavored water, and leave overnight.
Since the weather here in Illinois is usually cool but
not freezing, I simply put the whole shebang outside for the
night: in warmer climates, you could add ice to the water.
Just be safe and logical!
After 12 hours, remove the turkey from the brine,
rinse and proceed as usual.
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For extra tenderness, and to avoid the rush in the
morning, I put my turkey in the oven for slow roasting at 10 pm
Christmas Eve. This
is an excellent recipe, (http://www.recipecottage.com/poultry/roast-turkey25.html) but I put my bird in at 500 for
about 15 minutes, before turning to 225, to make sure any bacteria
were taken care of. It is not safe to stuff a bird cooked in
this manner. I roasted it on its side for 6 hours each ,
before turning it on its back for the last 1 1/2 hours. The
juices produced by this method make the best gravy I think I have ever
tasted, augmented with stock from the gizzard, liver and neck.
For our Christmas at home, I make 2 different
dressings, one involving chestnuts and the other sage and onions.
Mashed potatoes (for this occasion I even peel them!) , sweet
potatoes in garlic and rosemary, brussel sprouts and carrots make
their appearance. As you can see, it is a painstaking process
involving real foods.
I mention this because this time I was
surprised to be offered a dressing containing no identifiable
ingredients, with a mushy consistency: my guess is that it
used white bread as a base.
Other offerings were candied sweet potatoes
from a can, reconstituted mashed potatoes, and various other canned
vegetables, to include creamed corn.
The cook in this instance was obviously not
awake to the importance of fresh, unprocessed foods - and perhaps
had little time or inclination to cook..
So, is there a way to combine health and
convenience? I think so.
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There are
many ways to make the Holiday table more healthy that do not
have to interfere with our enjoyment.
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Consider
some of the wonderful vegetable recipes at Veggie
Venture (http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/)- here are two of my favorites:
Festive vegetable recipe: BROCCOLI AND TOMATO WREATH
Broccoli & grape tomatoes formed into a wreath shape,
topped with a lemon butter sauce.
A perfect vegetable for Christmas dinners.
Here
is the link
(http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2007/12/broccoli-tomato-holiday-wreath.html) - you will enjoy the "back story', too!
WINE-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
close your eyes and imagine the goodness of red wine and
soy sauce and honey cooked all syrupy. And think about that
syrupy goodness soaking into tiny baby cabbages aka Brussels
sprouts.
Here
is the link -
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/03/day-341-wine-glazed-brussels-sprouts.html
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How about a
Holiday meal for 10 in 4 hours?
"Delicious
Living" magazine shows you how.
http://www.deliciouslivingmag.com/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&issueID=65&articleID=1458
(Ignore the fact they say it is for Thanksgiving - Christmas
is fine!)
All real foods, all unprocessed, and very convenient, but
still a feast.
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Having real foods on the table mitigates a good deal
of the guilt, but Holiday meals in particular involve horrendous
amounts of sugar, from candied yams to marshmallows on top of Jell-O.
Obviously the best approach is to replace the offenders with
fresh foods, since the fiber and enzymes they contain
will modify the shock to our bodies. However, if you wish to
indulge remember that there are supplements which help the body cope
with sugar, among them
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peculiar to the Holidays is eating too much at a sitting. |
I do advocate making sure
you have your digestive enzymes on hand to cope with the overload:
they can save you a great deal of distress, assuming your digestive
system is say, over 30 years old, and no longer trustworthy.
I have listed all the enzymes I recommend
conveniently in one place, which you can access here:
Enzymes
Providing yourself with a good digestive enzyme, and
even taking some BEFORE you eat, can protect you, whether the
consequences to you of a heavy meal involve heartburn, bloating, gas,
belching, or anything else along these lines. They will also
encourage the absorption of the good nutrition in the excellent meal
you sit down to enjoy. You can read more about enzymes and
Digestion
here.
Lastly, do not forget the post-prandial stroll, a
time to walk off the heaviness and restore the body's equilibrium - as
well as burning some of the extra calories.
After
the Holidays, consider a period of fasting and cleansing to
undo some of the possible effects of over-indulgence. |
As Dr. Elson M. Haas, M.D. (founder and
medical director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin and author
of several popular health books) says "through my 25 years in
medical practice and health care, I have come to believe that the
cleansing/detoxification process is the missing link in Western
nutrition and one of the keys to real healing. I have seen hundreds of
patients over the years transform regular or persistent illness into
health and greatly improved vitality."
Interesting
research suggests that fasting just one day a month
positively affects cardiovascular health, possibly through reduced
exposure to glucose. Researchers theorize that this one day
without food gives the organs time to rest and work more
efficiently.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/88030.php
Many experts are convinced that such chronic
conditions as arthritis, sinus, psoriasis, and acne, together with
lowered immune function and the more serious conditions that follow
that, are all connected to high toxin levels in the body, & they
will not proceed with diagnosis and treatment until the patient has
been thoroughly detoxified since only then can the underlying cause
of the symptoms be determined.
We all know that the engine that runs well for years
is the one that has undergone regular maintenance, and so I recommend
a gentle cleansing fast, combined with the use of herbal detoxifiers,
followed by a week of supportive digestive enzymes while limiting your
diet to mostly raw foods with no animal products. You will find a
detailed article on Cleansing and Fasting
here.
Surely no one in charge of their own or their
family's health could fail to change their habits, if they were
totally convinced of the connection between their diet and their
health:
| So Remember:
The World
Health Organization warned in 2004 of the
connection between processed foods and degenerative health
problems http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2814253.stm
The Journal of the American medical
Association published
an article acknowledging the connection in 2002
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/410677?src=search
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What changes should you make?
Consider increasing raw foods in your diet to offset
the damaging effect of a diet that consists mostly of cooked foods.
Enzymes are the difference between raw and cooked foods. Enzymes are
powerful biochemical catalysts. They speed burning or building
reactions in the body according to need, but enzymes are destroyed by
temperatures as low as 105 degrees, the equivalent of light steaming.
While our body can manufacture enzymes, according to Dr. Edward Howell
in his book Enzyme Nutrition: "the more you use your enzyme
potential, the faster it is going to run out." Only raw food has
functional "live" enzymes, so plan to add more raw foods to
your diet, particularly in the warmer months of the year.
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Here
is my list of super-foods, some of which
should be on the menu every day:
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yogurt
or kefir
broccoli
blueberries
beans and lentils
tomatoes
parsley |
oats
spinach
carrots
salmon
turkey
onions |
pears
or apples
walnuts
green tea
eggs (free range)
garlic
olive oil/macadamia oil |
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- Generous amounts of olive oil are allowed, while
saturated fats from animal sources and trans fats are eliminated .
- This change needs to be accompanied by
consistent healthful exercise, such as brisk walking.
- Protein should be supplied liberally from plant
sources, such as beans, nuts and soy, with poultry, eggs, fish and
meat a few times a week, and red meat a few times a month.
- Cheese and
yogurt
may be consumed on a daily basis, but in small amounts.
- Fruits and vegetables should be consumed in
variety on a daily basis.
- Walnuts and almonds are encouraged as snacks.
I like almond butter in celery sticks, and walnuts in my yoghurt
and salads, with blue cheese.
- A glass of wine per day if desired (moderation
rules - see RESOURCES
for alcohol and Dementia) is an acceptable addition,
- but your main drink should be pure water.
- Green tea is encouraged. One cup of coffee
a day is accepted.
EAT SLOWLY - fullness is a sensation that
takes a little time to develop. if you eat quickly, you run the risk
of eating more than you need. Consider the research on the connection between calorie restriction and
longevity! http://starbulletin.com/2004/08/31/news/story4.html
RELAX while you eat: stress affects the
production of stomach acid needed for digestion.
CHEW WELL - some of the preliminary enzyme
activity takes place in the mouth.
JUST EAT - doing something else at the same
time can make you eat too much.
And when the time comes for Holiday feasting -
enjoy, with no guilt feelings!
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