HEALTHFULLY GIVING THANKS
Tomorrow we will celebrate our continuous tradition of Thanksgiving Day. Many have already started preparing the turkey or pork, pastries, tamales, and other favorites. Whatever the dishes, there will be abundant food for most of us, and guests, family and friends will promptly not miss out. I know wish to return to the origins of this day of “Thanksgiving” among pilgrims and American Indians that gathered to share and celebrate the good fortune by having survived yet another year. The feeling of gratitude throughout the generations is essentially the same. Although now rather than being thankful for a good harvest (at least in our metropolitan areas), we are grateful to have a job so that we can provide our families with food, shelter, and clothing. We are also thankful for other things that with time have become essential parts of our society like telephones, televisions, cars, and so on. And here is where I would like to introduce the holistic concept of healthy thanks. As we are mainly focused on food then I’ll start with that theme, and please take note:
- From the grocery to the table: Keep perishable foods in the temperature needed to prevent bacterial growth. During this busy time, go on and run all of your errands first prior to visiting the grocery store. In the store start with the product aisles that do not require refrigeration, then fruit and vegetables, after which you can reach for the milk, eggs, meats, cheeses, and so on. Do not buy those products for which the expiration date has expired. Remember that your refrigerator temperature should be kept at 40oF or below, the freezer should be at 0oF freezer or below. When preparing foods I would recommend having separate cutting boards one of which should be exclusively for meats. Wash hands thoroughly before, during, and after preparing all foods. Cooking should always require the adequate cooking temperatures, especially for meats. Take into account the weight and type of meat, either turkey or pork or other any other style of pork meats. Temperatures are also important when serving. Use a separate plate for each type of meat, for example do not share a turkey platter with pork, pork with fish, and so on. Do not leave cooked food at ambient temperature for more than two hours, cover and refrigerate as soon as you can. With the next day coming, you know leftovers taste even better but please re-heat at a temperature of 165oF.
-Enjoy the great times, but eat and drink in moderation. It is estimated that during this period increases of 5 to 10 pounds of body weight are not uncommon. One pound is equals 3500 calories of food intake. A slice of pumpkin pie is on average between 500 to 550 calories. So we ask ourselves: Do we eat to live? or Do we live to eat?. If you like to bake your own pies, then always use skim milk or egg substitutes and use half the sugar called for in the recipe.
- Feeding not only the body but the soul, spirit, or karma, according to your own philosophy. During Thanksgiving dinner, look beyond the food. Give thanks for the good fortune to be with our children, friends, family, because that’s part of a healthy lifestyle. I would like to thank you, my respected and beloved readers, because you have contributed to my mental and spiritual health with your time, your calls and emails. This type of well being is one that cannot be gained through the great science and technology that this our country can offer. From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU!
Araceli Vázquez es a Dietitian with practices in Dallas. You can write to Araceli@Dietgenics.com or call 972-664-0846.
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February 9th, 2011 admin
Thanks for your comments.