Tune-in this Wednesday, November 18, to the Rachael Ray Show to watch the Hungry Girl share her tips and recipes for having a guilt-free and healthy Thanksgiving.
Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien shows you how some of the holiday’s most traditional dishes naturally contain low-calorie and nutritious ingredients. Think butternut squash, pumpkin and lean turkey.
Who here hasn’t had suffered from a food coma a time or two? Well, some history is not worth repeating. Take it from me, you can have fun, enjoy all the Thanksgiving harvest, and still fit into your jeans the next day. But how do you avoid this whole “food coma” thing? It starts with understanding what makes you feel that way. There’s a couple things going on and it’s hormonal.
Tryptophan, Serotonin and Melatonin
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (protein building block the body cannot make). It is high in many protein rich foods, like turkey. Tryptophan helps build muscle like other amino acids, but it is also a specific precursor of serotonin. Nearly all serotonin is in the gut where it regulates GI movement, but about 20% is actually dispersed in the central nervous system (CNS) where it regulates mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions including memory and learning. Some serotonin can become melatonin, which regulates your sleep/wake cycles.
In response to the fear of fat that has been driven into our brains for the past few decades, many of us on Thanksgiving shun the dark turkey meat and instead pile our plates high with the white meat. But in our attempts to shave off a few calories, are we missing out on some key nutrients?
Here is a look at the benefits of white and dark meat turkey and some surprising facts that might have you and your health conscious aunt fighting for the drumstick.
We’re just as excited about the upcoming holiday season as everyone else. Soon we’ll abandon our offices for cozy weekends with family eating turkey, watching football and even playing a little in the backyard. For many of us, we’ll attend these family gatherings with a homemade recipe ourselves, if for nothing else than to ensure at least one dish on the table is a nutritious one.
That’s why we’re sharing our favorite healthy holiday recipes in our first cookbook. The DietsInReview.com Holiday Cookbook is available from TasteBook and features 25 recipes that offer all the traditional flavors of the season, with less of the guilt, fat and calories.
Inside this colorful hardback cookbook we’re sharing appetizers, desserts, entrees and sides that will help you set a healthier scene as you and your family gather to give thanks and celebrate the season. These recipes are ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other winter event.
It’s never too late to slip in this healthy alternative at your Thanksgiving feast. Desserts can be the reason for so many extra calories this season, so do you want you can to indulge without going overboard.
Weight Watchers Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
3 POINTS per serving
Ingredients
- 3 oz. reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 1/2 sheets
- 1 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. table salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
- 4 Tbsp. light whipped topping
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