Turkey Tidbits.

What up Turkey Day Eve!
Did you know that the largest pumpkin pie ever made weighed 350 pounds? Let me get at that!
I would totally bellyflop straight into that pie.

So, I think everyone is sick of long lists of tips to avoid holiday pound-packing because they are a bit redundant and can suck the fun out of your festivities. So instead I'm going I'm going to give you some basic healthy cooking swaps and ideas to take some of the junk out of your recipes.

• Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour when baking. Not only does this save calories but it helps control your blood sugar levels to avoid insulin level spikes which leave you feeling hungrier.
• Use skim milk instead of whole or 2%, you won't be able to tell the difference and your mashed taters will still be creamy!
• Use egg substitutes, such as eggebeaters, or egg whites instead of whole eggs.
• Substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil when baking (but be careful not to overbake when you do this, to prevent your goodies from drying out.)
• When making stuffing, use low-sodium sodium chicken broth instead of butter and use more veggies to bulk it up.
• Cut the amount of sugar in recipes. Most have too much anyways, but don't cut it down more than half.

Now let's look at all the good stuff you're getting out of your traditional dishes, rather than focusing on the negative, over-indulgent side of Thanksgiving.

• Beta Carotene - uh, hello delicousness, pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes! These are all filled with carotenoids, which are pigments that turn these veggies orange. Our bodies convert beta carotene to Vitamin A which is great for your skin, immune system and eyeballs.
• Monounsaturated fats - These are the good guys, don't worry, and if you choose to eat your turkey skin-on, you'll be ingesting more good fats than bad. Your arteries will be thanking you.
• Vitamin B - Also found in your turkey, B3 and B6 to be exact. These promote energy and heart health.
• Proanthocyanidins (PACS) - These are hiding out in your cranberries and fight bacteria growth, particular in the stomach and urinary tract.  Whole cranberries can also protect your cardiovascular system.
• Green Beans - These guys get their own category, I mean if they power up the jolly green giant they must be pretty serious, right?  Green Beans are another great source of Vitamin A as well as Vitamin C and K, riboflavin and iron. They also provide fiber to keep you fuller longer.
• Cinnamon - How could we ever get through the hoildays without cinnamon? This yummy spice is known for controlling blood sugar, preventing bacterial growth and helping blood platelets clump together during injuries. My survival would also be at risk without it.

If you're feeling like a jive turkey tomorrow and want to work up a quick sweat while the bird is in the oven, I threw together this explosive plyometric style workout.

Do 15-45 seconds of each, depending on your fitness level, rest no more than 60 seconds between each. Make sure to stretch thoroughly beforehand! (Do not do this on a cement floor)___________________________________________________________________


Alright, enough with the turkey stuff.
Since my workout today was lower body, I made sure to include this bad boy of a stretch into my routine.

Stretch of the Day;

For your hip flexors! Shake em. These goodies help move your hips forward when walking/running. Both of them attach to your femur, one from your lower back and one from your hip bone. I do this stretch a lot because mine are always hurtin'.

Get into a lunge position with one knee on the floor and push forward.  Straighten the hip of your rear leg and keep pushing your hips forward and hold.

Workout; lower body.

I did 3 sets of all of these:

• Step-ups on bench, with dumbbells - 1 set of 10 @ 40lbs and 2 sets of 10 @ 50lbs.
• Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts with dumbbells - 1 set of 8 @ 50lbs and 2 sets of 8 at 60lbs (8 for each leg)
• Squats with dumbbells - 10 reps @ 40lbs. (4 sets)
• Angled Seated Calf Raises - 12 reps @ 160lbs
• Leg Sled - 10 reps @ 200lbs
• Split Squats on bench 8 reps @ 40lbs. (yow!)

I also did 30 minutes of fast walking on the treadmill at 3% incline. I worked up one heck of an appetite, so when I got home it was time for banana protein soft serve!

My timer just dinged in the kitchen..so I'm off to grab some pumpkin goodies. Have a safe holiday and remember to be thankful for having family to spend it with. xoxo

• Jump rope or run in place - 1-2 minutes.
• High Knees
• Jumping Jacks
• Split Jumps
• Run in place - 1 minute
• Mountain Climbers
• Jump Squats
• Burpees
• Single Leg Hop left foot
• Single Leg Hop right foot

Do this atleast twice and be careful not to sweat in the gravy ;)