Q: Is it okay to splurge on Thanksgiving? (Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas recipe)

Nobody gains weight from just that one Thanksgiving Day meal. We gain weight from the “holiday mentality” that continues on from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Yet, the busiest and most stressful time of year is precisely when we must be most vigilant about putting the brakes on our calorie intake and finding the time to fit in lots of calorie-burning, stress-releasing exercise. That said, here are a few healthy makeover tips for holiday meals: modify your favorite holiday recipes so they are healthier and lighter (without compromising taste) by reducing the fat, sugar, sodium and calories.

For example, if you prepare stuffing from a box, look for a lower sodium variety, omit adding butter or margarine, and do add in lots of healthy vegetables like mushrooms, onions, garlic, celery and peppers, sautéed in a small amount of olive oil. You can also add in a touch of super-healthy walnuts and cranberries. Traditional mashed potatoes can be transformed into a delicious, heart-healthy cholesterol-lowering side dish (see below). Go for the turkey breast without the skin; don’t go overboard with the gravy; and eat desserts and drink alcohol in moderation.

This holiday season, remember to take the time to give yourself the gift of health by making a conscious effort to eat better and get in your daily calorie and stress—burning exercise!

Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas
Serves 6
What you need:


2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup light soy milk
1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup Promise Take Control Light margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
Commercial gravy, optional


What you do:


Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to pan.
Add chickpeas and mash using a potato masher. Add soy milk, chicken broth, margarine, and salt and pepper and stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes, until heated, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Top with commercial gravy if desired.


Per serving (1⁄6 of recipe, 293 grams or approximately 1 cup): Calories: 255, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 751 mg, Carbohydrate: 46 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g


Posted by Dr. Janet Bond Brill

October Nutrition Tip of Week 3: Have a Plan to Divvy up the candy

If your kids are the age where they bring home pillowcases full of Halloween candy, you need to have a plan of action! Have your child pick out 10 of their favorite pieces of candy loot. Divvy the candy up allotting just one or two pieces per day—and give all the rest away! 

This is just one idea on how to deal with candy.  However, there are other alternatives as well- Healthy Alternatives to Trick or Treating

www.FitnessTogether.com/NorthBuckhead

October Nutrition Tip of Week: 2. Eat baked apples for dessert

It’s apple season so why not bake some up for dessert? Nothing could be simpler than coring an apple, adding a little water, a sweetener and maybe some raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts and baking in a hot oven. The best “baking apples” are: Rome Beauty, Golden delicious, Honeycrisp and Jonagold.  

Go organic when possible!  

Click it- Go local and pick some of your own! 

Stuffed Baked Apples Recipe

October Recipe 2

October Recipe - Pumpkin Apple Butter Spread

Pumpkin Power Article

Pumpkin Power Article

The Buddy Advantage: Enlist the Help of a Workout Buddy to Stay Strong, Fit this Holiday Season

There are always temptations – skipping a workout - cocktail parties and large social gatherings centered on food – can lead you down the path of weight gain, irritability and inactivity during the cold, dark winter months. To overcome these temptations and stay focused on consistently working out and eating healthy during the holidays, you may need to enlist the help of a workout buddy. A workout buddy can help keep you motivated, dedicated and encouraged as you venture through the journey of living a healthy and fit lifestyle during the holidays and beyond.

Buddy’s Bring Accountability

It’s not just about you when you work out with a buddy. It’s about being there for your partner, showing up every workout session to give your best effort, and setting a good example of being dedicated to you and your partner’s workout success. It’s a lot harder to skip your 6 a.m. workout if you know you have a workout partner waiting for you at the gym to take a class together or someone is relying on you to show up at a local trailhead for an early morning run. It’s also a lot more difficult to “phone in your workout” by just going through the motions and not giving your all when you have a workout buddy beside you who is expending their time and energy to workout with you and give their best. A buddy is an essential resource to help keep you on track, on time and on point during your workouts.

Buddy’s Bring Camaraderie

Working out with a buddy can be a fun adventure that changes with each workout. By working out side-by-side day in and day out, you naturally will begin to build a sense of community, friendship and pride from maintaining a consistent workout schedule together, accomplishing physical and mental goals together, and living by example as to what it means to be fit and healthy. Your workout buddy can quickly become more than just someone to count your push ups or hold your feet during sit ups. Your workout buddy may become a lifelong fitness teammate and friend.

Buddy’s Bring Motivation

Whether you are a competitive person in nature or not, working out with a buddy can improve your health and fitness levels beyond what you could do alone. Buddies can help push you out of your comfort zone by encouraging you to try a new adventure, they can help increase your confidence in how you look and feel about your body by motivating you to perform at levels you never thought possible, and they can celebrate with you after a strenuous workout session that leaves you sweating and feeling good about your accomplishments. 

Need a Buddy?

Do you need help finding a workout buddy who is dedicated to looking better, feeling better and performing better during the winter season? Consider joining a small group personal training studio to workout with other like-minded individuals who are seeking real health and fitness results. Fitness Together’s PACK Small Group Training can help you elevate your fitness routine this holiday season in a fun and energetic group setting, with coaching from a Fitness Together certified trainer.

In Fitness Together’s PACK training sessions, like-minded people begin together, work together and finish together in pursuit of a common purpose and to achieve individual goals. Call Fitness Together today to pack your winter with a fun, affordable and structured health and fitness routine for you and your buddy.

September Nutrition Tip of Week 4: Try a new leafy green-Swiss chard

Did you know that alongside spinach, Swiss chard is one of the most nutritious leafy greens on the planet? Swiss chard is related to the beet, and is an excellent source of vitamins A, K, C and potassium. Easy to make, buy it fresh and simply remove the stalks, chop up the leaves and sauté with extra virgin olive oil and garlic.


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/swiss_chard/

October Nutrition Tip of Week 4: Eat the Halloween pumpkin!

Pumpkin should double as a seasonal decoration and a fall food staple. Pumpkin is loaded with fiber as well as the powerful antioxidant pro-vitamin, beta-carotene. Plus, one entire cup contains a mere 30 calories!  

One of the best parts of the pumpkin is its seeds- aka pepitas! Pepitas are great to add to salads, muffins, or eat by themselves!

Read more in our Nutrient Brief: Pumpkin Power with link to lighter pumpkin pie