Americans love Thanksgiving, and we show it by piling our plates high with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and other holiday staples. And for many Americans’ Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday. Here are a few tips to make this a healthier Thanksgiving.
The average number of dinner guests for Thanksgiving dinner is eleven!
Start Thanksgiving with a Healthy Breakfast
While you might think it makes sense to save up calories for the big meal, experts say eating a small meal in the morning can give you more control over your appetite. Start your day with a small but satisfying breakfast — such as an egg with a slice of whole-wheat toast, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk — so you won’t be starving when you arrive at the gathering.
And when mealtime arrives focus your plate on white turkey meat, plain vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, thin gravy, and pumpkin pie. These tend to be the best bets because they are lower in fat and calories. However, if you keep your portions small, you can enjoy whatever you like.
Seven Tips to Avoid Overeating on Thanksgiving
Take a Trot:
Go for a walk, turkey trot, or bicycle ride outdoors on Thanksgiving morning if the weather is nice. If your physical activity is limited, consider sitting outside for a few minutes or sitting by a window to enjoy the fall foliage.
Pack a Snack:
If you are traveling, bring healthy snacks with you for the road and/or plane to save time (and money) and ensure that you do not have to go long periods of time without food. Fresh fruit is a great choice along with trail mix, nuts and popcorn.
Substitute Salt:
To reduce the amount of sodium in recipes, use herbs and spices instead of salt. For example, parsley, rosemary, thyme and/or sage pair well with turkey. (2)
Counting Carbs:
For fewer carbohydrates, opt for a baked sweet potato instead of the common marshmallow smothered sweet potatoes, which are often made with added brown sugar. And a single cup of stiffing can contain almost 400 calories.
Watch the Labels:
When it comes to foods that may have been sitting in the refrigerator or pantry for too long, be mindful of food safety guidelines. No one wants to get food poisoning any day, especially on a holiday! Not sure if a food is still safe to eat? Check the expiration date, and when in doubt, throw it out.
What if I’m a Vegetarian?:
Many of the Bs and Cs are in season in November, and make wonderful additions to a Thanksgiving meal including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and three of my favorites: beets, brussels sprouts and collard greens.
Gluten-Free Options:
Thanksgiving staples like turkey, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are naturally gluten-free, but sometimes they’re mixed with gluten-containing ingredients or prepped in a kitchen where there’s cross-contamination. For a safe gluten-free option, bring your favorite gluten-free dish to share!
Bonus tip- Don’t waste your calories on foods that you can have all year long. Fill your plate with small portions of holiday favorites that only come around once a year so you can enjoy desirable, traditional foods. And don’t forget those alcohol calories, they can add up quickly. Have a glass of wine or a wine spritzer and between alcoholic drinks, enjoy sparkling water. This way you stay hydrated, limit alcohol calories, and stay sober.
If having guests to your home, be sure that people follow the steps that everyone can take to make Thanksgiving safer. Its a common myth that people gain an average of five pounds from Thanksgiving, but the truth of holiday weight gain is that it’s not that much. People do gain weight during the holidays, but for most it is less than a pound according to a 2015 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Thanksgiving is a time to share with family and friends, so don’t stress just enjoy the day!
(1) How Many Calories Should You Eat in a Day?
(2) Are Salt Substitutes a Healthy Way to Lower Your Sodium Intake?
The post 7 Tips For a Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner appeared first on Alternative Medicine Magazine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine is any treatment that isn’t considered medically necessary to treat disease. These include traditional Chinese medicine.
Alternative medicine can also be defined as a practice that is not supported by scientific evidence, but which has been proven effective in clinical practice. Examples include meditation, hypnosis, yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, flower essences, and many others.
What is an alternative name for medicine?
Alternative medicine is a term that covers any treatment approach that is not conventional. There are many types of alternative medicine. However, they all share the same premise: health care should be grounded in natural substances and practices, not chemical medicines.
Alternative medicine includes acupuncture. Homeopathy, herbalism. naturopathy. osteopathic manipul. Traditional Chinese medicine. Reflexology. Shamanic healing. Prayer. Energy healing. Aromatherapy. Meditation. Chiropractic. Massage therapy. Reiki.
Many alternative practitioners claim that their therapies result in better health outcomes, including improved quality of life, fewer side effects, reduced costs, and greater patient satisfaction. These claims cannot be proven scientifically because the mainstream medical system has largely ignored evidence-based alternatives to medicine.
How safe can holistic medicine be?
Holistic medicines can be safe as they don’t contain harmful drugs and are natural remedies that people have used for centuries.
They have been shown to cure many illnesses, such as arthritis, chronic pain, asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, infertility, etc.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from various diseases and can also use holistic medicines. They include homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbal treatments, massage therapy, yoga, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, nutrition, counseling, physical fitness, exercise, and other complementary therapies. These therapies address the whole person instead of just the symptoms.
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary Medicine can be described as any treatment that is complementary to mainstream medicine. It covers therapies such as acupuncture.
Complementary medicines should not be used in lieu of traditional medicine. They should be used alongside it. They are sometimes called “alternative”, and “integrative”, as they combine Western science methods with other healing approaches.
What is the alternative to holistic medicine?
Holistic medicine refers to a holistic approach to health care. It considers all aspects and their emotional, spiritual, and environmental dimensions. Holistic medicine is based in the notion that any illness must have multiple causes. This means that it needs a combination of treatment options to be effective.
Holistic medicine practitioners believe prevention is better that cure. To achieve optimal wellness, holistic medicine doctors work closely alongside their patients.
They identify the root causes of disease and help prevent it from happening again. Holistic doctors look at the whole body, not just the organs. Holistic physicians often refer to the whole being as “the Body”.
This means that they go beyond skin care and treat the entire body holistically. The doctor may suggest changes to diet, lifestyle, and exercise. The doctor may recommend meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment.
Why would people with cancer choose to use other methods?
Cancer patients often face many challenges as they attempt to overcome their illness. They might have lost all hope for recovery or feel helpless because there is nothing else they can do. Patients may feel pain, nausea or fatigue. They might also experience loss of strength, lack of appetite, or feeling helpless.
A majority of conventional treatments are ineffective against cancer cells. It is important that cancer patients look for alternative therapies, such a complementary medicine. Nearly half of cancer patients use alternative medicines at some point during treatment, according to studies.
Patients with cancer may choose to receive complementary medicine rather than chemotherapy. They believe that it is easier to manage side effects. They may also prefer it because it is less expensive.
There are also other reasons.
Some patients believe natural remedies can prevent a recurrence.
Many believe natural remedies can improve quality of life.
Others believe that natural remedies may reduce the chance of getting cancer.
People concerned about possible side effects of chemotherapy use natural remedies as first-line therapy.
What is a holistic medicine doctor?
A holistic medicine doctor is someone who treats patients holistically. They may use traditional methods such as herbs and acupuncture but integrate these into western medicine.
They are not interested in treating symptoms but rather a disease. Patients should feel better after treatment.
The doctor should not only treat the disease, but also prevent it from happening again.
Holistic refers to all aspects of someone’s life.
Statistics
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- An assessment of conventional treatments found that 41.3% concluded positive or possibly positive effects, 20% concluded no effect, 8.1% concluded net harmful effects, and 21.3% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The use of alternative medicine in the US has increased, with a 50 percent increase in expenditures and a 25 percent increase in the use of alternative therapies between 1990 and 1997 in America. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
cam.cancer.gov
nccih.nih.gov
doi.org
webmd.com
How To
What type of products are used for holistic medicine?
The best way to describe these products would be as “natural” but not necessarily organic. These products could have been grown naturally without pesticides or fertilizers. But they were also processed in a way that is safer for your health. For example, some herbs can cause allergic reactions in some individuals, so they may need to be prepared differently depending on their needs. The herbs sold in health food stores are more standard than those found at grocery stores. These latter may contain higher levels herbicides as well as fungicides.
Most herbal supplements are made from dried herbs. Some people prefer to purchase them in liquid form because they are usually cheaper. But, liquid herbs are not necessarily safer. Liquid herbs can lose nutrients during processing. It is not possible to guarantee the product’s original potency. In addition, most herbal supplements don’t undergo quality control testing before being put on store shelves.
Usually, herbs and spices are added to food after it has been cooked. These spices can be found in sauces, condiments, dressings, soup mixes, marinades, and salad dressings.
Supplements are most commonly taken orally, (by mouth). Most vitamins and minerals come in tablet form. Others are available in capsule form.
Homeopathic remedies can be highly dilute substances that are derived from animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic sources. They are meant to stimulate the body’s healing mechanisms. They are homeopathic, but do not function like regular medications. Instead, they act on the body’s immune system to restore balance and promote wellness. Homeopathic remedies are safe and nontoxic. They are widespread in Europe, Canada Australia, New Zealand South America, Asia and Africa.
Acupuncture uses fine needles to insert into specific points along your meridians. It is based on a traditional Chinese medical theory that says there are energy channels through which life force flows. According to the theory, illness occurs when these channels become blocked. By stimulating certain points along the meridian lines with fine needles, energy flow is believed to be restored, and the body returns to normal functioning.
Chiropractors correct misalignments by manipulating the spine. This technique was developed in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer, an American doctor. Palmer claimed that he could cure and diagnose diseases by manipulating the spines. His methods included spinal adjustments, muscle tests and percussion.
Chiropractic has been very popular in the last few decades. Many people believe that chiropractic is better than traditional medicine to relieve back pain.
Massage therapy involves rubbing, kneading, tapping, or stroking muscles, joints, and other body parts. Massage is a great way to relax tight muscles and reduce tension. Swedish massage, deep tissues, sports, reflexology, myofascialrelease, trigger point therapy and other methods are used by massage therapists.
Reflexology can be described as alternative medicine. It involves applying pressure to certain areas on the feet and hands with thumb pads or fingers. This method, according to reflexologists, stimulates the body’s natural healing ability.
Aromatherapy uses essential oil extracted from plants to relieve stress and boost mood. Aromatherapy is also beneficial because essential oils can have a positive effect on health conditions, such as headache relief and arthritis treatment. There are many forms of aromatherapy.
Craniosacral Therapy uses gentle touch to ease pain and discomfort. The skull is called Cranial, while the Latin word sacrum refers to the sacrum. Cranial sacral therapy combines both. This therapy uses light pressure to apply pressure to specific areas on the head and neck, shoulders or arms. It also involves moving the hands around the body of the patient.
Cupping therapy involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. Cupping is often combined with acupuncture or moxibustion (burning herbs) and may be used for detoxification.
Oral or topical supplements can contain vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts as well as amino acids, enzymes. Probiotics, antioxidants and fatty acid are all examples of dietary supplements. The FDA regulates dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994. To be legal, a dietary supplements must meet two criteria. First, it must contain a “dietary ingredient,” meaning that it contains more than one percent of a vitamin, mineral, herb, or other botanical listed on the Food and Drug Administration’s Generally Recognized As Safe List. It must also have adhered to Good Manufacturing Practices. This means that its ingredients were properly handled during production.
Electrotherapy uses electrical currents to stimulate nerves and muscles. Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is the most popular form of electrotherapy. The skin electrodes used to place TENS devices allow for low-level electrical pulses. These pulses trigger brain receptors that block pain signals. Other forms of electrotherapy include interferential current therapy, magnetic field therapy, and ultrasound therapy.
Energy healing is based on belief that each person has natural healing abilities. Additionally, our thoughts, feelings, and intentions have an effect on our physical and mental health. Modern practitioners accept that energy healing is possible, even though it has been practiced since ancient times. However, there are many layers to energy. One layer of energy is called emotional. The second layer is called mental energy. Others include physical, spiritual, chakras, vital, life force, prana, kundalini, biofield, aura, and quantum fields. Some believe that these energies can be connected to all of the universe. Some people claim they can heal others with the power of their mind. But, there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of energy medicine.
Energy psychology is the study and application of human emotions to physiological functions. Energy psychology is often considered an alternative for psychotherapy, as it does not focus on past events but rather on helping clients to change their behaviour. Energy psychology does NOT require a theoretical framework. It draws from many disciplines, such as cognitive behavioral, transactional, interpersonal psychoanalysis (attachment theory), and developmental psychology.
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This blog is a source of general information and discussion on health and related topics. Information and materials on this blog, on the website, or in any of the connected materials are not intended to replace or used as a substitute for the advice of a medical professional, diagnosis, or treatment. This blog does not represent the application of any nursing, medical or other health professional advice or diagnosis. We are unable to diagnose health conditions, offer second opinions or provide specific treatment recommendations via this blog or on our website.
If you or another person is suffering from a medical issue and you are concerned, consult your doctor or seek out other medical professional treatment as soon as possible. Do not disregard medical advice from a professional or delay seeking it due to information you seen on the blog or website or in any of the linked materials. If you’re experiencing an emergency medical situation, dial 911 or seek emergency medical assistance on the closest phone immediately.
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By: Dick Benson
Title: 7 Tips For a Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner
Sourced From: alternativemedicine.com/health-tips/seven-tips-for-a-healthier-thanksgiving/
Published Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2023 22:12:15 +0000
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine is any treatment that isn’t considered medically necessary to treat disease. These include traditional Chinese medicine.
Alternative medicine can also be defined as a practice that is not supported by scientific evidence, but which has been proven effective in clinical practice. Examples include meditation, hypnosis, yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, flower essences, and many others.
What is an alternative name for medicine?
Alternative medicine is a term that covers any treatment approach that is not conventional. There are many types of alternative medicine. However, they all share the same premise: health care should be grounded in natural substances and practices, not chemical medicines.
Alternative medicine includes acupuncture. Homeopathy, herbalism. naturopathy. osteopathic manipul. Traditional Chinese medicine. Reflexology. Shamanic healing. Prayer. Energy healing. Aromatherapy. Meditation. Chiropractic. Massage therapy. Reiki.
Many alternative practitioners claim that their therapies result in better health outcomes, including improved quality of life, fewer side effects, reduced costs, and greater patient satisfaction. These claims cannot be proven scientifically because the mainstream medical system has largely ignored evidence-based alternatives to medicine.
How safe can holistic medicine be?
Holistic medicines can be safe as they don’t contain harmful drugs and are natural remedies that people have used for centuries.
They have been shown to cure many illnesses, such as arthritis, chronic pain, asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, infertility, etc.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from various diseases and can also use holistic medicines. They include homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbal treatments, massage therapy, yoga, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, nutrition, counseling, physical fitness, exercise, and other complementary therapies. These therapies address the whole person instead of just the symptoms.
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary Medicine can be described as any treatment that is complementary to mainstream medicine. It covers therapies such as acupuncture.
Complementary medicines should not be used in lieu of traditional medicine. They should be used alongside it. They are sometimes called “alternative”, and “integrative”, as they combine Western science methods with other healing approaches.
What is the alternative to holistic medicine?
Holistic medicine refers to a holistic approach to health care. It considers all aspects and their emotional, spiritual, and environmental dimensions. Holistic medicine is based in the notion that any illness must have multiple causes. This means that it needs a combination of treatment options to be effective.
Holistic medicine practitioners believe prevention is better that cure. To achieve optimal wellness, holistic medicine doctors work closely alongside their patients.
They identify the root causes of disease and help prevent it from happening again. Holistic doctors look at the whole body, not just the organs. Holistic physicians often refer to the whole being as “the Body”.
This means that they go beyond skin care and treat the entire body holistically. The doctor may suggest changes to diet, lifestyle, and exercise. The doctor may recommend meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment.
Why would people with cancer choose to use other methods?
Cancer patients often face many challenges as they attempt to overcome their illness. They might have lost all hope for recovery or feel helpless because there is nothing else they can do. Patients may feel pain, nausea or fatigue. They might also experience loss of strength, lack of appetite, or feeling helpless.
A majority of conventional treatments are ineffective against cancer cells. It is important that cancer patients look for alternative therapies, such a complementary medicine. Nearly half of cancer patients use alternative medicines at some point during treatment, according to studies.
Patients with cancer may choose to receive complementary medicine rather than chemotherapy. They believe that it is easier to manage side effects. They may also prefer it because it is less expensive.
There are also other reasons.
Some patients believe natural remedies can prevent a recurrence.
Many believe natural remedies can improve quality of life.
Others believe that natural remedies may reduce the chance of getting cancer.
People concerned about possible side effects of chemotherapy use natural remedies as first-line therapy.
What is a holistic medicine doctor?
A holistic medicine doctor is someone who treats patients holistically. They may use traditional methods such as herbs and acupuncture but integrate these into western medicine.
They are not interested in treating symptoms but rather a disease. Patients should feel better after treatment.
The doctor should not only treat the disease, but also prevent it from happening again.
Holistic refers to all aspects of someone’s life.
Statistics
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- An assessment of conventional treatments found that 41.3% concluded positive or possibly positive effects, 20% concluded no effect, 8.1% concluded net harmful effects, and 21.3% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The use of alternative medicine in the US has increased, with a 50 percent increase in expenditures and a 25 percent increase in the use of alternative therapies between 1990 and 1997 in America. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
cam.cancer.gov
nccih.nih.gov
doi.org
webmd.com
How To
What type of products are used for holistic medicine?
The best way to describe these products would be as “natural” but not necessarily organic. These products could have been grown naturally without pesticides or fertilizers. But they were also processed in a way that is safer for your health. For example, some herbs can cause allergic reactions in some individuals, so they may need to be prepared differently depending on their needs. The herbs sold in health food stores are more standard than those found at grocery stores. These latter may contain higher levels herbicides as well as fungicides.
Most herbal supplements are made from dried herbs. Some people prefer to purchase them in liquid form because they are usually cheaper. But, liquid herbs are not necessarily safer. Liquid herbs can lose nutrients during processing. It is not possible to guarantee the product’s original potency. In addition, most herbal supplements don’t undergo quality control testing before being put on store shelves.
Usually, herbs and spices are added to food after it has been cooked. These spices can be found in sauces, condiments, dressings, soup mixes, marinades, and salad dressings.
Supplements are most commonly taken orally, (by mouth). Most vitamins and minerals come in tablet form. Others are available in capsule form.
Homeopathic remedies can be highly dilute substances that are derived from animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic sources. They are meant to stimulate the body’s healing mechanisms. They are homeopathic, but do not function like regular medications. Instead, they act on the body’s immune system to restore balance and promote wellness. Homeopathic remedies are safe and nontoxic. They are widespread in Europe, Canada Australia, New Zealand South America, Asia and Africa.
Acupuncture uses fine needles to insert into specific points along your meridians. It is based on a traditional Chinese medical theory that says there are energy channels through which life force flows. According to the theory, illness occurs when these channels become blocked. By stimulating certain points along the meridian lines with fine needles, energy flow is believed to be restored, and the body returns to normal functioning.
Chiropractors correct misalignments by manipulating the spine. This technique was developed in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer, an American doctor. Palmer claimed that he could cure and diagnose diseases by manipulating the spines. His methods included spinal adjustments, muscle tests and percussion.
Chiropractic has been very popular in the last few decades. Many people believe that chiropractic is better than traditional medicine to relieve back pain.
Massage therapy involves rubbing, kneading, tapping, or stroking muscles, joints, and other body parts. Massage is a great way to relax tight muscles and reduce tension. Swedish massage, deep tissues, sports, reflexology, myofascialrelease, trigger point therapy and other methods are used by massage therapists.
Reflexology can be described as alternative medicine. It involves applying pressure to certain areas on the feet and hands with thumb pads or fingers. This method, according to reflexologists, stimulates the body’s natural healing ability.
Aromatherapy uses essential oil extracted from plants to relieve stress and boost mood. Aromatherapy is also beneficial because essential oils can have a positive effect on health conditions, such as headache relief and arthritis treatment. There are many forms of aromatherapy.
Craniosacral Therapy uses gentle touch to ease pain and discomfort. The skull is called Cranial, while the Latin word sacrum refers to the sacrum. Cranial sacral therapy combines both. This therapy uses light pressure to apply pressure to specific areas on the head and neck, shoulders or arms. It also involves moving the hands around the body of the patient.
Cupping therapy involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. Cupping is often combined with acupuncture or moxibustion (burning herbs) and may be used for detoxification.
Oral or topical supplements can contain vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts as well as amino acids, enzymes. Probiotics, antioxidants and fatty acid are all examples of dietary supplements. The FDA regulates dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994. To be legal, a dietary supplements must meet two criteria. First, it must contain a “dietary ingredient,” meaning that it contains more than one percent of a vitamin, mineral, herb, or other botanical listed on the Food and Drug Administration’s Generally Recognized As Safe List. It must also have adhered to Good Manufacturing Practices. This means that its ingredients were properly handled during production.
Electrotherapy uses electrical currents to stimulate nerves and muscles. Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is the most popular form of electrotherapy. The skin electrodes used to place TENS devices allow for low-level electrical pulses. These pulses trigger brain receptors that block pain signals. Other forms of electrotherapy include interferential current therapy, magnetic field therapy, and ultrasound therapy.
Energy healing is based on belief that each person has natural healing abilities. Additionally, our thoughts, feelings, and intentions have an effect on our physical and mental health. Modern practitioners accept that energy healing is possible, even though it has been practiced since ancient times. However, there are many layers to energy. One layer of energy is called emotional. The second layer is called mental energy. Others include physical, spiritual, chakras, vital, life force, prana, kundalini, biofield, aura, and quantum fields. Some believe that these energies can be connected to all of the universe. Some people claim they can heal others with the power of their mind. But, there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of energy medicine.
Energy psychology is the study and application of human emotions to physiological functions. Energy psychology is often considered an alternative for psychotherapy, as it does not focus on past events but rather on helping clients to change their behaviour. Energy psychology does NOT require a theoretical framework. It draws from many disciplines, such as cognitive behavioral, transactional, interpersonal psychoanalysis (attachment theory), and developmental psychology.
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