That smell in the air means it’s about time for the rituals, the fun, the togetherness, and the calories of Thanksgiving. You’ve been working hard to eat right and exercise, but that little thing that happens every fourth Thursday in November can really do a number on your resolve. While we’re not suggesting that you abstain from indulging a little on Turkey Day, we do have some tips to keep you from regretting it.

• Eat breakfast. This sounds crazy, but it helps. Your metabolism slows if you don’t eat for a long period of time, especially if you miss breakfast after a long night of sleep. A slow metabolism means that every calorie at the Thanksgiving table will have more of a negative effect. A healthy breakfast also means you won’t be starving when you get to the main event.
• Appetize responsibly. You know the main course is yet to come, but there’s a giant cheeseball in your line of sight. Restrain yourself, stick to the veggies, avoid the heavy dressings, and you’ll have more room for the better parts of the meal. If you really love cheeseballs or heavy dips and dressings, remember to go light on the main course.
• Eat the light meat. And take the skin off. The dark meat and skin are fattier than the other parts of the turkey.
• Sit far away from the food. If the setup allows it, take a seat far away from the spread. Talk and laugh with your friends and family and you’ll forget all about the food.
• Plan your plate. The so-called Idaho Plate Method will do wonders: fill half your plate with green food and vegetables, one quarter with proteins, and one quarter with carb-heavy food like rolls or mashed potatoes. Alternatively, just take one spoonful of each dish on the table. You can get a modest serving of your favorite food for seconds.
• Don’t drink your calories. Punch, soda, and alcoholic beverages are a Thanksgiving staple, but they’ll really do you in. Alcohol is especially bad because it lowers your inhibitions against overeating. Limit your intake to one glass if you want to drink something with calories.
• Let them eat pie. You know you want pie. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pie. So remind yourself that you’re saving room, and then eat a piece of pie! Limit yourself here—take one piece only. Split two pieces with someone else if you want more than one flavor.
• Relax. If you’re stressed about cooking, about a stray remark from a weird relative, or about keeping your diet intact, you’re more likely to overeat. Even a failed attempt at restraint is better than no attempt at all. And there’s always tomorrow!

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving from SilverSneakers!

Do you consider yourself a very health conscious person? You exercise regularly, get enough rest and eat your vegetables, yet, you still can’t seem to get into the shape you want. Why?

Well, there could be a number of reasons for this, but one of the big ones is an addiction to simple carbohydrates—that is, sugar. There are a lot of health benefits associated with a low-sugar diet, not to mention the emotional benefit of conquering an addiction. Here’s a typical daily routine for someone striving for low-sugar intake. Meet Jane:

• Jane got enough sleep last night. Since starting her new low-sugar life, she’s realized that when she gets eight hours of sleep in a night, she rarely has problems with cravings.
• As part of her routine to get ready for the day, Jane had a nutritious breakfast. Today’s breakfast was a spinach omelette and a few strawberries. She’s found that if she skips this step, the cravings get very intense later in the day.
• Jane’s preferred gym time is mid-morning. She did thirty minutes of cardio and then some low-weight resistance training. Throughout all this, she made sure to stay hydrated.
• After checking in with some SilverSneakers friends online, Jane experienced her first craving of the day. She beat it with a handful of her favorite high-protein snack (Jane likes roasted almonds) and plenty of water.
• As lunchtime rolls around, Jane grills some skinless chicken breast and has a generous serving of mixed vegetables. She’s got a good feeling about beating this afternoon’s cravings.
• Jane kept herself busy during the afternoon doing the things she loves. She was too distracted to notice any cravings until about 3 o’clock. She fought the 3 o’clock craving with some sugar-free candy, in moderation.
• Some friends invited Jane to a dinner at their house. She was worried she might not be able to withstand her friend’s infamous crescent rolls (white bread is high in carbs and very little else), but she stayed strong and asked for a double helping of vegetables instead.
• When cravings arrived in the evening, Jane snacked on an apple. She felt great after another day of low-sugar success.

As you can see, having a plan and a good attitude are really the only secrets to a low-sugar lifestyle. Most people find that the most difficult part is avoiding white breads and sweets, but there are plenty of good meals and snacks, even outside the health food store, that will help you achieve your goal.

How do you fight off your cravings? Let us know in the comments!

*We should note that while everyone can benefit from a low-sugar diet, it may not solve everyone’s weight concerns. If you are engaging in a low-sugar diet, but are experiencing weight gain nonetheless, consider consulting with a doctor.

This traditional Japanese recipe is great for warm or chilly weather. It’s got plenty of great protein and nutrients with very few calories. Note that it’s higher in sodium than many of our previous recipes, so you might want to alter it if you’re on a low-sodium diet.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable stock or broth
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1/4 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, brushed clean, and caps thinly sliced
• 1 cup watercress leaves
• 1 green (spring) onion, including tender green top, thinly sliced

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic and saute until the tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the tofu, mushrooms and watercress and simmer until the tofu is heated through and the mushrooms and watercress are softened, about 1 minute.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls and garnish with the green onion. Serve immediately.

Came from: Mayo Clinic

Labor Day is usually a time for barbecue, but all the fat and grease could seriously derail your fitness goals. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a healthier alternative.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

Breading Mixture (see recipe below)
12 chicken drumsticks, skinless
3 1/2 cups ice water
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt**

** Feel free to substitute non-fat sour cream if you don’t have yogurt in your refrigerator.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet heavily with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl with ice water, place chicken pieces; set aside.

Prepare Breading Mixture; set aside.

In a shallow bowl, place yogurt. Remove one piece of chicken at a time from the ice water; roll each piece of chicken in the yogurt.

Place one chicken piece at a time into a plastic bag with prepared Breading Mixture, reseal and shake to coat thoroughly.

Transfer breaded chicken to prepared baking sheet. Repeat process until all chicken pieces are breaded. Spray chicken lightly with vegetable-oil spray.

Place baking sheet onto bottom shelf of oven and bake, uncovered, 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife), turning the chicken pieces every 20 minutes to allow even browning.

Remove from oven and transfer onto a serving platter. Serve hot or at room temperature (delicious either way).

Makes 6 servings.

Breading Mixture:
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
Red (cayenne) pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs, flour, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, basil, and oregano. Seal and shake well to mix.

Came from: What’s Cooking America