How lucky am I?  Besides marrying the love of my life,  post-wedding & Thanksgiving coincide -  That means it's TIME TO STUFF MY FACE!!  Woo hoo!! Load up my plate & pack it in - oh yea!  (You're supposed to gain weight once you get married right? Here we go Josh :)  

Oh, but you know it's not true.  I write this just to remind you of your intention for Thanksgiving, and to offer A CRAZY THOUGHT.

The ideal: The focus of Thanksgiving is on gratitude, sharing, spending time with loved ones.

The reality: The focus of Thanksgiving is on FOOD & eating lots of it!

So working with the reality, what if you redefine Thanksgiving as a holiday for ENJOYING good food rather than for binging?

If you're eating so much that you're uncomfortably full, and still going for the pie, how much are you truly enjoying it?  And how well can you enjoy the company you're with, if you're so full that all you do is pass out on the couch?

A reminder from last year's newsletter, that can help you ENJOY now, is to remove the fear that "this is now or never."  Guess what? YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIT IT ALL IN TO ONE DAY.  Remember that fun word? "LEFTOVERS"!  You can always have more tomorrow!  While the day itself (the people, the atmosphere) happens only once, you can find the food again (and probably in your fridge).

I challenge you to see if you can ENJOY Thanksgiving just as much, without stuffing your face :) 

Eat, drink, chew, chat, breathe, BE present, and BE grateful.

With Gratitude,

Ali Lemaitre

Easy veggie side dish:

Per request of Janice Greenwald (yes, I do take requests!)

visit my Facebook page for the details.

Indian Pumpkin Pudding: I just read this recipe and it sounds delicious! It's gluten-free & made without refined sugar.  (though I'd go for full fat milk or an alternative milk).  Let me know if you give it a whirl...   

Thanks for honoring my need to slow it down post-wedding.  More good stuff to come in the next newsletter (let me know if you have questions or requests!)

Here's to a Healthy & Happy Thanksgiving.