Hello friends!

I am busy getting ready for my Thanksgiving meal - we will have 12 people used to a Standard American Diet (SAD) coming over.  They are going to experience just how easily raw food can be incorporated into a traditional meal. I am very excited!

For many of us, tomorrow is not just Thanksgiving, but the the ramping up of the usual 10-lb holiday weight gain.  How about we shout a collective "NOT!" I'd rather stay the weight I am right now. 

In this newsletter I have solutions to help you stay fit and healthy, including six steps you can take NOW to avoid Thanksgiving Day sabotage and five ways to give thanks for your raw food community.  Read on...Plus, you will also find freebies (video, recipes, classes and more) to thank you for your support.  I am so grateful to be a part of the raw food community.

Happy Holidays!

-Chef Heather

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We have created a first of its kind Healthy Holiday Survival Guide.  It includes the recipes from our Holiday Survival event. It is packed with helpful articles + 35 delicious recipes to keep your holiday season fresh and healthy.

 The guide has recipes and advice from raw food luminaries like Cherie Soria, Elaina Love, Matt & Angela Monarch and Russell James - plus some of the hottest new chefs on the scene including Diana Stobo and Melissa Mango. We've even included the favorite holiday recipes of all of the panelists from the event. This is a beautiful book is full color with lots of gorgeous food pictures and professional design elements.

We are offering this cookbook $12 for the electronic, downloadable version. 

If you would like the print version, it is $19.95 plus shipping.  We made it spiral bound, so it's easy to use in the kitchen.  You will want to share these luscious raw holiday recipes with your friends and family, so consider picking up a few for holiday gifts

Purchase the book now

Buy now: Soon we will have video footage from the Healthy Holidays event.  I am offering it free as a thank you gift, available only to those who buy the manual. (I will email you when the video is ready.)

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Melissa Mango, Zahve and me. Pictures by Jessica Anne

 

We had over 150 people join us on Saturday for the Healthy Holiday Survival Event. 

Lots of people said to me, "how can you be so calm running such a big event?"  And my response is:  because there is nothing to be agitated about.  I am working with such an incredible group of people.  We had 25+ volunteers, 20+ vendors and many other partners - plus all of the event participants - throw their love into this event. It was a fabulous gathering of the raw food community.

Check out pictures from the event here



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Still need a holiday tune up?

My friends Shivie and Cemaaj of The Cook & Butler are offering a holiday class on December 11th in San Francisco.   HOLIDAZE POTLUCKS AND PIE WORKSHOP...SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2010, 12-4 pm A feast follows class and everyone leaves with a full handout of all recipes covered in class, plus bonus recipes. Check out all the details here.

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1. Stick to small portions.  I recommend that tonight, before you go to bed, get out a paper plate.  Write on that plate the items you plan to enjoy the next day - and which items you plan to say "no" to.  Then, draw on your plate the portions of each item you would like to enjoy.  Give the most room to the colorful items items like kale salad and sweet potatoes.  They carry the antioxidents and usually have lower calories too. 

2. Eat before you go, especially if you know there will be plenty of cooked or fatty food at your meal.  Get out a big kale salad or green smoothie and indulge in that before the evening meal.  Once you are sitting at the Thanksgiving table, you will be full enough to make conscious decisions about what you eat.

3.  Seek out healthful recipes.  In my Healthy Holiday Manual, you will find nog, cranberry relish, stuffing, pumpkin pie and all the other goodies you love but with less calories and harmful ingredients. 

4.  Keep moving!  Drink lots of water during the day to keep your digestive and other systems moving.  Go for a walk before the big meal - and afterwards. Exercise will keep you from feeling sluggish.

5.  Beware of snacks.  If you are trying to "save room" during the day, it is easy to end up grazing on unhealthy or fattening snacks during the day.  You could end up taking in way more calories than you planned.  Instead, drink your energy-rich green smoothies during the day.

6.  Be aware of your emotions.  Being around family and friends can bring out the best - and worst - in everybody.  Sometimes these emotions can sneak up on you.  However, you cannot control anybody except yourself.  Stay in touch with your own emotional state throughout the day.  It will help keep you grounded, and you will enjoy yourself more.

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