Are You Thinking About Thanskgiving?

"Thanksgiving is possible only for those who take time to remember; no one can give thanks who has a short memory." -- Author Unknown


Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for many people, the thought of turkey and all the trimmings brings up not feelings of thankfulness, but fear and shame. Many people come up with interesting schemes to restrict calories, often with unfortunate consequences. Here are some common scenarios I've heard over the years:

"I nibble as I cook...and then I sit down at the table stuffed."

"I can't help nibbling on the appetizers...and then I'm stuffed before the turkey and trimmings arrive, and end up eating dinner anyway."

"I starve myself all day long..then stuff myself at dinner. My stomach hurts for hours."

"I plan ahead to overeat, and I always end up feeling sick for a day or two, but it's okay because I starve myself for a few days before."

"I behave myself while everyone's at the table...but then I eat the kids' leftovers as I clean up and put everything away."

"I behave while everyone's at the table...but sneak into the fridge later, just to have a bite, since I was so good while I was eating and everyone else was stuffing themselves."

One thing these scenarios often have in common is a desire to do weight management perfectly. Some people restrict calories before Thanksgiving day; others aim for not eating until dinnertime; while others expect themselves to behave while everyone's watching.

Whichever route people choose, it's unfortunate. The truth of weight management is that you don't have to do weight management perfectly--you have to do it consistently.

So, instead of planning ahead to do it perfectly this year, I encourage you to plan ahead to stay reasonably consistent with what you're currently doing now to lose or maintain your weight. I'll offer some specifics on Friday (sorry for the Blogger's Surprise spoiler!), but until then, I encourage you to consider looking back on previous Thanksgivings. Ask yourself these questions:

* What usually happens with food on Thanksgiving?

* Why?

* What one thing could I do differently this year that would make the biggest difference?

I'm wishing you an abundance of health and happiness this holiday season. See you tomorrow!

What's New? Tuesday

It's that time of week again--it's your turn! Today's the day I set aside for you to share, so if you've enjoyed a success, experienced a challenge, have a question or a suggestion, please post away!

Weekly Goals for November 16 - November 22

I'm feeling a little congested this morning, and unfortunately, being less-than-healthy coincides with a busy week work-wise. So I'm modifying my goals slightly:

1) Spend 15 minutes in planner planning; continue with planner praise every day

2) Drink 3 liters H2O daily!!

3) Practice t'ai chi chuan breathing (3 reps) every hour

4) Exercise daily -- Monday belly dance routine/new steps; Tuesday routine/new steps or Wii tennis; Wednesday "Fat Burning" belly dance vid; Thursday Wii tennis; Friday run; Saturday gym; Sunday run

As always, if you'd like some accountability or support for your weight management goals this week, please post them below! And now, if you'll excuse me...I gotta get to 'em :)!

Blogger's Surprise: New Book, New Video

I've had a happy, productive week, but it's been unusually busy. That's in part because I stopped by the library with my kids on Monday, and checked out an excellent book and an excellent video.

I've been interested in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's ideas about flow, sometimes called "being in the zone," or as he refers to it, optimal experience, for a while. I'm sorry I didn't follow up sooner! His book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" is an outstanding book for anyone, but I particularly recommend it for anyone who struggles with weight management.

In the book, Csikszentmihaly (pronounced, according to the author, "Chicks-send-me-high") explains what flow is and how it is created. Using these ideas, it's relatively easy to create more flow in your own life.

I've been experimenting with it this week, with extremely good results. When you have more flow, you need less "nurturing" from food or other activities that keep you from following through on your weight management goals. It's also wildly empowering to plan ahead for flow -- and then experience it. That said, it can be overwhelming to find a lot of happiness all at once, so if you read the book and start creating more flow, consider pacing yourself!

I've also been interested in t'ai chi for a while. I took a t'ai chi class last year and I loved it, but I didn't continue on with t'ai chi because I couldn't find a video that supported what I learned in class.

I'm happy to say that Bill Douglas' video "T'ai Chi & QiGong: The Prescription for the Future" has me back in the groove of t'ai chi. Douglas' manner is casual and pleasant, and he explains both the hows and whys of the various exercises. My children (ages 7, 8, and 10) were able to follow his directions for the first three steps of the t'ai chi routine with very little coaching, and Douglas' tips make it easy to remember them, too. Here's a clip from the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGKfNx7e0Jk

You'll need to look for the second and third videos (which I haven't seen yet) to learn the complete routine, but the video is well worth the viewing just for the relaxation, breathing, and stretching exercises and suggestions that are provided.

If you check out the video or the book, I'd love to hear what you think of them. Let us know :)! Here's to a relaxing weekend of optimal health and happiness!

Recipe of the Week: Seafood Linguine in Tomato-Caper Cream Sauce

In my online cooking class, we spend some time experimenting with tofu. One of the most popular of my tofu-based recipes is Fettuccine Tofredo, which uses tofu as a replacement for cream in the sauce. Students are so enamored with the recipe they often ask for more tofu-based cream sauce recipes.

So, by request, here's a recipe for tomato cream sauce that's tofu-based. If you've never tinkered with tofu before, don't be intimidated! If you have questions--and students in my online class usually do--feel free to ask. I'm happy to help!

If you're wondering what to do with the other half of that package of tofu, wait until next week to prepare this recipe. I'll publish a recipe for Garlic-Walnut Sauce that also calls for 6 ounces of silken tofu next Thursday.

If you can't wait, check out these Web sites for more info on what to do with tofu. These are my two favorite brands of tofu, so if you're looking for tofu for the first time, I suggest checking out their sites so you know what you're looking for:

Mori-Nu
http://www.morinu.com/tips/tofu_tips.html

House
http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/recipes.aspx#cooking_tips


Now...Let's get cookin'!


Seafood Linguine in Tomato-Caper Cream Sauce

This elegant recipe uses silken tofu as its base. For a more classic flavor, substitute a heart-healthy margarine or butter for the olive oil.

Ingredients:

1 pound linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon capers
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 ounces (about ½ package) silken tofu (preferably Mori-Nu or House brand)
½ cup fat-free milk
2 dashes ground cayenne
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground peppercorn
1 pound fully cooked, shelled and deveined small shrimp

Directions:

Prepare linguine according to manufacturer’s directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and capers and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir well. Reduce heat to low.

Puree tofu and milk until very smooth. Add pureed tofu, cayenne, and pepper to tomato mixture and stir well. Add cooked linguine and shrimp, combine, and cook until shrimp is just heated through.