If only Thanksgiving weren't so frightening to those of us trying to watch what we eat. We have to suffer through all of the beautiful dishes screaming our names to just "try" them. We all know there is no such thing as "trying" a piece of cheesecake. So why do we make ourselves so miserable, or even pretend like we can handle the pressure?
So, Thanksgiving stands accused as the least healthy holiday. Like your mother used to say, "Don't hang out with the wrong crowd." Thanksgiving, as far as its effect on health, is just another day in November, it's just guilty by association. More specifically, its association with food, lots of food! Well, this is a free country, we are free to do, or eat what we want, and we are innocent until proven guilty. So let's give Thanksgiving a fair trial and see what our final verdict is.
First up, I'd like to call to the stand, Turkey, the main character in the Thanksgiving feast.
5 ounces of white mean Turkey: Total Fat: 11.9g Saturated Fat: 3.4 Trans Fat: 0 Cholesterol: 107.8mg Sodium: 89.3mg Carbs: 0 Protein :40.6g
Well, it looks like Turkey has a little fat, but not saturated or trans fat, but healthy unsaturated fats. It has relatively small amounts of cholesterol, sodium and no carbs. It is loaded with protein. Protein from turkey is an excellent source because it is a complete protein with all of the necessary amino acids. It appears that turkey is not only not bad for you, but actually healthy. The Verdict: Turkey is innocent.
Next, Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes, Dark Orange, Fresh, 5" long, Total Fat: .1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 71.5mg Carbs: 26.2g Protein: 2g
It seems that sweet potatoes are fat free and cholesterol free. They are nearly free of sodium as well as protein. This vegetable, or root, has good carbs as well. These good carbs are complex, which means your body breaks them down slowly providing you with energy over time, instead of going straight to your hips or stomach as fat. It would appear that sweet potatoes are innocent also.
Up next, canned cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Sauce, Sweetened and Canned, 3 slices: Total Fat: .3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 49.6mg Carbs: 66.5g Sugars- 64.5.g Protein: .3g
Well, it appears that cranberry sauce is fat free, please remember that the FDA lets food be labeled as fat free, preservative free, or trans fat free as long as there is less than .5g of the substance per serving. Please don't think that everything is actually fat free. Just think of it as .49g of fat per serving. Canned cranberry suace has no cholesterol and a very low sodium level. It does have 66.5g of carbs, 64.5g of those are sugar. Think of those 65g being pasted right to your belly, that's not a pretty sight. It looks like canned cranberry sauce is guilty!
Now for the stuffing:
Stuffing, bread, prep/dry mix 1/2cup Total Fat: 8.6g Saturated Fat: 1.7g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 543mg Carbs: 21.7g Sugars: 2.1g Protein: 3.2g
Well, stuffing has a small amount of fat, but not bad fat. There is a limited amount of cholesterol and protein, but tons of sodium as with most boxed or canned foods. It has a little bit of carbs from the white bread mix, but it's not from sugar and actually has less carbs than a can of soda, so it seems like stuffing is innocent.
I've seen all I need. We have learned that turkey is actually healthy, canned cranberries are loaded with sugar, sweet potatoes are great, and stuffing isn't healthy, but isn't that bad either.
So, is Thanksgiving innocent or guilty? It's innocent. Think about it, if we eat a serving of turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries (not the canned sugary kind), and stuffing, we actually have a pretty healthy meal made of real, natural food. For some, it would be the healthiest meal they have eaten in a while.
So if Thanksgiving dinner is basically a healthy meal, who is guilty?
Well, that's obvious. The truth is, if you eat anything in excess, even the most healthy foods, you will gain weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
Why is everyone so afraid of Thanksgiving? It's because we overeat, and not only on turkey, but also dessert. You know that sugar is bad if you are trying to keep your weight in check, so I don't need to tell you to take it easy on the pie.
Give Thanksgiving a break, and get real. Instead of stuffing ourselves with more turkey, we know when to stop and have enough will power to do it. Let's enjoy our time together and give thanks for a full table, and a reasonably full stomach and refrigerator.
Have A Happy Thanksgiving. - 31875
So, Thanksgiving stands accused as the least healthy holiday. Like your mother used to say, "Don't hang out with the wrong crowd." Thanksgiving, as far as its effect on health, is just another day in November, it's just guilty by association. More specifically, its association with food, lots of food! Well, this is a free country, we are free to do, or eat what we want, and we are innocent until proven guilty. So let's give Thanksgiving a fair trial and see what our final verdict is.
First up, I'd like to call to the stand, Turkey, the main character in the Thanksgiving feast.
5 ounces of white mean Turkey: Total Fat: 11.9g Saturated Fat: 3.4 Trans Fat: 0 Cholesterol: 107.8mg Sodium: 89.3mg Carbs: 0 Protein :40.6g
Well, it looks like Turkey has a little fat, but not saturated or trans fat, but healthy unsaturated fats. It has relatively small amounts of cholesterol, sodium and no carbs. It is loaded with protein. Protein from turkey is an excellent source because it is a complete protein with all of the necessary amino acids. It appears that turkey is not only not bad for you, but actually healthy. The Verdict: Turkey is innocent.
Next, Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes, Dark Orange, Fresh, 5" long, Total Fat: .1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 71.5mg Carbs: 26.2g Protein: 2g
It seems that sweet potatoes are fat free and cholesterol free. They are nearly free of sodium as well as protein. This vegetable, or root, has good carbs as well. These good carbs are complex, which means your body breaks them down slowly providing you with energy over time, instead of going straight to your hips or stomach as fat. It would appear that sweet potatoes are innocent also.
Up next, canned cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Sauce, Sweetened and Canned, 3 slices: Total Fat: .3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 49.6mg Carbs: 66.5g Sugars- 64.5.g Protein: .3g
Well, it appears that cranberry sauce is fat free, please remember that the FDA lets food be labeled as fat free, preservative free, or trans fat free as long as there is less than .5g of the substance per serving. Please don't think that everything is actually fat free. Just think of it as .49g of fat per serving. Canned cranberry suace has no cholesterol and a very low sodium level. It does have 66.5g of carbs, 64.5g of those are sugar. Think of those 65g being pasted right to your belly, that's not a pretty sight. It looks like canned cranberry sauce is guilty!
Now for the stuffing:
Stuffing, bread, prep/dry mix 1/2cup Total Fat: 8.6g Saturated Fat: 1.7g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 543mg Carbs: 21.7g Sugars: 2.1g Protein: 3.2g
Well, stuffing has a small amount of fat, but not bad fat. There is a limited amount of cholesterol and protein, but tons of sodium as with most boxed or canned foods. It has a little bit of carbs from the white bread mix, but it's not from sugar and actually has less carbs than a can of soda, so it seems like stuffing is innocent.
I've seen all I need. We have learned that turkey is actually healthy, canned cranberries are loaded with sugar, sweet potatoes are great, and stuffing isn't healthy, but isn't that bad either.
So, is Thanksgiving innocent or guilty? It's innocent. Think about it, if we eat a serving of turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries (not the canned sugary kind), and stuffing, we actually have a pretty healthy meal made of real, natural food. For some, it would be the healthiest meal they have eaten in a while.
So if Thanksgiving dinner is basically a healthy meal, who is guilty?
Well, that's obvious. The truth is, if you eat anything in excess, even the most healthy foods, you will gain weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
Why is everyone so afraid of Thanksgiving? It's because we overeat, and not only on turkey, but also dessert. You know that sugar is bad if you are trying to keep your weight in check, so I don't need to tell you to take it easy on the pie.
Give Thanksgiving a break, and get real. Instead of stuffing ourselves with more turkey, we know when to stop and have enough will power to do it. Let's enjoy our time together and give thanks for a full table, and a reasonably full stomach and refrigerator.
Have A Happy Thanksgiving. - 31875
About the Author:
Klint Newton has released his 7 Part Muscle Building Guide that you can recieve, if done before Thankgiving, for free. Klint Newton is a recognized expert in teaching others how to gain muscle fast. Get your copy of his 7 Part Muscle Building Guide Now.
