Wellness Archives | Page 2 of 3

Avoid, Guilt-free, Substitute, Light and Other Words I Don’t Like

December 11, 2009

Raise your hand if you’ve come across an article or an email with some form of these words in the title. (I have both hands raised). I promise if I receive one more email that has a “guilt-free” recipe in the title I’m going to scream. Well, okay, a delete and then a purge from my email memory forever will suffice.

Last year I did a post on All that Healthy Eating Advice and I’m sticking to those thoughts and feelings this year as well. I really dislike the idea that we have to use tactics and trickery to control eating and that a feeling of guilt can enter our minds when we eat a real food we truly enjoy.

Food is part of culture. Culture can often be defined by food.

Family celebrations and holidays throughout history have focused on food. I believe with all my heart that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I also feel it is dishonoring our culture and traditions to find sneaky ways to avoid enjoying real food and beating ourselves up like it is a failure of character if we do.

I’ve been there. Tried all the tactics myself and am guilty as charged.

Yes, there are some problems with our food culture in the U.S. Not listening to our minds and our stomachs and stuffing until we are sick is not healthy. Stuffing with foods made of heavily processed ingredients isn’t healthy either. Not to mention, avoiding any movement until New Years isn’t the best decision.

There are some very unhealthy habits that surround our holidays, that is true. I’ve mentioned some of them above. But truly savoring and enjoying my mom’s pumpkin pie, the cookies I bake or a rich, delicious appetizer at a party can be one of the healthiest things we do this holiday season, especially if we are in the camp of sacrifice, deprivation, and guilt this time of year.
I know, I’ve been there.

You can read all those tips/thoughts/ideas I listed in last year’s post. I only have a couple more to add this year. These are a few more of the ways I am looking at things this holiday season.

Invest and enjoy. If you are going to indulge, make it worth it. Buy real cheddar and not processed cheese food, make your own cream soup and buy a quality chocolate. Break those fake food habits and start eating real food. Yes, it will take some readjustment of your budget and time (we’ll address this in a later post), but when you stop buying the processed stuff you’ll have money to spend on the quality stuff and your body will thank you for it.

Keep moving. You are going to eat and enjoy some delicious foods this season that likely have more calories than what you eat on a normal daily basis. Again, this is okay. Physiology makes it so an increase in calories causes weight gain. Exercise will combat these extra calories and carry you happily through a holiday season. You’ll reduce your stress, the endorphins will be pumping and you’ll feel much more like St. Nick than Scrooge.

Not all the time, every day. Keep your parties in mind throughout your week and lighten up on the days you don’t have one. It’s perfectly okay to indulge in the foods at your friend’s dinner party this weekend, but when you have a chance to cut back this week, do so. Save your intake of cookies and desserts for the cookie exchange and take a break from them a few days before. Don’t take it to the point of feeling deprived, but some checks and balances throughout the season will keep you from gaining a lot of unwanted weight. Along with the exercise, doing this helps. Since the beginning of November, I’m rid of 9 lbs of the weight I gained over the past couple years (all that ex-pat eating experimentation) and I’ve enjoyed A LOT of great food.

And what if you do gain a few pounds?

Accept and appreciate yourself. So you gain 5 lbs during the holidays? So what? The bigger question is – 1. Did you enjoy the foods you ate and avoid mindless munching? 2. Did you enjoy the time spent with the people you love? Give yourself a break and commit to losing it as soon as the holidays are over. Life is so short, don’t spend it feeling deprived and consumed with guilt.

The healthiest thing we can do this holiday season is know ourselves well enough and be in tune enough with our bodies and emotions to choose the foods we want, eat them and savor every bite, appreciating where they came from and the people who made them.

Photo from the Bellagio Las Vegas Dec 2008

Sweet Potato Flax Muffins

December 8, 2009

These muffins were inspired by Off Her Cork. I read Andrea’s Thanksgiving Day recap and the idea of putting bananas in sweet potato casserole to sweeten it caught my attention right away. I had wanted to make some muffins with some hearty, healthy ingredients that were also relatively low in added sugar and this gave me a great idea to work with.

These muffins are made with the flesh of a mashed sweet potato, banana and maple syrup for sweetness, and flax and whole wheat flour for an extra nutritional boost. They are slightly sweet with a hearty texture. The banana comes through and the sweet potato adds a special richness.

Sweet Potato Flax Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed meal
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 sweet potato, flesh only, mashed
½ cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 12 muffin pan. In a large bowl mix together the flour, flaxseed, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the egg, maple syrup and butter. Combine well and add in the mashed banana, sweet potato and milk. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients mixing gently just until they are incorporated into the batter. Divide the batter evenly into each muffin tin. Bake 15 to 18 minutes.

Thankful For – The 2009 Edition

November 26, 2009

I think it is a pretty safe bet that most of us have food on our mind on this special holiday, but if you are like me, you are equally focused on some of the things you are thankful for. I don’t think there is any question that I have A LOT to be grateful for. We are talking a ridiculous amount. From food, to travel, to once in a lifetime experiences, I’ve been blessed with it all.

So here goes my list for 2009. Of course there is plenty more, but you likely have some eating and napping to get to!

The opportunity to live outside my home country. It is impossible to explain the value of this experience in only a few sentences. I’ve changed and grown in ways I never new possible.

Food blogs! I have discovered so many foods and so many people through food blogs. It is truly unbelievable.

Seeing a new part of the world. This goes for both Brazil and Southeast Asia. I never get tired of discovering what this world has to offer – food, people, culture, etc.

The ability to exercise. This one always ranks high on my list. One of my favorite quotes is: Exercising can actually be a form of prayer, a thanksgiving for the privilege of having a body and for simply being alive. – Regina Ryan and John Travis

A new career path. I love writing and blogging. It brings me joy and excitement that I’m not sure I truly felt in my previous work. I enjoyed that time in my life too, but working from home and being on my own schedule suites me so well and I feel I reach so many more people.

Another favorite quote of mine: It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

A husband who supports me and wants me to pursue this path (or any path I choose) even if it means I’m a bit of a starving artist at the moment.

How good my friends and family make me feel when they say, “We’re so glad your back!”

A full size oven, hot water in my kitchen and laundry room, a dishwasher and a very fast washer and dryer. Certainly not necessities, but not having them for two years helps you realize how awesome they really are!

You! Thank you for reading, for your comments and discussion. You always help me keep my thinking and ideas in check while offering me new ones at the same time.

Oh, and last but not least, guess who’s coming home with us after Thanksgiving?!!!

A Quest for Food – Cooking for Health

October 26, 2009

The third post in our Quest for Food series is from Amy at Delicious by Nature. As a Natural Food Chef, blogger, and food lover, her main goal is to show people that healthy food can be delicious and she strives to make nutritious eating fun and enjoyable. She’s here to share her tips for substituting healthier grains while maintaining textures and flavors.

My name is Amy Vig and I blog over at Delicious by Nature. I’m excited to join you all at Fake Food Free while Lori is out because I share many of her same philosophies and love hearing about all of her adventures while living abroad.

When Lori asked me to put together a post, we immediately agreed that whole grains would be an interesting topic to cover. I know that many of us are striving to fit more and more of these powerful little babies into our diets. And for those of you who aren’t…well why the heck aren’t you? Need some motivation?*

Removing the bran and germ of grains, which is what happens when they refine them, results in the loss of key nutrients such as thiamine

Whole grains are a great source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, minerals, and B vitamins

They have a higher protein content and quality than refined ones

Whole grain diets have been shown to help protect against the development of some chronic diseases including colon diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer

I can appreciate that sometimes it’s difficult to incorporate whole grains. After all, white rice, white flour, and white pasta abound in the pre-packaged and restaurant foods that are available. Plus, many of the recipes that you’ll find online give the impression that you must use the processed stuff to get the right result. And while I will concede that sometimes brown rice just isn’t the same as white, by learning to successfully adjust recipes you can easily start substituting whole grains for refined grains in even the pickiest of eaters’ meals.

A few tips for replacement:

Parboiling brown rice for about 20 minutes will make it more similar in cooking time to white rice and allows for easier replacement. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add rice, and boil like pasta for 20 minutes. Drain when just starting to soften and set the rice aside. This can be done a couple days ahead of time and then used instead of white rice in recipes like my Paella for 30.

Use whole grain or brown rice pasta in place of regular pasta when cooking at home. My boyfriend swears that the brown rice pasta isn’t even noticeably different, just be sure not to overcook it or it will become quite sticky and gummy. I make a gluten free and cheese free Creamy Mushroom and Sausage Pasta using the brown rice penne from Trader Joe’s.

Replace your usual white products with other things entirely. Sometimes, changing your expectations entirely is easier than adjusting to something that just isn’t the same. In cases where imitation just won’t do, I use things like quinoa to give my dishes a new flavor and texture.

Quinoa is an ancient grain that’s a bit nutty and cooks up in 15 minutes – much shorter than your average brown rice! I love it in my Almond Quinoa Muffins (gluten free) or Quinoa Tabbouleh. I also love how Lori used the wheatberry, another underused whole grain, in this Tropical Wheatberry Salad.

One of my favorite whole grain recipes is for brown rice sushi wraps. By using short grain brown rice and a little rice vinegar wrapped in nori, you have a great base for all kinds of creative lunches. Fill it with just about anything you like!

Tempeh Sushi Rolls
Makes 3 rolls

1/2 block tempeh (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup tamari
2 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp wasabi powder
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp coconut oil, divided
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
8 leaves kale (preferably lacinato), removed from stem and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sheets nori
Wasabi and tamari for dipping

1. Steam tempeh for 10-15 minutes until it has “puffed up”. Remove from steamer and slice into julienne strips (about 10 from the 1/2 block)

2. Combine tamari, mirin, and wasabi powder. Mix well. Add tempeh strips into bowl, stir gently to coat, and let marinate at least 30 minutes

3. Cook rice. Once done, pour onto a large baking sheet and season with rice vinegar. Spread evenly across sheet and allow to cool.

4. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp coconut oil, then add sliced kale. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender adding tempeh marinade as you go. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp coconut oil. Remove tempeh from the marinade and then add to the pan, allowing it to brown on each side before removing to a plate.

6. Lay nori on a sushi mat. Spread rice onto the nori (leaving 1/2 inch at closest end to you and 1 inch at the farthest end), then create a thin row of peppers, kale, at the end closest to you. Then use mat to roll away from you, pressing firmly to keep everything together, then sealing the nori with water at the end. Slice into about 6 rounds to serve.

*All whole grain nutrition information came from “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods” by Michael Murray. This book is a great source of information on the nutritional value of foods and how to use them.

P.S. In case you are just stopping by, I’m in the process of moving back to the US and am currently on an extended trip in SE Asia. I have weekly guest posts lined up this month and will be stopping by with foodie pictures from our travels as time permits.

Photo courtesy of the guest author.

Is Trying Enough?

May 21, 2009

When visiting DC with my family we found ourselves browsing around the Museum of Natural History at lunch time. I typically don’t prefer cafes connected to large tourist attractions, but unfortunately the café in the museum was our only option in the area so we ate there.

As we entered the line to go in, I was greeted by some running TV screens which stated that the cafeteria used locally grown ingredients. When we got inside I noticed that they were selling organic fruit. Although I don’t consider organic the end all and be all when it comes to my produce selection, and the price was pretty hefty, I did take the offering as a good sign.

Then we got to the drink station. Hello Coke! There was water available under the lemonade (although I’d paid almost $3 for the cup) and some unsweetened iced tea (not brewed) in the fountain so at least there were a couple options.

I complained to my family how frustrating it is that establishments boast about local and organic and yet sell out to soda companies. After my venting, I started to think about why this upset me so much.

Well, we talked a week or so ago about how in-your-face soda is, so that was one thing. The other thing was that they seemed to be proud of their healthy, environmentally friendly food practices, but ignored that when it came to beverages. Then I came back to the thought – Well, at least they are trying.

This then brought me to the question – Is trying enough?

I ask myself this question often when it comes to my food choices. I’m definitely changing – making more environmentally friendly choices, increasing my awareness about where my food comes from and what processes it goes through, and eliminating fake foods from my diet.

I am far from perfect, however. Although, I’m getting closer I doubt I will ever get to the point where every piece of beef I put in my mouth is grass fed and every piece of produce I consume is grown under ideal farming practices. I do see stopping at a famous or historic, local burger joint during my travels in my future from time to time.

It is easy to blame some of this on our society. In order for everyone to make these changes our society and the foods we are offered, say, when we are out to eat need to change too. I take full responsibility for my own actions, but if there is no place around when you are traveling that sells the good stuff you are used to buying at home you are kind of out of luck. While you certainly don’t have to eat fast food, there are times you are forced to make exceptions.

So then I consider if I feel that trying is enough for me, why do I feel the need to be so critical of eating establishments who are not perfect, but trying as well? That doesn’t seem fair.

I’m not always this critical. Usually if there is a healthy option I’m happy. However, as my knowledge grows and I strive to change my diet I find the temptation to be overly critical grows stronger as well.

Despite my attempts to give myself and the places I eat a break, I still wonder if trying is enough. In some cases I think it is. Small changes by many people can make a huge difference. However, if we always use little excuses like – well, I really like that even though it is a fake food or I’m too busy to make my own food – then we aren’t facilitating the changes that need to happen as a society which will result in the consumption of more nourishing, whole foods that we can get anywhere and everywhere.

So right now, I do think trying is enough, but long-term I wonder if I’ll ever reach perfection in this area or if that is even what I’m striving for.

Do you think trying is enough?

Revisiting Resolutions

April 1, 2009

Well, it is April. That makes it about three months since many of us discussed the things we were planning to improve on or achieve in this new year.

I think traditionally the expectation is that resolutions are forgotten by about March. This always seemed to be the trend when I worked in the gym. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that resolutions were forgotten AND spring break was over since I was usually working on a college campus. (i.e. no urgent need to look good in a bikini once spring break is over)

The last week or so, I’ve had my resolutions on my mind. I chose some that I really wanted to stick with this year. They were not my typical lose 10 lbs, eat more veggies, but these were things that I really care about and felt motivated (still do) to accomplish.

Let’s see how I’m doing. Thanks for holding me accountable, by the way.

Stay in the moment. It is going to be a busy year for us and I don’t want to get distracted looking ahead to the next step all the time. I want to remember to enjoy the present.

Um…I’m going to have to go with so-so on this. Among my resolutions I think this has been the hardest one. I have to admit I’m enjoying what I can in Brazil, but I also can’t wait to move back to the States and the adventures I will have again there as well. Note to self: I definitely need to work harder at staying in the moment.

Improve my running ability.

I’m proud to say that this one gets a check. I’ve been sticking with my program since mid-January without giving up. I’m planning to get in a 5K in May (I haven’t done one since we moved to Brazil in 07) and am looking at longer distances later in the year. Also, if you are a runner I’m looking into this event in Kentucky in October – The Bourbon Chase. I’m trying to form a team so if you are interested and located nearby or want to consider traveling in, let me know.

Get away from standard gym workouts and increase my exercise variety. I am taking squash racquets back to Brazil with us and I want to do more hiking.

Half check. My husband and I have been playing squash on the weekends and I love it. However, Saturday morning is our only option since the gym is closed Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. So I have to admit that things can get in the way of our weekly meetings such as waiting for the Internet repair go to show up like last weekend. The hiking hasn’t been accomplished, but that is to come. This is something that will be much more accessible later this fall when we make our move back to the US.

Explore the option of getting back into teaching group exercise. Pilates and yoga instruction are starting to appeal to me more.

I’m still exploring ideas and I’m pretty sure I will get back into teaching later this fall. I just can’t progress with any certifications until then, but I am researching my options.

Expand my web writing and get an article in a print publication this year.

I’m getting there with this one. The book that I mentioned which will be a compilation of ideas from previous blog posts for Charity Mile focusing on planning fitness events will certainly be a print publication, but I had magazines in mind when I wrote this resolution. This month I will be focused on developing more article ideas and queries. My goal is a print pub by the end of July. I’ll let you know.

Your turn.

Do you still have your resolutions in the back of your mind? Which ones have you accomplished and which are you still working on?

Economic Influence and Portion Control

March 19, 2009

I’ve had two food and health related topics on my mind lately – how the economy is influencing our food choices and gigantic portions. At first I didn’t really feel like my thoughts on the two had anything to do with each other, but the more I ponder it I think maybe they do.

Despite absorbing a small hike in food prices into our budget, living abroad has afforded us the luxury of avoiding most of the current economic struggles being experience by many in the States. Everyone is talking about it of course and I’ve been reading just about everything I come across on the subject. Though, I’ve realized that there is a big difference in reading about it and experiencing it.

When I go back to the US to visit it is much like a vacation. Everyone is happy to see me (thankfully) and typically when people want to get together it is to go eat a meal in one form or another. This leads to great opportunities for observing how the economy has changed eating out, if at all.

For example, in my hometown there has been relatively no change in the amount of people out in restaurants. My brother recently moved back to our hometown from Florida and is constantly commenting about vast differences in eating out between where he lived there and our hometown. He says that the numbers of people he saw eating out in south Florida have dropped drastically – no people hanging outside waiting for a table on the heavily restaurant-populated streets. However, in IN it seems nothing has changed.

So it has me wondering – are these simply the people that the economy has somehow failed to influence, or is it a case of drowning sorrows about current situations. To simplify, are people living beyond their means to begin with and say “What’s another charge on the credit card. Let’s go eat.”

This is where the issue of portion sizes comes in. My in-laws took me to Red Lobster while I was home last time. We all ordered off the lunch menu. The portions were appropriately sized, maybe even a little big for lunch. As I ate my meal and as we exited the restaurant something drew my attention to all the plates sitting on the tables around me (all tables which were full, by the way). I would estimate that 75% of people had large dinner platters, not the smaller lunch menu plates.

Now I would love to assume that this was the large meal for those people that day and they were going to have a light dinner, but our eating habits in the US as a whole tell me I would probably be wrong. Not only did these people have huge portions, but they also had the extra expense of purchasing a dinner entrée for lunch.

I used to feel that portion size was an issue that we were gaining control of – more restaurants offer half portions, people are educated to take ½ home in a to-go box, etc. However, I have to admit there are times when I get a bit scared for us and think – how in the world are we going to get a grasp on this unhealthy practice?

In the last 3 months I have had half salads on two occasions that could have fed two or more people. When something like that arrives to the table at first I start to chuckle about how huge it is, but then the reality sets in along with the feeling that it isn’t a laughing matter at all. It is really serious – a serious waste of resources and a risk to the health of those people who have unhealthy relationships with food.

Now, I realize the economy has affected people in many different ways and I am grossly generalizing through my observations. However, I can’t help but question what the key will be to solving our issues with portion sizes regardless of whether it is the consumer or restaurant’s fault. If a failing economy, loss of jobs and tight budgets doesn’t make us order off a less expensive menu to save money, and the health risks don’t scare us enough to eat smaller portions what will finally make use eat the way in which we were designed to.

Me? I don’t have any answers at the moment, but I definitely want to know yours.

Portion Problems

January 5, 2009

Things are slowly returning to normal for me and I’m glad to be blogging again. I’ve missed you all!! I’m not back in Brazil yet. I still have about a week left to spend in the US.

Of course, it is that time of year when everyone seems to get a little more focused on health and I’ve had a topic on my mind that really presented itself during our travels the last few weeks – portion sizes.

You probably know all there is to know about portion sizes and how the US in terms of restaurants and unhealthy eating has a really skewed view of what is appropriate.

If you do any traveling outside of the US, this is when the whole portion size issue really becomes quite baffling. I don’t think all countries have a good grasp on proper portions. For example, I think Brazil is almost as bad as the US when eating out. However, the majority of other places in this world serve a lot less food than we do.

A big reason why this came to mind is because of our trip to Jamaica. We stay at Sandals Resorts when we are there. Despite the fact that many people think all-inclusive resorts are all buffets, we know this isn’t true and I can’t wait to show you some of the amazing food we had in my post tomorrow.

When I read travel reviews about these resorts I almost always find a large majority of people complaining that the portions were too small at the resort. We even witnessed a couple ordering two entrees each.

I guess people don’t understand the idea that there are supposed to be 4 to 5 course meals and you are supposed to order all courses. This means each item is small. Personally, I love this because you get to try a lot of different things. We are beyond stuffed after all the courses which makes the small-portion complaint unbelievable to me.

It reminds me how our ideas of an appropriate amount of food to sustain our bodies are so amazingly far off.

When we came back and then arrived in Vegas we were greeted with the massive amounts of food USAmericans have become accustomed to. Below is a picture of my LUNCH-sized Asian salad from Grand Luxe Café in the Palazzo. Look at that thing! It is huge! It was awesome for sure, but it should have been about ½ the size.

Now here is a picture of my lunch salad in Jamaica. A much better size. It was amazing by the way. It had curry chicken, toasted coconut and mango chutney on top.

It can be quite interesting if you get into a conversation of who’s at fault for this distorted portion problem. Consumers blame restaurants and companies. Restaurants blame the fact that the customer demands it so they give them what they want. My perception is we are all at fault.

If you have ever struggled with weight loss I am sure you know that our stomach can be trained regarding how much food you need to be full. No, at the moment, I don’t have the scientific evidence to support it, but from personal experience I know my stomach will expand and shrink over time.

If we train ourselves to stop when we are full and to eat less food our body and stomach will eventually be satisfied with less. I go through this each year around the holidays. I go into them needing only small portions to fill me up. Then, after several weeks of eating too much, I find I can eat more and more before feeling too full. The beginning of the new year is spent getting things back to normal.

I guess my question is, how in the world are we going to solve this problem? I don’t see restaurants giving smaller portions anytime soon and I don’t see people without health at the front of the priorities to eat less. Sure, you can order a ½ salad at places or take ½ home, but not everyone is going to do this. Basically the people who need to do this for their health are not doing it. How are we going to retrain ourselves as a society to eat normally again? Will we?

Things just seem so far out of control that this issue truly worries me. Not only is it a problem for our health, but also our environment. We use a lot of resources for these mega portions.

What is your opinion on the issue?

Snacking

December 3, 2008

One can find all kinds of information out there about snacking. There are a lot of different views on the practice. I have been through several phases in my life when it comes to snacking. I’ve grazed all day, had a structured diet for exercise where I had 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, and over time I’ve gotten to the point where I am at now. Snacking isn’t a huge part of my day anymore.

I think snacking has its purpose – it fulfills hunger between meals and keeps the body fueled throughout the day. For me, however, snacking often led to a lot of processed foods. I would make healthy choices, but there were usually crackers, a granola bar or a snack mix involved. I found that I felt I was doing the healthy thing fueling my body, but it was often adding unnecessary calories.

Recently the US Agricultural Research Service found that teens who snacked came closer to meeting recommended food group servings, but also took in excess sugar and fat. I think I fell into that category too.

Now I just treat snacking differently. I might snack, but I only do it when I’m truly hungry. Being involved in fitness I often followed the mini-meal/between meal snack regimen to keep my energy up. This works for some people. But I’ve moved to a place in my life and health where I just can’t see eating if you are not hungry.

Despite having healthy intentions, snacking to fuel when I wasn’t hungry was teaching me to eat when I didn’t feel hunger. I don’t like doing that anymore.

I definitely still have snacks throughout the day. When I put in a hard workout my stomach is always growling between meals. At these times I remember to steer clear of a box. Fruit and nuts have become my snack of choice and often I need about two bites to actually satisfy hunger. It is just another step in my journey to eat real food and to eat it mindfully.

Are you a snacker? How do you feel about the practice of snacking?

Photo by Kevin Rosseel, www.morguefile.com

Hot Yoga, Turkey Day Wrap-Up and Recipes

November 29, 2008

Wow, turkey day is over. The fun times always seem to go the fastest. It was two days full of cooking, eating with some relaxing mixed in for me.

First I have to tell you about my yoga experience. Last week I was driving by the yoga studio in town and saw that they had a sign outside about a free Hot Yoga class on Thanksgiving Day. Apparently, it is a tradition used to get people in to workout on the holiday and to give newcomers a chance to try it for free.

I’d never done hot yoga before. I’m not a huge yoga fan because it is a little slow moving for me. I love mind/body fusion classes, though. I take Body Balance in Brazil which is a combo of tai chi, Pilates and yoga. I enjoy the techniques and principals of yoga, but tend to like it mixed with other things.

Anyway, I was just too intrigued by an opportunity to try it for free. I couldn’t pass it up. It ended up being amazing! If you have the chance to try it definitely take advantage.

The room was packed with over 50 people. It was an intermediate level class and the temp in the room ranged from 96 F to 102 F. It is amazing what the heat does for you regarding concentration and focus. Hopefully, I can incorporate it into my regular workouts when we move back to the States. I haven’t seen it where I’m at in Brazil and even if they did have it, surprisingly that type of thing is more expensive there than in the States.

So after sweating my buns off I was ready for some cooking and eating too. I promised some pictures so here is my Thanksgiving recap. I altered the recipes to my liking so below I’ll tell you what I did.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

This is kind of a combination of a couple different types I’ve made over the years. It is easy and they always turn out great.

15 white mushrooms, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T butter or olive oil
¼ c grated parmesan
½ block cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Place mushrooms in baking dish and brush with a little olive oil or melted butter. Finely chop mushroom stems. Add butter or oil to skillet and cook stems and garlic until tender. Add parmesan and cream cheese, mixing well. Finally stir in spinach. Allow mixture to cool enough to touch. Fill each mushroom and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve hot.

Rum and Sweet Potato Casserole

This is probably my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I made quite a few changes to this one because I thought some of the ingredients were adding unnecessary fat and calories. I’m not too worried about this on Turkey day, but why add what isn’t needed. I left out the ½ c melted butter in the potatoes, I used only 2/3 cup sugar and a little less milk. It turned out great. I had bourbon instead of rum and this was a great change to make. The sweet flavor from the bourbon really stood out. I’m glad there are some leftovers.

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

This recipe is pretty basic, but the nutty pecans and tart cranberries give is such incredible flavor. I doubled up on the chicken stock to keep it from getting to dry. Yum!

Cranberry-Jalapeno Relish

This stuff is the perfect combination sweet, spicy and sour. I love it spread all over my turkey and the leftovers are great on sandwiches. My brother even mentioned the idea of eating it with chips as a salsa. I used less sugar than what the recipe called for and I also chopped up all my oranges in the blender instead of leaving large segments as the recipe calls for.

I’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving. How did it go? I’m really looking forward to moving into the Christmas season and all the baking that goes with it.