Gobble Gobble… Or Not?

The turkey. The stuffing. The mashed potatoes and yams with marshmallows. The buttery gravy. The green beans. The pies.

It’s THANKSGIVING!!!!!

And here’s a recommendation from your friendly holistic nutritionist, moi:

Go ahead and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal to the fullest.

Literally.

Stuff yourself like the turkey if it makes you happy, and take that tryptophan-and-sugar-crash-induced nap.

Really, it’s ok – as long as you don’t eat this way regularly. The holidays are a special time. You’ve got family, feasting, festivities, and lots of comfort foods providing you with a type of goodness that goes way beyond just the food itself. When else are you going to have your grandmother’s stuffing, green bean casserole with fried onions, marshmallow yams, mom’s divine gravy, and three different types of pie, all on the same day? (Hopefully your answer is: just at Thanksgiving, and maybe two other days during the year! =)

This recommendation is based on my 80/20 rule:  It’s what you do most of the time that matters, not just some of the time!

If you eat healthfully and move your body regularly all week long, it’s totally fine take the day “off” vegging on the coach and having a helping of seconds one day a week (the other 20%).

I believe the 80/20 rule makes living healthfully sustainable and more enjoyable. It helps prevent you from feeling guilty every time you can’t live up to your (or others’) unrealistic expectations of being perfect all the time – because you can’t.

Some other ways to put the 80/20 rule to work:

• If you work your booty off all week long, it’s ok to go completely offline the whole weekend. The world will go on.
• If you pass on fried foods most of the time, it’s ok to have fried chicken when you’re on a special trip down south where it’s the specialty… yum.
• If you spend most of your day taking care of others, it’s ok to take a few hours a week just to yourself.
• If you cook with olive oil 80% of the time, use butter the rest of the time!
• If you buy organic 80% of the time, it’s ok to get conventional produce the rest of the time, or based on your budget or availability.

Perfection is a myth. So give it up. You’ll be happier 100% of the time.

Happy Gobbling!

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“Simla Somturk Wickless, MBA, CHC, CNE, is an integrative health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach whose mission is to transform busy bodies into healthy, balanced beings TM. To learn how to zing your energy, tame your stress, and take back control of your health, register for her free monthly eZine at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com.”