Thanksgiving Throwdown

So, I’m sure we've all been there. In fact, for years, I can remember Thanksgiving as a day where people sat on the couch ALL day long watching football, then at 5:00 p.m., took no more than ten steps to the dining room, where everyone gorged themselves on turkey and starchy carbohydrates. Finally, the night ended with cake/pie AND ice-cream, leading to several members of the family complaining about bloat, fatigue, cramping and headache.

The holidays are wonderful—but whether it’s the shopping routine, the scheduling mess, or the eating mistakes—we get ourselves into these vicious cycles that are more detrimental than we realize;  particularly those of us with medical concerns that arise out of our diets. People living with diabetes, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease and food allergies (just to name a few), often throw their better judgement out the window on Thanksgiving, especially when they aren't doing the cooking themselves. How many times have I walked into a holiday dinner at someone else’s home, looked at the table filled to the brim with food and said to myself, “Wow, there is a lot here I shouldn't eat.” So many. 

But instead of working my way around those food choices I would simply say, “Oh well, I have to eat what’s here,” or “it would be rude if I didn't eat it.”

When you’re attempting to create a food lifestyle for yourself that is meant to HEAL you, not HARM you, these moments can be crippling. So in the true spirit of this holiday, when sitting at the dinner table, let's think: what should we be celebrating?

We at Pretty-Sick suggest celebrating how eating a balanced, healthy meal with the people you love is more rewarding that the candied yams, mountains of mashed potatoes and pecan pie. Now, wait a minute: we’re not telling you that you can’t indulge here and there! But we do think that these are the moments to really see what MATTERS on your plate. Just as it’s time to reflect on what matters if your life.

And to those guests who still think their holiday-dining-fortune is in the hands of their hosts: Trust us, no one will be mad if you bring along a healthy dish that you KNOW you can eat. Just make sure there’s enough to share…who knows, maybe your chomping chums will want to see what this healthy talk is all about.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pretties.

Love, Rachel and Jaclyn

xoxo, Rachel