Survival for The Season of Food Temptations and Stress

Trick or treat? We are entering the holiday season. You know, that time of year when you wake up each morning and hit the ground, running, like a little hamster on the little treadmill, going 90 miles an hour and getting nowhere fast. We go from Halloween to Thanksgiving and then the biggest stressor of all, Christmas. Baking, tight finances, gift buying and wrapping, shipping gifts in time for those who you will not see and dare I mention the stress and agony of those family gatherings.

While it is still early in the month, let’s take a BIG DEEP BREATH, exhale and repeat. Now, pull yourself together and let’s get ready to take some pre-emptive strikes against potential pitfalls.

You have my solemn oath, the sun will still rise, and the sun will still set whether you do it all or not. You have my permission not to do it all and to say “no”. I have learned the art of saying “no”. I still have friends and family. If they truly love you and care about you, they will understand that you are not a robot and I do believe in my heart that they will be glad you are taking a stand as it then gives them permission to follow in your footsteps with a deep sigh of relief.

I encourage you to sit down, now, while the pressure is only in your head, and make a list.
· Write down what you know you must do.
· Write down what you would like not to do.
· What can you delegate?
· Be realistic and honest with yourself and you will see there are things you can easily cross off the must do list.

Halloween: Beware those mini candy bars. A nibble here, a nibble there and voila-5 pounds packed back on.

How to avoid Halloween pitfalls:
· Buy candy you do not like.
· Don’t buy candy early in the month.
· Don’t buy more than you think you need. It is OK to run out of candy, turn off the lights, and hide in the basement.
· Pay attention to the weather forecast. Cold, rain, snow=fewer kids.
· Bring leftover candy to work. After you turn out the porch light for the evening, bring the candy straight to your car and put it in the backseat or trunk to avoid temptation in the morning.
· Finally, as heartbreaking as it may seem, and again, you have my permission—THROW AWAY THE LEFTOVER CANDY.

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners if you invited guests over:
· Ask everyone to bring a dish. Make sure you have a variety, not 5 bowls of mashed potatoes.
· Don’t sabotage your newly lost weight, ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED. Nothing wrong with telling your sister-in-law you are watching your fat intake and can she please use chicken broth in the mashed potato recipe instead of 2 sticks of butter. The recipes can be found on cans of chicken broth.
· Yep, the food is mighty tasty but you don’t have to take a full serving either. Try a small spoonful and don’t deprive yourself. There are all sorts of ways to cut back and not gain back in a weekend what you took 8 weeks to lose.
· Talk to your lifestyle coach to gear up for holidays.

A Thanksgiving tradition in my home: we go for a walk after dinner, before dessert. The dogs like it too and it is a nice way for people to mingle and visit. It’s a chance for everyone to get caught up on the past year. I bet others appreciate it too. So will the dog. Just remember to tell your guests to bring some good walking shoes with them.

Desserts: I admittedly have a sweet tooth and adore desserts. How to avoid the pitfalls of overindulgence: Small tastes to satisfy the desire. I like both pecan and pumpkin pie. I have a small sliver of each. Fat free whipped cream can defray some fat and calories. Have a cup of herbal tea to help fill you up.

· Confidential to you: a slice of pumpkin pie does not count as a serving of vegetable or fruit. A slice of pecan pie does not count as your small handful of nuts as a protein source.

Lots of tempting leftovers? Send leftovers home with guests. Keep some for yourself, that’s part of the holiday fun, but a half-gallon of mashed potatoes leftover in the fridge will only be temptation.

For some good tips on what a healthy eating plate looks like: www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource

Holiday frenzy survival techniques:
· Simplify.
· Now is a good time to sit down and work up a holiday budget for gifts, for your holiday meal plans.
· Make up your menu and then see who of your guests can help with the cooking. This also gives you ample time to find recipes that will not sabotage your progress and share it with the willing cooks.
· Refer to the list you made as to what things you must do and what things you can eliminate from doing. Finances are tight for many people. Is it necessary to buy your 15 nieces and nephews a gift? Get the group together and have everyone pick a name out of a hat and buy 1 gift for 1 person.
· Step outside of yourself; donate what you would spend on gifts to your local battered women’s shelter, to the local animal shelter or the charity of your choice. The rewards you reap from giving to others less fortunate are many. It cuts down on the stress of shopping.
· If you must shop, take advantage of internet offers. Saves gas and time too.
· Ask your lifestyle coach for help with recipes or check out the prevention blog site http://www.mtdpp.blogspot.com/ for tasty recipes.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
Robert Frost

All American Chili

“All American Chili” for the Slow Cooker Adapted from www.cookinglight.com
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)
Ingredients
• 1½ pounds ground wild game or beef (your choice, they all work)
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (optional, leave out for a mild chili)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine (optional)
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
• 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:
In a large sauté pan, combine ground meat, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves)*, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

In a large slow cooker, combine meat mixture with wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

Uncover and discard the bay leaves.

Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese, as desired.

*Don’t have all the seasonings or short on time? Just use a low-sodium chili seasoning packet instead.

Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day. Leftovers can be put in single-serving containers and frozen (cool completely first!), to be used for a quick lunch later, at work or at home.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 375
Fat: 4-12g (depending on the suet you use to process your ground meat)
Protein: 28.9g
Carbohydrate: 33.7g
Fiber: 8.2g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Iron: 5mg
Sodium: 969mg (if you choose low-sodium canned tomatoes and beans, this will be significantly less)
Calcium: 165mg

For more wild game recipes:
http://somhelp.blogspot.com/2010/08/hunters-challenge-recipes.html