Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving week has me really thinking about the fun I have with Open Eating! When I think of all of the foods that normally spread across Thanksgiving tables throughout our country. I see things like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, candied yams, green bean casserole, fruit salad, pumpkin pie, and more. 

All of these foods are traditional, rich, and full of memories. We live in a beautiful time with such bounty!

I have so much gratitude for the opportunity to reflect on the origins of this holiday. Men and women who were willing to take a chance on freedom came to an unknown land and could only hope to provide a bountiful life for generations to come. Caught in a whirlwind of fear of a bleak winter coming with little food to sustain their colonies, the Pilgrims were graced with the generosity of the natives who shared their traditions, simple riches, and memories. From that time on, lives were blessed year after year in remembrance of those sacrifices.

The beauty of this story is that the natives shared their variety and their bounty. They gave food that would nourish and sustain the pilgrims. It was that decision to step out of their comfort zone and provide nourishment that changed the course of this country and brought us the blessings we have today. 

Sometimes it feels like we’ve gotten a bit complacent- following tradition for the sake of tradition… not always remembering the sacrifices that brought us this beautiful holiday we call Thanksgiving. Over the years, more and more focus has been on getting the richest foods that will make the best new memories. 

As the foods get richer, they seem to have gotten more refined as well. Most vegetables are smothered in sauces that are high in sugar, salt, and fat. Most loaves of bread are refined grains. It seems that the sustaining fuel of foods high in nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients either fades from the table or drowns in processed foods that the body needs to detox from. 

What if we broke the chain? What if we ditch complacency? What if we stepped out of our comfort zone and took the time to focus on the real nutrients, the real fuel, the real foods that our body needs to truly survive… to really THRIVE?

This year, I am going to do things a bit differently. I’m going to simplify. I’m going to reduce the sauces and bring in more color, and more fiber. Adding in carrots and squash for yellows and oranges. Adding in REAL berries in place of the cranberry sauce for some reds and blues. Served simple green beans and a quinoa kale salad with pomegranate. Every color of the rainbow with ALL of the flavors and spread across the table full of the fuel your body wants and NEEDS so you can change the world.

We have much to be thankful for. As we enter into a world where we are not faced with the mess of diets, confusion, and restrictions around food… we have the opportunity to bring in the best and find JOY in food again. We can understand the expert within ourselves that can lead us to a healthy weight, a healthy body, and a healthy mind. We can Open Eat… can take back our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving all! Cheers!