I love this time of the year...it's all about hanging out with family & friends... and eating yummy food.  What could be better?...yes of course, don't forget the red wine!  I'm all for diving in and enjoying Mimi's homemade apple pie, topped with whipped cream.  It's special; it's a treat.  It's something to look forward to.  As she was dishing it up this year at Thanksgiving, Kaitlin (beaming) was helping her by taking orders; she couldn't contain her excitement about serving up this delicious pie. 

As I watched, I realized these will be her memories of Thanksgiving.  Going to Mimi and Papa's and eating yummy pie.  How awesome.  Then I thought...how can you make the pie healthier?  And should you even try?  You could do an apple crisp, topped with rolled oats.  Yes it's true.  But it's not pie...it's not quite the same.  Mimi said this year she made it with half whole wheat flour.  But there's still white flour, white sugar, etc.  Who cares?  Not me. Yes, I do admit I think about it...but then I dive in! Why?  Because it's a treat; it's special. We don't eat it all the time.

Having treats is important for the soul.  And some things, like apple pie, can't be made totally wholesome without changing what it is...an amazing apple pie.  I try my best to teach Kaitlin and Elle (and now Addie too!) - to make healthy choices most of the time and to enjoy such treats on occasion.  It can go into overdrive quickly with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, birthday parties, etc.  So we work to maintain the daily routine of healthy meals and snacks, even if that means bringing our own snack for school and sports.

Here's the BIG picture for me: work hard to maintain healthy choices for every meal and snack and fully enjoy the celebration or party food on occasion.  Eating fake food routinely takes it toll - as we can see by the "lack of" health in our nation.  Research supports fake foods such as partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, food additives and dyes, refined flour and processed vegetable oils (just to name a few) contribute to chronic diseases such as allergies, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and ADHD.

These threats of disease are REAL threats - are you setting your child up for a lifetime of health and happiness or disease and early death?  As humans, we are often short sighted...who will remember the swine flu scare 20 years from today?  Yet, in nearly that same time frame, many of our children will be diagnosed with allergies, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and/or ADHD.  I realize diet is not everything, but it is a HUGE something...It can decrease your child's risk of these diseases and early death by 80% according to one study![1] Hard to ignore. 
 

So this holiday season, feed your soul with a slice of pie - or whatever your favorite holiday food might be - but work hard to feed your family REAL food the majority of the time.  It's worth it.
 

Susan McCreadie, MD is a Holistic Pediatrician and co-founder of nourishMD. She shows parents how to find REAL health for their child, so they can stop treating their child's symptoms and instead find solutions that help their child heal from the inside out.

Sources: 
1. Ford, E. et. al. (2009). Healthy Living Is the Best Revenge: Findings From the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam Study. Arch Intern Med, 169 (15): 1355-1362