Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's all about gratitude. It's not over-loaded with commercialism, and REAL Food takes center stage - a time to truly appreciate nourishing foods. At Thanksgiving, it's not uncommon to hear people saying "It's a good thing we don't eat like this everyday." or "I shouldn't eat this, but..." I always smile to myself and think that if more of us fed our families the way we do on Thanksgiving we would be a lot healthier! On this day, probably above all others, we get in the kitchen and cook REAL Food - turkey, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.

To dispel the myth that traditional Thanksgiving foods are unhealthy, here's some food for thought:

Turkey is a great source of protein. Turkey also offers us the B vitamins niacin and B-6, great for energy production. It is rich in the micronutrient selenium, which provides cancer protection. If you can get a pasture-raised turkey from a local farm, you'll get even more nutritional benefit. Visit Local Harvest to find a farm near you.

Sweet Potatoes could almost substitute for dessert on their own! Providing complex carbs and dietary fiber, sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious veggies you can put on your plate. They are high in antioxidants and include Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, vitamin C, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. They are anti-inflammatory by nature - a great benefit, since inflammation is the cornerstone of diseases from asthma to cancer.

Brussel Sprouts are closely related to the cabbages they resemble in miniature form. They have the same cancer protective substance - sulforaphane. This substance actually helps us to detoxify and clear out cancer causing substances from our bodies. Brussel sprouts reduce DNA damage and are heart protective, with vitamin C, dietary fiber and folic acid. 

Pumpkin, a favorite this time of year, is filled with high levels of anti-oxidants and carotenes, especially vitamins C and E. These nutrients may lower cancer risk, heart disease, cataracts and strokes!

Butter often gets a bad name, but it is a REAL food with health benefits! Butter is a rich easily absorbabl form of the fat soluble vitamins - A, E, and K and the mineral selenium.  To avoid avoid accumulated pesticides, hormones and other chemicals, purchase organic.

So, this Thanksgiving, as you look at the nourishing REAL food on your table, consider feeding your family this way all year long for better health!

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.” ~W.T. Purkiser
 

 
Sources:
Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Plank