Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! On Thursday, people across the country will gather with loved ones and give thanks for all that they have. If you are like most people in this country, Thanksgiving is also a holiday that’s tied in with eating a big, heavy meal.
For many Americans, Thanksgiving is the start of a holiday season filled with tempting treats. Unfortunately, this provides a formula for weight gain. In fact, Americans may gain between one and ten pounds between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the New Year if they are not careful.
Of course, weight gain isn’t the only issue. Regularly consuming the tempting treats associated with Thanksgiving and the December holidays can also lead to imbalances in your system that result in poor digestion, sugar cravings, loss of energy, skin eruptions, and many other symptoms.
It all starts with Thanksgiving. So what should you to do to get your holiday season off to a healthy start? Here are my tips for a healthy day.
1. Start out the day as you normally would.
Many people decide that as long as they are going to be eating a huge feast later in the day, they might as well just give up on their health habits for the entire day. If you use Thanksgiving as an excuse to get out of bed and eat a donut, however, then you may notice sluggish energy and poor digestion as the day progresses. You may also put your body in a state where you eat even more than you would have had you started out your day normally.
Instead of calling the entire day a wash, I strongly suggest keeping your morning routine intact. Start out the morning with a cup of hot water with lemon. Enjoy Glowing Green Smoothies for breakfast to start out on the right foot. This will start you in a great nutritional position, keeping you hydrated and prepared to veer off track only a little when you sit down at a food-laden dinner table.
2. Skip the appetizers.
In many families, it is customary to nosh on all sorts of appetizers while visiting and awaiting the big meal. Instead of munching, focus on taking with your family and friends and enjoying your time with them.
3. Approach food with awareness and thankfulness.
Your mental state when you eat is important. Don’t munch away without paying attention to the foods you eat. Instead, be present as you eat your meal with an attitude of thankfulness. This will help with digestion, and you will be more likely to be aware of the foods you are using to nourish your body.
4. Take digestive enzymes.
While eating with awareness will aid digestion, chances are you are going to eat some foods you haven’t had in a while. This can make it difficult for your body to digest these foods, so taking two digestive enzymes before your Thanksgiving dinner will help ease the process.
5. Talk turkey.
If your family eats turkey on Thanksgiving, encourage them to buy an organic, free-range turkey. Many specialty shops are happy to order the birds for you; or, visit a farm yourself that specializes in raising organic turkeys and choose one for your meal. If your family is particularly open-minded, you may even be able to convince them to skip the turkey altogether and instead enjoy a bounty of fresh, seasonal, organic plant-based foods. Family traditions after all, are what we make them.
Do you love turkey? It’s okay to have a little bit, but enjoy it with delicious vegetable options. (See the recipes below).
6. Practice moderation.
Let’s face it. Thanksgiving food is really good, and there’s a solid chance that seconds are going to happen. With so many delicious foods in front of you, it’s okay to be a little bit indulgent. A small portion of seconds is allowable, but avoid going in for a (glutinous) third helping. :)
7. Have a cup of tea.
Mint helps with digestion. A few hours after your meal, sit down and enjoy a nice cup of fresh mint tea.
8. Skip the leftovers.
Enjoy Thanksgiving in one meal, and leave the heavy leftovers to others. Instead, get right back on track with The Beauty Detox Solution so you can sail through the holidays in glowing good health.
Thanksgiving Recipes
Enjoy veggies this Thanksgiving! You’ll feel like you’re having a treat, but you’ll still be eating healthful, nutritious foods, as well.
Thanksgiving Baked Vegetables:
(Serves about 4)
Sometimes baked veggies are so yummy! As long as we are having plenty of raw greens and veggies every day, it is okay to have some baked vegetables in the mix. This is especially delicious in wintertime, when we naturally crave warmer foods.
- 3-4 carrots, peels and cut into chunks
- 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 small cauliflower, cut into ½ inch florets
- 2 large zucchinis, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 5 cups bok choy greens, chopped into into 1 inch pieces
- 3 Tbs. fresh parsley
- 1 Tbs. fresh, minced rosemary
- 1 Tbs. fresh, minced thyme
- 1 tsp. fresh sage
- ¼ cup low sodium tamari
- ¼ cup raw coconut oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Smear the coconut oil over a glass oven-proof casserole dish with lid, and place all vegetables, parsley and rosemary, mixed up, inside.
- Mix the coconut oil and the tamari through the vegetables.
- Cover and place in oven for about 55 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add a bit more tamari to taste, if desired, and serve with a salad.
Give Thanks Sweet Potatoes:
(Makes about 3-4 servings, multiply recipe for as many people as you have!)
- 2 pounds organic sweet potatoes, washed and cut into medium sized chunks about 2” long. (For the average sweet potato, there should be about 8 pieces).
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
- 1 Tbs. fresh minced rosemary
- 1 Tbs. fresh minced thyme
- 1/2 tsp. fresh minced marjoram
- ½ tsp. fresh minced sage
- High quality sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the coconut oil, herbs, and salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
- Bake in oven for 1 ½ – 2 hours.
Colored Grateful Stuffed Peppers:
(Makes 6 servings)
- 6 red, yellow, orange or green peppers, or a combination, seeded and hollowed out
- 3 Tbs. of raw coconut oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 cups of broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups of kale, chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 cup basil, chopped finely
- High quality sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 3/4 cup dried quinoa
- Fresh thyme, for garnishing
Pre-prep: Be sure to soak the quinoa overnight in water and rinse well before using.
Instructions for Preparing seeded and hollowed peppers:
- Make an incision at the rounded top of each pepper, about 1 – 1 ½ inches from the stem.
- Cut all around the stem in an even circle, then pull out the stem and the seeds.
- Discard stem, and save the rest of the pepper top to chop and add to the filling
- If necessary, clean out any remaining seeds from inside the pepper and discard.
- In a saucepan place 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the quinoa to the hot water, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains become translucent soft (about 10-15 minutes). Pour through a strainer and set to the side in a bowl.
- Saute garlic in coconut oil until gently cooked, then add onions, and stir until the onions become translucent. Add the broccoli, carrot, chopped pepper tops (from preparing the peppers) and basil and cook gently for a few minutes. Add the sea salt and other seasonings to the veggie mixture and stir it up.
- Add the cooked quinoa and mix everything together well.
- Adjust seasonings to your taste. The mixture should taste slightly saltier than your taste, as the seasoning will be less concentrated when you stuff the plain bell peppers.
- Once you are satisfied with your filling, spoon into each pepper, right up to the top.
- Place peppers tightly next to each other in a glass dish so they remain upright.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme just before serving
Raw Pecan Love Pie
Crust:
- 2 cups walnuts
- 3 cups of pitted dates
- 1 cup coconut flakes, finely ground
- Pit the dates yourself, extracting each pit and discarding.
- Add the dates, coconut flakes and walnuts to the food processor and mix on high until thoroughly mixed.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie tray. Set to the side.
Filling:
- 2/3 cup filtered water
- 1 cup raw pecans, soaked about 15 minutes
- 1 cup organic Thompson raisins
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/3 cup coconut nectar
- 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
- Blend all the filling ingredients together in the blender until smooth.
- Pour onto the crust of the tray, and garnish with fresh, raw pecans.
- Set in freezer overnight, or for at least 5 hours before serving. Slice up and enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Love and peace to all.
Sounds absolutely delicious!!!!
Wonderful tips as always! What brand of digestive enzymes do you recommend, where to buy them and how long before dinner should they be taken? Thanks!
There are many good brands. Try the Rainbow Light or Garden of Life. Take them right before dinner!
Awesome recipes and tips, Kim. That Pecan Love pie is the best; I can vouch for that personally. I only disagree with one thing you say–that the holiday gluttony starts at Thanksgiving. For a lot of peeps, I think it really kicks off around Halloween. Sad but true. ;-)
Have a great holiday!
Xoxo,
Bria
Hmm, that may be true Bria!! Did you eat a lot of cacao this year? :) xx
I just finished your book and I love it! I’m going to send some out for Christmas! lol
I was wondering if you are going to come out with a recipe/cook book?
and I just got the stuff to make the stuffed peppers last night! I’m so excited.. I hope I don’t mess it up lol
thanks so much!
~Christina
Thanks Cristina, that’s great! And yes, more recipes coming. :)
Thanks for this great advice! Every year I get so excited that I stuff down my food. This year I’m going to take time and appreciate everything I’m putting in my mouth
xo
Jocelyn
That’s great Jocelyn. Tgiving is about so much more than food!!
Hi Kim
I was asking you abou ACV do you suggest it to take with water on empty stomach or only with food? Also do you soak and rinse your chia seeds because of phytic acid or no? How does miso combine? you know there is grains and beans, so it should be taken only with starch dishes or with anything?And the last one what is your opinion on paleo diet eliminating all grains including pseudo like quiona. Many many thanks to you.
HI Sam, here are the answers to a few of your questions: Beans contain protein and starch, so you can eat them with grains if you like. I think it goes without saying that I am not a fan of the Paleo diet, and strongly disagree with its principles for the ideal diet for humans. xx
Hi Kim! I plan on making the Raw Pecan Love Pie. Is it possible to store it? I want to make an extra one, but won’t see the person I’m giving it to until Monday! Will it last that long if I make it on Friday? Happy Thanksgiving to you! I’m thankful this year that your book has changed my life. My eating habits, my health, while I am not a vegan, your Glowing Green Smoothie is a staple in my day to day life! THANK YOU! :)
That’s wonderful! Happy Tgiving to you too! And yes the pie will definitely last. :)
Hooray for digestive enzymes! I’m gluten-intolerant (non-celiac) and they enable me to indulge once in awhile and avoid symptoms. I’ve been using Source Naturals Essential Enzymes.
Great, they do help!
Hi Kimberly! I was reading your Seeyourimpact. Org blog and saw an unanswered comment by “Gary” I’m really interested in knowing the answer to! Thanks!:
In his comment he says that cruciferous vegetables should be cooked or they will block
production of the thyroid hormone. He also cautions eating raw spinach,thou
parsley, etc. (which she love in her smoothies) because they contain oxalic
acid, which blocks iron and calcium absorption and may contribute to the
formation of kidney stones. She thinks that drinking lots of water, plus
varying greens helps with the oxalates right? But then the cruciferous
vegetables thing threw her for a loop. Any thoughts?
Hi Linda,
The oxalic acid topic is controversial and unsolved. There has been research that shows that oxalic acid, which is in a variety of foods such as caffeine products, cola drinks, asparagus, and certain greens including spinach, can bind to some plants and prevent some calcium absorption. However, the degree to which this occurs is controversial. In the book Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Davidson points out that the chelating effect of oxalic acid on minerals like calcium is most likely negligible. Dr. Gabriel Cousens postulates that upon examining the oxalate sediment in hundreds of people’s urine, the oxalate from natural foods do not build up in the system if digestion and fat metabolism are working properly. In Raw Vegetable Juices, Dr. Norman Walker says that when greens are cooked is when the oxalic acid becomes irritating and dead in the system, and it binds irreversibly with calcium and hinders its absorption, crystallizing in the kidneys. This is a controversial, unresolved issue, so the best idea is to rotate your raw greens, including spinach, to ensure that all foods in your diet are balanced. There is not sufficient evidence on his comment about cruciferous vegetables to claim that eating raw broccoli could damage your thyroid hormones (!). Does that make sense to you? I know from personal experience, I’ve been eating raw broccoli since I was a child and I feel great. You can enjoy it steamed also, of course.
Holiday food always disturbs my digestion. I mention a wonderful peppermint/ginger tea on my blog to drink before the meal to aide digestion. LOVE your recipes and suggestions. Making an intention before the holiday can be powerful way to stay on track and enjoy.
Thanks!
Hi Kimerly, interesting post. i think it would be great for your next book to come out with more recipes! i can’t wait for your next book!
It has a lot more recipes. :)
Have a good thanksgiving too! I will def be having mint tea afterwards.
Great, Happy Tgiving Marina!
Hi Kim!
Another great post! I love everything you write on here, and I must say that the Beauty Detox Solution was absolutely fabulous (I must have read it about four times now!!)
I have 2 questions for you though:
1- You have such beautiful skin! Is there anything special that you do to take care of it topically? Like home remedies, favorite products, or any sort of ritual?
2- Probiotic supplements tend to break me out (I’ve tried 3 different brands, all non-dairy. Even Dr. Ohhira’s broke my skin out in cysts around my chin/jaw). Why is this? I follow the BDS and have eaten extremely clean for a few years now, but the probiotics always break me out. I don’t quite understand this :/ Any suggestions?
Thanks Kim!
That’s very interesting. I wonder if there is a link???
Hey Jackie!
I think I have somewhat of the same problem! My skin is very sensitive.. to the point where i can not use any fragarenced anything. I am currntly using a probiotic supplement I purchased at rite aid. It seems to be working great! Im not exaclty what the brand is. Nature… something.
HI Amy,
Thank you!
I like Sally B’s cleanser and BWC. I like to wash my face for 2 minutes, then remove with a washcloth which I think really helps. I LOVE the Sally B’s skin boosters, which are powdered, totally viable crushed vitamin C and resvreratrol, which you can add to any moisturizer for more brightening ability!
Probiotics should not break you out- but they may be activating a cleansing response of ridding your body of toxins, which need to be flushed out somehow. Over time, probiotics help a lot with clear, beautiful skin. Do you have colonics? Or take the MagOxy to help clear things our faster?
xx
Ooh! I cannot wait to try out some Sally B skin products! I love love love their lip yummies :) (thanks for recommending them on a previous post)!
As for the probiotics, I don’t get colonics and haven’t tried MagOxy, but I enema quite frequently (1-2 times a week). I tend to have digestive problems (most likely irritable bowel, but I’m going to be tested for Crohn’s soon), could that make me respond negatively to probiotics?
Hi Kimberly,
I realize this is an older post but I just read this and I have a question. Which BWC cleansing formula do you use? I notice that they offer a variety of options.
I also recently learned about Tata Harper’s lovely skin care line and the reviews on her cleanser looks like she knocked it out of the park! Would you recommend alternating the BWC and Tata Harper cleansers…for instance using one in the morning and the other in the evening?
Cheers!
Hi Jackie.
Try Culturelle…..you can find them even at Rite Aid now. They are reasonably priced and in blister packs. Good Luck.
Oh, such yummy ideas for the holiday. Some of my favorite foods. I’ve never been big on turkey, so I don’t miss it at all. The veggie sides are best!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving :-)
Hi Kimberly,
Can’t wait for the new book! My rosacea has improved a lot following the BDS for about 3/4 weeks. I am still getting acne on my chin and the side of my face that just will not go away! I was told about a natural supplement called EstroBlock which is made up of some sort of extract of cruciferous veggies..
It got great reviews for treating hormonal acne, but what do you think? Should I just keep eating raw and super green and see what happens? Or should I give this supplement a try?
Will the BDS actually balance my hormones over time?
Thanks!
PS- I just got my mum hooked on your blog by sending her the probiotic salad video! She loves you!
Hi Kimberly,
Loved your book! I read that in your world trip you went to Peru! That’s my native country.
I have some questions, I hope you can answer them.
I have hyperinsulinemia, I think that is how you call it in english, I produce to much insuline so if I don’t watch my diet I can turn in to a diabetic person. I also got tested for candida and got positive results, so I was wondering if I could do the blossoming beauty diet with out a problem? And for how long aproximately?
I also wanted to know if it is best to take the bloosoming beauty breakfast before I go to the gym like at 6:30 in the morning or after I get out. I am not sure if it’s a good idea to excercise with an empty stomach.
Thanks a lot!!! Hope you have a great holiday!
Good Evening Kim,
I sure hope I can get an answer to this question for tomorrow, for I plan on making a large green salad with all different raw greens and raw colorful veggies too, However my important question is what is your take on black and green olives? My whole family is Italian & we just love our olives but I haven’t heard you mention them alot, so I’d sure like to get your opinion on this!
Also, I had a bountiful harvest of green peppers from my organic garden that we froze for the holidays, so your wonderful recipe is going to be great to try them with. Thanks for all the insightful info you provide to us, I also got your book & couldn’t stop reading it, you’re an amazing beautiful soul!
Thanks for these great tips, Kimberly! I love the Beauty Detox Solution it is an amazing book!
I take Rainbow Light or Renew Life probiotics and digestive enzymes. I love them!
We celebrated Thanksgiving this evening with family we won’t see tomorrow. I drank my green smoothie this morning! It really gave me energy to cook throughout the day and I was less tempted to overindulge later on!
Also, I had one question about Mag07. I started taking it after reading your book. I heard that prolonged use can cause other health problems. Have you heard of this? How long do you recommend taking it for?
Thanks!
Andrea
HI kimberly,
Can you please add some indian food receipes in your next book. And if you h
ave any suggestions for now, and how do i stop cravings for sweets and roti? thanks
I made the “Give thanks Sweet Potatoes” this afternoon for my husband and I. It was awesome!! My husband actually ate two servings of this dish. Kimberly, you are so amazing. Kimberlysnyder.net is the ultimate place to learn valuable information and begin your journey towards a more healthier “You”. I would highly recommend anyone to read The Beauty Detox Solution. Love, Love, Love it. yours truly, Delisa Kay
Hello Kimberly,
I have been doing the Beauty Detox for a great month! The only thing that I have trouble is that I feel bloated, water retention, and constipated eating raw foods.
Do you know what is the problem? I seem to not have regular bowel movements. :/
Respectfully yours,
Maylee
hey kim, another awesome post. i am having great results following the bds as a meat eater, i look better than ever (and i always considered myself very fit) and have enormous energy. however, i’ve reached a road block. i suffered from candida for a while (bad BAD headaches, fatigue, foggy head, rashes etc) but got it under control with the help of following the bds (though i still ate fruit, i think i had a mild overgrowth).
however, i had to take the morning after pill this week. that REALLY flares up my candida issues. like mad. i hate it! i haven’t had any symptoms yet but i want to prevent them as best i can by cutting out sugars. how long do you think i will have to follow this strictly? i love fruit. also, i tried the ggs with green apple as the only fruit (as you suggested to me in a previous post) but i hate it. i need the banana for texture and sweetness… so im thinking of making a raw soup instead. would that be a good replacement? im planning on making it tonight with spinach, onion, celery, coriander, tomato, red bell pepper and water. and i’ll add spices and raw garlic as well. does that sound good, or is the ggs better in my situation?
thanks so much for your continued help
My friend is pregnant–can she take digestive enzymes?
Hi KIm,
Can I deox after eating red meat <
Sorry, me again I forgot to ask do you sell any
beauty products ?
Thank you for those wonderful recipes! I did make the sweet potatoes to take to our Thanksgiving dinner and they were amazing!
I noticed you used coconut nectar in the raw pecan love pie recipe. In the book, you use maple syrup. Do you prefer coconut nectar over maple syrup to sub for agave nectar in recipes? The reason I ask is because both are expensive but coconut nectar seems a bit pricier. Is coconut palm sugar (by SweetTree) the same thing as coconut nectar, just dried?
I have been limiting my sweet treats, but having a healthy alternative helps during the holidays!
Thank you again, Kim!
XX
Ninu
Hi Kim,
I have 3 questions.
I am still nursing. Can I take the digestive enzyme?
Also, I have implemented the green smoothie but I was wondering if I can start the Bloosming Beauty and begin removing the sludge while nursing. Would following this have adverse effects by the toxins coming out in my breast milk?
Third, I tried to make the veggie burgers and they were more of veggie pancakes than burgers. I added extra amaranth flour but they still were a flop. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Brandy
Hi Brandy,
Try substituting breadcrumbs made out of the millet bread instead of the amaranth flour.
I don’t suggest huge changes while nursing (you don’t want to detox quickly and have toxins expelled in the breast milk), but increasing greens is in general very favorable. Be sure to check with your doctor. xx
Hi Kimberly,
I have a couple of questions.
Can you please recommend a specific brand of “dairy-free” chocolate that is okay to eat? I have found a lot of high quality chocolate at Whole Foods but can’t find any dairy & soy free ones.
Lastly, in your book under “Blossoming Beauties” you recommend organic celery followed by oat groats OR millet bread. Can you please tell me of a specific millet bread that you recommend b/c all the millet bread I have found is either sweetened with natural fruit juices or it has egg in it which both ways would make it improperly combined.
Thanks in advanced for your help!!!!
Sonya Bossingham
Hi Sonya,
Dairy-free chocolate is not too difficult to find, but to find one that is free of soy lecithin means you may have to look for a “raw” chocolate bar. Depending on where you live, there are local brands that my be carried. I was just in Atlanta and found some for my clients there. I’ll look at the name when I go back tomorrow.
The Food for Life Millet bread is sweetened w/natural fruit juices but if you look at the per serving amount it is a fairly low amount. it is egg-free and is the easiest to find. xx
Hello Kimberly,
I have been on Atkins for awhile and have been enjoying Beauty Detox. I really miss my morning coffee with light cream and also before bedtime(decaf). Its been 3 weeks and I still miss it, any thing I can substitute and can I have a hot drink after meals?
Thank you Kimberly! Yes I was eating organic celery followed by the Food For Life Millet bread (sweetened with natural fruit juice) topped with avocado but I thought the juice in the bread would make it improperly combined so I stopped eating it. Glad to hear it’s okay!?!
Yes, it is a pretty negligible amount.
Do the sweet potatoes need to be peeled? Should they be baked covered or uncovered?
Hi. I have been following your advice and have been drining the skin glow drink for about a month. I love it and I even got my husband start drinking it.
I was wondering if there is a such thing as making a health staffing for the turkey dinner.
for the stuffed peppers where is the “quinoa” in the ingredients?
Dis-regard I found it…