Two Days Till T-Day!

Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder to slow down, give thanks and enjoy our family, friends and food. Why not think about a few ways that you can harness these positive feelings into a few good deeds, for yourself and most importantly for others around you.

Do something for yourself:
Ready, set, go! Make it a healthy Thanksgiving this year by starting the day out with a Turkey Trot!
Go to this site below and on the right hand side of the page you can put your zip code in to find a Turkey Trot close to you!
http://www.active.com/running/turkeytrot.htm

Even if you are not a runner, make sure to plan for a walk, bike, hike or trip to the gym pre-feast! Believe me, you will thank me for this.
Do something for others:
I recently saw this article on MSN about what food banks need on their shelves right now. Food bank donations have been dwindling. Use this list as a guideline for what items most food banks are in desperate need of.

Here are the top foods needed by food banks this year:

• Proteins. Canned meats such as tuna, chicken or fish are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Peanut butter is rich in protein and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, the "good fats." These are among the most expensive foods -- too expensive for food banks to buy large quantities.
• Soups and stews. They are filling, particularly the "chunky" soups, and contain liquid for hydration. In addition, soups can be filled with protein and vegetables.
  Rice and pasta. "They're really staples," Nowak says.
• In addition, grain-based foods, such as pasta, are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Cereal, including oatmeal. Breakfast cereals can be an additional source of protein, and most cereals today include a variety of vitamins and minerals.
• Canned vegetables, including tomatoes and tomato sauce. Studies indicate that canned vegetables have about the same nutritional value as fresh vegetables.
• Canned or dried beans and peas. A staple of diets as early as 6700 B.C., beans are a low-fat source of protein and fiber.
• Canned fruits. Only a small amount of vitamin C is lost in the canning process, making these a healthy choice.
• Fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed). Make sure it's 100% juice.
• Prepared box mixes such as macaroni and cheese or Hamburger Helper.
• Shelf-stable milk. This includes dehydrated milk, canned evaporated milk and instant breakfasts.

7-Day Goal: What about my healthy body (i.e. ability to get my heels down in the downward facing dog, or ability to hit the 5 mile mark, ability to breathe in and out everyday!) am I most thankful for today? So many of us think about the things we would want to change about ourselves or our bodies. Today let's be thankful instead!

~K ......p.s. Tomorrow I am going to post some ideas for mapping out a healthy T-Day feast from start to finish!! It includes pie ;o)