Celebrate a Healthy Thanksgiving this Year!

Instead of stuffing yourself with empty calories this Thanksgiving, try healthier versions of your favorite dishes.

Check out www.eatingwell.com/ for healthy menu ideas.

Gobble, Gobble

Follow these tried-and-true rules to maintain a steady weight during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Don't skip meals.  Its harder to resist temptations when you allow yourself to get to hungry.  Eat on schedule, enjoy three meals and two snacks (100 to 150 calories) each day.

Drink lots of water.  Mild dehydration mimics the sensation of hunger.  Drink a large glass prior to each meal to help fill you up before you eat.

Eat plenty of "Unlimited Foods" (see list below) throughout the day.  Snacking on these foods will also keep you from feeling deprived while saving calories for a party that night. 

Make sure you exercise at least 30 minutes fives days per week.  Exercise goes hand-in-hand with calorie control - plus it's a great stress reliever. 

Enjoy your favorite holiday treats.  Denying yourself is bound to backfire.  Just eat these goodies only on the holiday itself.  Get right back on track the next day.  And no picking at leftovers!

Go easy on the alcohol. Stick with one glass of wine or champagne, or a bottle of light beer. 

Unlimited Foods - These have few or no calories.

Asparagus Green Beans Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Celery Lettuce & leafy greens

Mushrooms Peppers Radishes Snow peas Squash Tomatoes Water Chestnuts

Adult Yoga

Saturday, November 20, 7:45 AM

Take a moment to unwind before the craziness of the holidays with an invigorating session of yoga. Yoga mat and thick blanket recommended.  Comfortable clothing advised.

Registration required.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

Although sweet potatoes may be part of the Thanksgiving tradition, be sure to add these wonderful naturally sweet vegetables to your meals throughout the year.  As you can see below, they are some of the most nutritious vegetables around.

1. Sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A (betacarotene) and Vitamin C. Both Vitamins A and C are powerful antioxidants that work in the body to remove free radicals, this free radicals are chemicals that damage cells.
2. Sweet potato is good for stomach ulcers and inflamed conditions of the colon. 
3. It is beneficial for low blood pressure. 
4. May be helpful for hemorrhoid because of its high fiber content. 
5. Sweet potato is a good food for people involved in heavy muscular work, since this food is high in vitamins and minerals. 
6. Sweet potato may help prevent cancer in glands and organs with epithelial tissue due to its high Vitamin A content. 
7. Sweet potato is a good food for diabetics, because it helped stabilize blood sugar levels. 
8. Sweet potato can help your skin stay clear, smooth and young-looking. 

Happy Meal Resists Decomposition

And I thought Ronald McDonald was scary.  This is even scarier -

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months

Calorie Counts of Popular Halloween treats.

Remember, these calorie counts are for the snack or fun size packages, NOT full size servings.

Nestlé’s Crunch – Fun Size 1 bar = 70 calories
Peanut M&M’s – Fun Pack 1 bag = 40 calories
M&M’s – Fun Pack 1 bag = 90 calories
Snicker’s – Fun Size 1 bar = 80 calories
Milky Way – Fun Size 1 bar = 75 calories
Kit Kat – Fun Size 1 bar = 50 calories
Hershey Chocolate Bar – Fun Size 1 bar = 90 calories
Reese’s Cup – 1 miniature = 36 calories, classic size=80 calories
Butterfinger – Fun Size 1 bar = 100 calories
Twix – Fun Size 1 bar = 80 calories
York Peppermint Pattie – 1 patty = 70 calories
Twizzlers – 1 treat size package = 45 calories
Almond Joy – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds – 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger – 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Sweet Tarts – 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
Tootsie Pop – 1 pop = 60 calories
Tootsie Roll – 1 small roll = 13 calories

Halloween Treats

Don't use Halloween as an excuse to over-indulge in your favorite Halloween treats.  Here's a few tips to help to resist those ghoulish calories.

• Buy the bare minimum of the candy you think you'll need for trick-or-treaters.
• Buy candy that you don't like.
• Don't open the bags until the evening of October 31.
• Give away any leftovers the day after Halloween.

If you must indulge, limit yourself to one fun-size or 150 calories.