Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some of our suggestions for how to feast

It’s so easy to go overboard with the sugar around the holidays. Tips on how to keep your blood sugar balanced are to accompany sweets with protein and fats, keep hydrated (carbs require more water to digest), stick to serving sizes (think 1/2 cup for rice, potatoes, and higher carb foods), and eat lots of fiber from fresh and cooked vegetables (brussel sprouts, salad, carrots, slaw, etc), seeds, and whole grains.

Here’s some healthy recipes to try:

If you’re wondering how to make healthy desserts that avoid common allergens such as wheat and dairy see:

Magdalena Wszelaki’s gluten free and paleo friendly recipes that everyone will love

For desserts rich in nourishing minerals see:

Lily Nichol’s dark chocolate bark with raspberries and pumpkin seeds

Did you know babies born to mothers who eat chocolate during pregnancy cry less?

Rebecca Katz’s tripple tripple brittle

This recipe is rich in zinc and other trace minerals that balance hormones.

Eat these 3 Foods to Balance Hormones Naturally

Tired of PMS symptoms? Wondering if you can afford fertility boosting foods? Curious about which foods to incorporate into your Diet? Here are 3 suggestions

1. Root Veggies

Root vegetables balance hormones by balancing blood sugar through fiber. Carrots are especially helpful for preventing estrogen dominance. Sweet potato contains compounds that boost progesterone levels. Radishes, onions, garlic, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, and rutabaga balance hormones by providing food for the healthy bacteria in our gut.

Carrots and radishes are easy to eat raw with dips. Turnips, parsnips, and rutabaga are easy to incorporate into soups and stews. Root vegetables can be roasted with olive oil or lard and eaten with sausage, or boiled, mashed, and whipped with butter to make a delicious mashed potato replacement. For extra micronutrients, buy rainbow varieties of carrots, potatoes, and radishes (Trader Joe's is the best grocer I know for making rainbow vegetables available at an affordable price).

2. Seeds

Seeds are great sources of blood sugar balancing fiber, minerals, micronutrients, and hormone balancing omega 3 fats. Chia seeds for example, are a great source of iron, fiber, and omega three fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds contain compounds that balance gut bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of yeast and pathogenic bacteria. Flax seeds are a good source of omega three fatty acids and selenium, which promote hormone balance.

For a seed that is rich in iron and has a calming effect, incorporate poppy seeds.

If you are looking to conceive

or balance out your hormones naturally, incorporate ground flax, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds into your diet for the first 15 days of your cycle. Switch to sunflower and sesame seeds for the latter half. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium and delicate omega 6 fatty acids.

I like to incorporate chia seeds into smoothies and make chia seed pudding. To make chia seed pudding, soak ½ cup of chia seeds in a mason jar with 1 can of coconut cream for 30 minutes. Add water or almond milk to bring to the desired consistency. You can eat chia seed pudding with berries, bananas and coconut flakes, maple syrup, or chocolate chips.

I add pumpkin, ground flax, and sunflower seeds to salads or yogurt and kefir.

3. Dark Leafy Greens

Crucifers such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, bok choy, arugula, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussel sprouts have been shown to rid the body of harmful estrogen.

Dark leafy greens are rich in micronutrients, vitamins such as vitamin K, A, and B vitamins, and trace minerals. Aim for two cups of dark leafy greens per day in the form of salads or cooked vegetables. Stir fry, saute, roast, add to soups and omelettes, incorporate into stews, eat in salads. This food is so healing!

Sprouts are an easy and affordable way to add micronutrients to your diet. You can buy radish or broccoli seeds and sprout in mason jars. Use the sprouts in sandwiches, salads, or as garnish for stews, tacos, or bean dishes.

Have you tried incorporating seeds into your diet?

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