How Do Dodge Those Family "Health Sabotagers" This Holiday Season

Next Thursday is the big day. It's the day Americans everywhere will gather around a large table, with family and friends, to feast on traditional Thankgiving foods.  It's the day some people dread, because perhaps they are getting so close to meeting their weight loss goals and they are afraid that the mass amounts of food will sabotage their efforts.  But let's be honest, we all have control over what and how much we eat, right?  So we have nothing to worry about. Whether we are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, or we're simply working on establishing better eating habits, we harvest that control and we control the choice as to whether or not we eat something.  Or.....do we??

Last year's Thanksgiving table at the Casagrande household

This is me last year, with my mom, dad, brother, and their dog Scarlet.  This is post Thanksgiving feast. Not the best photo (everyone looks like they are in a food coma accept for me!  Probably because I new I would be putting this on my blog, muahaha).

This is my plate of food.  I've got some vegetables, grains, and of course protein (and gravy of course).

Decent, right?  I mean, it's plenty of food, and you better believe this was preceded by plenty of pre-meal munching and was followed by plenty of dessert eating.  I was comfortably full and satisfied by late afternoon (ok, maybe comfortable isn't the best way to describe it, but no food comas for me!)



Anyway, at this point in my life I feel pretty great about my body and my nutrition philosophy.  There was a time in my life when certain members of my family would comment on the "unfilled space" on my plate..... "Gina, what the heck?!  It's Thanksgiving, it's time to FEAST!".  Little did they know (or care) that my plate of food was certainly a feast in my eyes.  I mean, I don't normally eat that much food in one sitting (especially not for lunch, and especially not when I know it will be followed by a decadent dessert!).


So what do you do when your fmaily and/or friends try to make you feel this small and comment on the lack of food that you're eating at a specific holiday gathering? Or when they comment on the excess of fruits and/or veggies on your plate?  In other words, what do you do when your family and friends are impressed with your ability to obstain from gorging yourself over the holidays, simply becuase it's a holiday?  Here is what I do:

1)  Laugh it off. Rather than going into some whole long explanation about how I feel so much better when I try to eat healthy and I don't eat GIANT portions, I just smile and nod (or....laugh...whatever).


2)  Lie and tell them it's only my first plate.  Usually by the time I'm finished with my first plate, whoever made the comment has forgotten about me anyway.  A little white lie never heard anybody ;)  Of course, sometimes I do get seconds, but I try to get more veggies.


3)  Just be honest.  I've had times when relatives are relentless and they just don't give up, "Man Gina, you need to eat more than that, come on!! Or at least have a glass of wine or something, GEEEZ!!".  This is when I say "Sorry, I'm much more content eating a smaller meal now, and I'm sure I'll have more room in my stomach later for whatever I missed this time around".  Sometimes honesty really does get people to, well...shut up!


4)  Pile your plate up and give some food to the dog.  haha. Jk.

Would you like more tips?  Check out this article from Fitness Magazine.  And don't forget it's ok to be an individual and have your own goals, despite what people may say and how people may react to the "new you" and your "new food philosophy". Just stay strong, and maybe one day you can get your biggest sabotager on board with you!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Goodbye Food Pyramid!

Have you heard? The food pyramid is getting taken over by a dinner plate! I read this article yesterday, published by the New York Times, and I was super excited. While I will still use the food pyramid for more detailed information about specific food groups, the dinner plate method is a more simple and effective way to teach portion control and how to make healthier choices. I've actually used this method with my own clients, and I have to say, it works!

*** And here is the new USDA's ChooseMyPlate.gov! *** <---- Check it out! It's pretty fun :)

The whole idea is to use a normal size plate to show that it's important to make half of your plate non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc.) and/or fruit, one-fourth of your plate grains (preferably whole) or starchy vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, corn, beans, etc), and the other fourth of your plate lean protein (3-4 ounces). There is also room for a small glass of milk to drink, or a cup of yogurt (dairy or non-dairy).

Source: iStockPhoto

I think the most important part of the message is the inclusion of the non-starchy vegetables, and the smaller portion of protein (rather than 12 ounces of steak, try 4!). This message may help people take a meal such as the one below, and replace half of the pasta with some fresh veggies; bell peppers, eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, etc.

Source: iStockPhoto

From the article;

The circular plate, which will be unveiled Thursday, is meant to give consumers a fast, easily grasped reminder of the basics of a healthy diet. It consists of four colored sections, for fruits, vegetables, grains and protein, according to several people who have been briefed on the change. Beside the plate is a smaller circle for dairy, suggesting a glass of low-fat milk or perhaps a yogurt cup.

Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, who said he had heard descriptions of the new plate, suggested that if the symbol succeeded in getting people to eat significantly more fruits and vegetables, that alone would be an achievement.

“The reality is that very few of us eat like what has been suggested” in government guidelines for healthy eating, Dr. Kessler said. “There’s a world of difference between what’s being served and what’s on that plate.”

He called the plate a major improvement over the pyramid. “It conveys the message simply in a way that we all can understand,” he said.

While the idea is to make half of your plate non-starchy vegetables and/or fruit, many dietitians (including myself) would suggest focusing more on the non-starchy vegetables, especially for purposes of weight management (simply because fruit has more sugar). So how would this method work for breakfast? This is a question I often receive from clients. Well, maybe you won't have vegetables at breakfast (unless you are like me and add pumpkin to your oats!) but breakfast is the perfect time for a nice serving of fruit, and a hearty dose of whole grains.

Instead of an all-protein breakfast....

Source: iStockPhoto

....try fruit, whole grain, and a milk or other calcium/protein source. The inclusion of the fruit or non-starchy vegetable, in my opinion, is the most important part of the meal.

Source: iStockPhoto

QUESTION: Have you heard of the plate method? What are your thoughts?

From Supersize to Superfoods

To super STUD!

Yep, that's my man. This guy was eating burgers and fries for dinner, and using tobacco products three times a day when I met him over five years ago.

Now he's growing his own produce.






And eating one of these every morning.

Yep, that's right, a smoothie with 1 banana, 1 cup of nutrient-packed spinach, 1/2 cup of antioxidant-packed pumpkin puree, and 1/4 cup cancer and disease-fighting blueberries. Missing from this picture is the unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze that I add to the smoothie. It's fortified with vitamin D, which is incredibly important for all of us now that we aren't getting as much sun.


Who says you can't change a man? I sure did. I think his dad's stroke at age 60 may have also played a role. Not to mention the fact that Nick is actually one of the smartest people I know (ugh, I hate to admit that he's probably smarter than me in many respects). And yes, he is also tobacco-free these days, and hopefully forever.



I even got him to change his mind about salmon.....

Ok, I'm lying, he wouldn't eat this if I told him it was his last meal, ever. Not even with a nice layer of blueberry preserves on top.


Maybe because it looks like this when I take it out of the oven.



What are those? Boils? No, they are just globules of fat oozing out of the salmon. Don't scrape it off, it's good fat...right?! And good salmon. He's missing out. But hey, at least I convinced him to take a fish oil pill every day.

What a stud.

Question: Do you have any advice on getting loved ones to eat healthier?