Is it possible to enjoy the holidays and maintain your healthy rhythms?

Here are three simple Ayurvedic practices that may help:

1. Sip warm water throughout the day, especially with meals.
2. Include digestive spices: Ginger, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, basil, sage, thyme are good this season.
3. Eat slowly and stop when you are 3/4’s full. It takes the brain up to 20 minutes to recognize fullness, so if it feels three-quarters, you may already be full.

Of course making healthy meals helps too. Sometimes you can tweak a traditional recipe to turn it from too heavy to health heaven.

A few easy and delicious hacks:

1. Shift from heavy creams to coconut milk, or veg broth with a spoonful of besan flour.
2. Substitute white potatoes for healthier roots like parsnips or sweet potato.
3. Chuck canned or frozen ingredients and use fresh (think cranberry).
4. Use chopped dates, raisins, cranberries or toasted coconut instead of sugar in recipes.
5. Add a tablespoon of fresh ground flaxseed to breads and desserts for an extra dose of fiber, or what Ayurveds refers to as the astringent taste, the taste responsible for cleansing.

Or try new (healthier) recipes! Why not? Even traditions are meant to evolve – and the best traditions are sustainable, which means they must be healthy for you, and for our planet.

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Here are Some of the Thanksgiving Recipes
Readers Have Most Loved Over The Years

Baked Kitchari Loaf

Baked Kitchari is a great revelation. Like love in a loaf. I’ve made it for Thanksgiving dinner and find it delivers all the warmth, substance, flavor and aroma to justify it as a centerpiece of the meal.

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Brain-Boosting Thanksgiving Loaf

Nutty, cheesy, savory, this oven-baked loaf is hearty, feel good food, yet golden and elegant enough to be a centerpiece of your meal.

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Ravy Vegan Gravy

Homemade gravy is where homemade really proves its value, and if you read the comments on this recipe post, you will see – people rave.

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Miso Cumin Roasted Carrot Spread

Serve it as an appetizer, a spread on toast or crackers, as your “mash” instead of white potatoes, or with next day leftovers as a spread on sandwiches instead of mayo. Or add more broth and a drizzle of olive oil to make a unique savory sauce for the Kitchari Loaf. It’s so gut-lovingly delicious!

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Easy, Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin is one of the most healing autumn vegetable, and this is one of the creamiest ways to enjoy it. This soup has a few steps, but they are easy, and most of the time it cooks, you are off enjoying the golden light of autumn – and it can be made up to a day in advance.

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Curried Sweet Potato Bisque

If you like to begin with soup, this Curried Sweet Potato Bisque serves up radiant flavor and a warm earthy elegance.

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Sumptuous Stovetop Stuffing

It’s a healthy stove top stuffing designed to win over your traditional and your picky eaters. Full of protein, high in fiber, with all kinds of macro and micro nutrients, gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, and even paleo, this is the epitome of having it all for your holiday feasts.

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Parsnips Ecrasse

A healthy spin on the traditional “mash”, this makes a surprisingly delicious side, dynamic in flavor, yet elegantly supportive of the main it serves.

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Autumn’s Apple Beet Fennel Salad

Crunchy, colorful, refreshing and sweet, this is salad that holds its own at any festive table.

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Power Up Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin is a power food when it comes to weight loss, heart health, anti-aging, and immune strength. Low in calories, pumpkin is full of fiber and rich with antioxidants, the chemistry of youth. Without sugar, dairy, gluten and still so good. This is love in a pie.

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Plus: Thanksgiving Breakfest, or Day After Ideas

Thanksgiving Strata

If you have pumpkin remaining from your Thanksgiving provisions then you have to try this Pumpkin Strata for day after breakfast or weekend brunch.

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Primal Pumpkin Bread

With all the protein and clean energy, this “bread” is so whole, so natural, so delicious, you could say it’s the very taste of thanks-giving! It would be a great for breakfast to begin the holiday or for the day after. With the creamy topping, it is good enough to serve for dessert.

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The simplest and deepest way to make ourselves at one with the world is through the kinship of gratitude. Nothing brings the worlds of spirit and earth together more quickly. ~ Mark Nepo

Wishing you happy holidays.
xo

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