super thankful

Super Moon November 2016

Feeling Thankful!

This Thanksgiving I am super thankful for my Mad Nutrition community which includes clients, friends, referral partners and fellow travelers on the path of wellness. Thanks to you I continue to learn and grow and am able to laugh a lot too…the three most important factors in loving your career!

Taking stock of what you are grateful for is a helpful daily practice. Ending each day by reflecting on a couple of the high points – whether it was a particularly nice interaction between your kids, a big smile from a stranger or having a quiet moment to read, pray or meditate. Paying attention to what is positive and feeling thankful is not reserved for once a year but it is awesome to have a day when we can all focus on it at the same time.

Food Focus: Cranberries

super thankful cranberries

Cranberries are a super food that I get super excited about this time of year! Since cranberries are harvested only once per year, in the fall, you can only get them fresh between late October and late December. Thus you can never get tired of cranberries because they aren’t around long enough! Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, fiber and vitamin E. They also contain vitamin K, which is important for strong, healthy bones. Cranberries contain a large variety of phytonutrients (naturally occurring plant compounds) that protect us from free radicals and offer many anti-inflammatory properties. Virtually all chronic diseases we face are diseases of inflammation. The high poly-phenol content of all berries, including cranberries, help protect against cardio vascular disease by preventing plaque build up and lowering blood pressure.

At thanksgiving we make cranberry sauce and some people add cranberries for a dash of tartness to their apple pie but my all time favorite fresh cranberry recipe is raw cranberry salsa. It uses some sugar to soften the tart berries but you just need enough to make it taste good. The red onions, fresh jalapeno and cilantro give it a savory edge that works equally well on an endive leaf as it does on a tortilla chip! At our home we traditionally include it as a Thanksgiving appetizer but it works well as a sandwich topper or to top eggs, fish or Swedish meatballs!