Thanksgiving is a great time to spend with family and friends, enjoying the company of the ones we love. If you're trying to stay on top of your health and nutrition, it can also be a very stressful time. Thanksgiving is not known for it's healthy food choices, so if you're wondering how not to fall off your path this holiday season this blog is for you. Here are 3 tips that will keep you on track health/fitness wise, while still allowing you to enjoy Thanksgiving to the fullest.

1. Give yourself permission to "fail". As hard as you try, odds are that something will fall through the cracks. Everybody else will be getting that extra serving, that slice of pie is going to smell delicious, a family member will ask you if you want another beverage. So often, the idea is promoted that it's all or nothing. If you have that extra slice of pie, it's all over. You've failed on your diet and will never reach your goals...But that's just not the truth. Instead, we believe in the 80/20 method....

Getting up in the morning can be difficult, especially if you have to be up early for work or had a very late night. It's easy to hit the snooze and wait until the last possible second to rush out of bed and into your day. However, starting your day with some movement can have multiple benefits to your mental and physical health.

(Extra tip: hitting the snooze button can actually decrease your quality of sleep, as the fragmented minutes of on-and-off consciousness can throw off your natural rhythym. This can affect metabolism, energy, and future sleep schedules.)

1. Morning movement can improve focus and mood. Starting your day with some sort of activity will jumpstart your brain, avoiding the morning fog so many of us feel and helping to stay on-task throughout the day. Checking off the first item on your list combined with movement creates a sense of accomplishment and releases feel-good chemicals (dopamine, seratonin, endorphins). This will improve your overall mood and prevent...

Turkey is a leaner meat than beef, meaning it has a similar amount of protein without as much fat. Here's a great recipe to start your day off with 15g protein in only 113 calories!

Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to: 12 patty
32 oz Ground turkey (912 grams)
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (0.45 grams)
1/4 tsp Pepper (0.53 grams)
1 tsp Sage (0.70 grams)
1 tsp Salt (6 grams)
3/4 tsp Ginger (1.4 grams)
Directions
Directions are based on the original recipe of 12 patty
1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except for ground turkey.
2. Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add spice mixture and mix by hand until well incorporated.
3. Heat a skillet coated with nonstick spray over medium-high heat. Form meat mixture into 12 patties using a
1/4-cup measuring scoop. Pan-fry on both sides until they're brown and center is no longer pink.
4. Tip: Cover with lid when browning for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook.

When we look outside and see snow, cold forecasts, and more night than day, our first instinct is to stop working outside and go into hibernation mode. However outside exercise in winter months, done properly, can be very beneficial to your health.

Cold weather exercise has mutliple health benefits. Number one, you're exercising, which is always good. There have also been studies that show benefits specific only to cold weather workouts.

1. Increased endurance. Blood vessels constrict in the cold, meaning your heart has to work harder to pump enough blood. The result of this is a stronger and healthier heart, along with more efficient circulation.

2. Increased caloric burn. Similar to the heart benefits, in the cold your body has to work harder to thermoregulate and avoid freezing. Combined with exercise, this will result in a higher calorie burn than in warmer weather.

3. Reduced risk of sickness. It may seem counter-intuitive, but regular cold-weather exercise has been shown to...

There's only one thing you can truly control, and that's your effort. In any situation (healthy living, work, relationships, etc.), it's the only way to ensure that no matter the outcome, you'll sleep easy at night knowing you did everything you could to be successful.

Sleep is one of the most important assets to our health. It's when our bodies and minds rebuild to be ready for the next day. Even with proper nutrition and a solid exercise routine, progress will be slow and uncomfortable if you don't give your body sufficient time to recover. This is one of the reasons why people can fall off a program if they feel they're doing everything right.

Taking a look at quality and amount of sleep is a good idea for anyone wanting to feel and look better. When doing so, take into account the levels of sugar and alcohol in your diet, as well as the timing of when you have them. They both can have a detrimental effect on your sleep. Here's how!

First, sugar. As you probably know, sugar causes an increase in energy. This is because, when consumed, insulin is used by the body to break down sugar and transition it to a short-term energy supply. With a diet high in sugar these short-term bursts in available energy stores cause blood sugar level to zigzag...

Everybody wants to know the secret to success, that one pill or strategy that will magically change them into that fit, healthy individual they've always wanted to be. Here's the real secret: those things don't exist.

In an age of instant gratification, it's easy to want success immediately. However, if you want lasting success the only way you'll reach it is to do the right things and be patient. 

Fitness changes don't happen overnight. They accumulate over long periods of time and because of that, sometimes results don't happen when we think they should. This is what's called the plateau of latent potential. As you can see in the graph, This is one major reason most people quit after a month or two. They know they're doing the right things but don't see it on the surface, so they get discouraged (valley of disappointment). Real success happens after longer than 6-8 weeks, and it's also different for everybody. Two people doing the same exact things will most likely...

With the weather dropping and Thanksgiving right around the corner, comfort foods like soups start to become more common meals.
For a healthy, delicious recipe, try this butternut squash soup with chicken sausage!
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Level: Easy
Total: 40 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil
12 ounces cooked chicken-apple sausage,
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (1
small to medium squash)
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage or parsley leaves
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a
large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring
occasionally, until browned, about 4
minutes. Transfer to a bowl using a
slotted spoon. Add the squash,
carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth, 2
1/2 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt
to the pot. Cover and bring to a
...

Wrists are the stabilizers of the arms, important for most every upper body movement we do. So when the wrists are weak or have chronic pain, it can be very difficult to do many tasks.
Try these exercises to strenghten your wrists and improve your quality of life!

Want to live longer and maintain a good quality of life?
Exercise!
Studies have shown consistent exercise (150-300min/week) decreases risk of death by any cause by 22% compared to the norm. This number improves, up to 31% lower risk of death, with increased levels of exercise.