Start with a light and healthy breakfast in the morning. Skipping meals or not eating at all until dinner on Thanksgiving Day will only hurt you. Going hungry all day then stuffing yourself with a big meal will throw your body completely off balance and putting so much pressure on the big meal will make it seem like you have to over indulge because that is what the day is all about. Instead, think of it like any other holiday meal. It’s special, home made, and you only get it once a year, but, like all other holidays, don’t forget that Thanksgiving is about more than just food. Continue eating light throughout the day at lunch or just have snacks.

When you do finally sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, go with the tasting approach we have mentioned before. Start with a tablespoon of any dish you want to try or know you love. For the healthier dishes you find such as vegetables or salad, be more generous. That includes turkey! Just be sure to cut away any skin or fat. It can take your brain 20 minutes before it realizes that you’re full, so take your time when you eat. There may be certain dishes that you think you want more of when you sit down to eat, but when you give yourself time to really enjoy the food at a slow pace you may realize that you don’t need seconds after all. Help yourself to another serving of the dishes you really love if you’re still hungry. As long as you go little by little, you can fully enjoy your favorites.

Now comes the hard part: getting back to your weight loss plan after the holiday. Mondays can be hard, but the Monday after Thanksgiving can be especially difficult. Make a plan now to get back on track. Prepare a meal, make plans with a friend to exercise or sign up for a class. Don’t just tell yourself you’ll do it, make solid plans so you can’t just let it slide.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

The first recipe is a great substitution. Cauliflower can be cooked and mashed just like mashed potatoes and taste just as delicious. It’s a healthy version of a Thanksgiving staple, and many people at the table might not even notice the difference. It’s a great dish because you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything and you can feel good about what you’re eating. All it takes is 6-7 cups of cauliflower, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Another simple dish features and great fall vegetable is Brussles sprouts. Brussels sprouts have so many health benefits – they offer extensive detox and digestive support, are packed with antioxidants, and can also help reduce inflammation and cardiovascular problems. If you simply coat them lightly in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, cook them in the oven then toss with walnuts you have a tasty side that you can really feel good about.

This next recipe combines another fall vegetable with a popular grain: Butternut squash and quinoa. While this selection would normally be a main for you on any other day, on Thanksgiving you can take a scoop as a side. This is a delicious, hearty dish that is also packed with mushrooms, carrots and onion. Cook the squash in the oven, the quinoa according to normal instructions, and the rest of the ingredients cook on the stove. When they are combined, you have a sweet and healthy dish that will please anyone at the table.

This last recipe combines a lot of great fall foods in an interesting salad. It includes pumpkin, barley, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, green beans and beats in olive oil and vinegar. It has plenty of nutrients from the variety of ingredients, such as fiber, protein and antioxidants. Each bite is bursting with flavor and will fill you up with healthy foods.

Having some healthy sides up your sleeve can help make smart choices easy so you can relax and enjoy your family and friends. When you’re not worrying about what you’re eating, you can really embrace the holiday.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Eating habits can be hard to break. If you were always rewarded with dessert after a good meal or good behavior as a child, you’ll probably still crave something sweet today after something positive. When you want to relax, you may seek out your favorite comfort foods. When you’re feeling stressed you may have a taste for salty or sweet snacks to distract you from your situation, and you may tell yourself you can’t get though it without eating something. Cravings like this can be a huge mental hurdle when trying to only eat when your body needs food. They come on suddenly and after you eat what you thought you needed, you aren’t satisfied at all.

Next time this happens, try taking a step back from a stressful situation whether you have two minutes or two hours. Instead of heading to the break room or kitchen, go for a walk outside or around the office, stop by the gym or just get in a workout at home. You can release endorphins and boost your mood, and doing something productive that gets your blood flowing can help you get in the right mindset to overcome a challenge. When you’re looking for comfort, try another activity like reading a book, walking the dog, taking a bath or watching a favorite movie. When you accomplish something and you’re looking for a reward, treat yourself to something other than food. Remember that a special occasion or success does not have special circumstances or rules. You are still accountable for what you put in your body.

When your body does actually needs food, it will feel different. It will come on more gradual and you won’t seek out something specific like you do when you have a craving. When you eat to fuel your body, you will feel full and satisfied after, without the guilt of indulging in something impulsive. You can’t depend on food for anything other than sustaining life and health. Changing the way you think as well as the way you eat is the only way to have a lasting effect.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

The best thing you can do in this time is have a really clean two weeks. Be extra vigilant about what you’re eating and drinking, but it’s not about eating less. Don’t end every meal unsatisfied. If you’re consumed with cravings for two weeks, Thanksgiving dinner will throw you completely off balance when you finally satisfy your hunger and over eat. It is never good to go extreme in either direction – it’s all about balance and staying in control. It doesn’t end with one meal or one weekend, it’s about making healthy choices every day.

If you can comfortably skip a snack on some days, try it, even if it’s every other day or once a week, it can still help. Pick something easy like switching out your coffee or latte in the morning with a bottle of water, or skip that afternoon snack.

Another option is having a cheat meal instead of a whole cheat day. This can work leading up to Thanksgiving and also any day over the holiday. It might take some extra will power but it can help you enjoy the special meals a little more when you know you’ve been really good in the time leading up to the holiday. No matter what you choose to do, it is so important to have the right mindset. Enjoy everything to the fullest but don’t let your guard down. Be sure to keep reading the blog this month for more tips and some healthy recipes for Thanksgiving!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in, and our bodies are constantly losing water from perspiration, exercise and even breathing. Dehydration has a lot of negative side effects, such as thirst and dry mouth, but can also include sleepiness or tiredness, headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, and dry skin. In this case, dry skin refers to dehydrated skin. The difference is that dry skin lacks oil and dehydrated skin lacks moisture. Dehydrated skin is especially likely because of the cold weather and can be characterized by irritation, inflammation, itchiness and sensitivity; a feeling of tightness or tautness; a look or feel of roughness; slight to severe flaking or scaling; and fine lines, severe redness and cracks. To keep these symptoms at bay, always keep bottled water or your own reusable water bottle on hand.

Not all bottle water is created equal. Pay attention to the thickness of the bottle and where it comes from when choosing a bottle water brand. You may have noticed that some bottled water packaging is getting thinner. This thinner, lower grade plastic may be better for the environment but it’s not better for your body. Some bottles are at risk of leaching, meaning that chemicals in the plastic can affect the water after a certain amount of time. This is a big reason why you shouldn’t reuse disposable water bottles. Many brands display where their water comes from on the packaging, but for others you might have to do some research. If a brand says “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system” that means it was derived from tap water. If it is difficult to find information about a bottled water brand then you probably shouldn’t be drinking it. Find a brand with a known protected source and one that makes testing and treatment information that shows high water quality readily available. Our top pick is Smart Water. It fits all this criteria, and it also has the added benefits of electrolytes. Electrolytes, or ionized minerals, are important because they are what the cells in your body use to carry electrical impulses, like nerve impulses and muscles contractions, across themselves and other cells. This means they help your body run at optimal levels, and an electrolyte deficiency can cause cramping. That is why hydration and electrolytes are so important during and after a workout, especially in the winter months. Smart Water contains the electrolytes calcium, magnesium and potassium without any sugar, calories, fluoride or sodium.

If you would rather go with a reusable water bottle, there are a couple things to consider. They can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, stainless steel, aluminum and glass. They each have their pros and cons. For example, plastic is durable, light and inexpensive, but can have a plastic taste and chemical leaching is a possibility. To avoid this, get a bottle that is BPA free. Fill it with filtered water, clean it often and dispose of it when it is no longer usable.

It is important to remember all this when performing seemingly simple activities like raking leaves, shoveling snow or holiday shopping on a hectic day because they will quickly dehydrate you. Get in the habit now and ensure you have a healthy winter!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Here are two easy routines no matter what your skill level is. Each should start with a 5 minute warm up and end with a 5 minute cool down. Alternate them Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday, then you can choose one to do on Saturday and one on Sunday, or choose your own 30 minute workout activity.  For both routines, you should increase your workout each week by working your way up to 3 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds of rest between sets, doing 10-12 repetitions per set.

The first starts with 10 Jumping Jacks. Jumping Jacks are a great way to elevate your heart rate and get a full body work out that engages all your large muscle groups. Next, do one set of Jump Rope (invisible option if you don’t actually have a jump rope). If you choose to invest in a jump rope, it’s an affordable workout accessory that fits in almost any drawer, closet or gym bag. Jumping rope is another excellent way to get your heart pumping to improve cardiovascular fitness and strengthen muscles. Finally, end this workout with a set of 10 Bicycle Crunches. To do these, take the position of a normal sit-up with legs bent and off the ground, and hands behind your head. Pull your left knee towards your right elbow, return your legs and body to the starting position, then do the same with your right knee and left shoulder. This modified crunch gives you an abdominal workout while also working your hip flexors.

The other workout routine starts with a set of 10 Bicep Curls. Hold a 3lbs weight, or a 12oz full bottle of water. While the other exercises engage most of your body, this one is a targeted workout. Weight lifting will help build strong bones and increase your stamina. Next, do a set of 10 Sumo Squats. To get into position, your feet should be wider than your shoulders width apart with toes pointed out and knees over your toes. Regular squats work your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves, and while this exercise does all that, it also focuses on your inner thighs. Next in this routine is a set of 10 Tricep Extensions while holding 3lbs weights or a 12oz full bottle of water. This exercise involves extending your weights behind your head. Your triceps help stabilize your shoulder joint and act as extensors of the elbow and shoulder, so as your triceps become stronger, the strength and flexibility of your arms will increase. End this exercise with 10 thirty second planks (beginners start with as many as you can do and increase as your strength and endurance improve). Plank pose is a great way to engage your whole body, including shoulders, neck, arms, chest, back, abs and legs. This pose will help improve your strength, flexibility and posture. This is also a great workout if you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk by releasing tension in your shoulders, back and legs.

Visit our “Workouts You Can Do From Home” page on our website to learn more about proper positioning and execution of all of these moves: https://innovationweightlossandfitness.com/portfolio/4230/

~ Love To Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When you think lemon, the first thing that may come to mind is Vitamin C. Lemons are an excellent and rich source of this vitamin that is essential to the body in so many ways. Firstly, Vitamin C is vital to the function of a strong immune system. This nutrient helps protect from deficiencies that can get you sick, and it can help fight off colds, flues and even recurrent ear infections. Vitamin C also neutralizes free radicals as it travels throughout your body. Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons, and in their mission to find another electron they can cause damage to the surrounding molecules in your body. Free radicals can interact with healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and can also cause inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that Vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing the symptoms of some types of arthritis by reducing pain and inflammation in joints and knees. Vitamin C helps with maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue and cartilage. Free radicals can damage blood vessels and can change cholesterol to make it more likely to build up artery walls, which is why Vitamin C can be helpful in preventing the development and progression of diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis (a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries).

Lemons offer not only a high level of vitamin C, but is also a great source of nutrients like citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Citric acid is an antioxidant that plays a role in fighting free radicals. It also helps prevent the build up of mineral compounds that can cause kidney stones. Potassium helps nourish brain and nerve cells, and also helps control blood pressure.

You will also get digestive benefits from lemons. They stimulate and purify the liver, and aid in the production of digestive juices. They are also great at cleansing the body of toxins and can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in your body.

They also offer some external benefits: lemons can keep your skin healthy and clear by preventing the formation of wrinkles and acne.

So what are you waiting for? Next time you are at the grocery store, look for lemons that are heavy for their size. This means they have a thinner skin and more meat to them. They should be fully yellow in color with no green, soft or hard patches. They will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week.

This season when you are looking for something warm to drink, treat your body to a simple, healthy cup of lemon water.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Remember that festivities do not begin until the evening, so eat as clean and healthy as you can all day. Don’t fall off the wagon because it’s a holiday. All of a sudden three days will have gone by that you will have to make up for. When the evening comes, take advantage of trick or treating as a little bit of exercise. Go for long walks and enjoy the decorations and kids in costumes. It’s about more than candy.

When the night finally does come to an end and you have a massive amount of candy that was collected by your kids, it’s time for the second part of the plan. You don’t want to be too strict and take away any enjoyment from them, but you also don’t want to let them eat until they’re sick. Try limiting the number of pieces they can have a day. You can let them choose what they want and keep them from overeating. You can also have them save their candy for dessert instead of a snack. Make sure they have something wholesome and healthy before they get a treat. It will also help to keep their stash out of sight, like in a cabinet or up high, otherwise they will constantly eat or beg for it. Eventually bring back healthier alternatives, like sugar free treats, cereals or trail mix.

All of a sudden it will be Monday and things will hopefully be back to normal. Already it will be November and the beginning of another week. It is crucial that you get back to your weight loss plan and don’t drag out the weekend. Holidays like Halloween are just one day. Don’t get swept up in it for too long. You should also get rid of any leftovers when the time is right. There are several organizations that accept Halloween candy that they include in care packages sent to U.S. Service Members overseas. You can also donate to local soup kitchens. Many dentists and orthodontists participate in candy exchanges where you can turn in candy and get something healthy in return, and the candy usually still goes to troops or soup kitchens.

Have a Happy and Healthy Halloween!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jerocho Tpke Wooddbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

If you are ordering from an Asian menu, edamame is a great appetizer. Avoid anything fried like egg rolls or dumplings. Lettuce wraps with steamed or grilled chicken and/or vegetables is also a great option. For dinner look for steamed chicken or fish, no sauce, or stick to vegetables throughout your meal. Asian dishes may seem lighter than other types of cuisine but sauces can contain lots of calories, fat, sodium and/or sugar.

When it comes to sauces, Italian food is probably the most notorious. It will be tough to find something that isn’t covered in creamy, cheesy or meaty sauces. And something to watch out for even before your plates reach you is that basket of bread.  It looks great and tastes even better, but is not a great option when trying to lose weight. Since bread has no nutritional value the only reason you will be eating it is to expand your waist. Instead, start with a salad. Something simple and traditional with a lemon and red vinegar dressing and plenty of vegetables. For an entrée, look for grilled chicken or fish, without any sauce, or just stick with vegetables.

Like a basket of bread, a bowl of chips at a Mexican restaurant can tempt you into eating meaningless calories. Don’t snack! If you wouldn’t eat it at home, don’t eat it in a restaurant or off their menu. Luckily, grilled chicken and vegetables will be abundant. Look for a burrito bowl (the ingredients of a burrito or taco but without the shell) or fajitas (without the tortilla). As always, vegetables are a good idea.

If you’re going with something American, such as a diner, deli, sandwich shop, or a local or chain restaurant, your options are along the same line. It’s always safe to go with salad or vegetables with light dressing and no sauce. Again, skip the bread or bread sticks that may end up on your table – if you didn’t order it, don’t eat it. Grilled chicken, fish and turkey are great options. Or have breakfast for dinner with an egg white veggie omelet.

No matter where you eat, always keep it clean and simple. And always ask yourself, is this a meal you would prepare for yourself and eat at home? Or are you using a meal out or ordered in as an excuse to stray from your weight loss foods? In the end, it doesn’t matter if you eat it at your dining room table or a table at your family’s favorite restaurant, it’s still a meal that counts.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY