Why You Should Eat Pumpkin Pie And Enjoy Every Calorie

Ask Keri: Pumpkin pie has a gazillion calories, and I’m trying to lose weight. Should I skip it? Keri Says: Pumpkin pie. Cranberry sauce. Stuffing. Mashed Potatoes. Butter. Butter. More butter. Thanksgiving is coming and you already have anxiety just thinking about the decadence that will be staring you in the face on the holiday table, right? You’re imagining the moment you’ll get to dig into your favorite pumpkin pie, topped with freshly whipped cream and surrounded by a crumbly, sweet, and buttery graham crust. You’ll “try to be good” and only have one bite. But when you wind up eating a whole piece, you won’t be able to enjoy it because you’ll immediately start kicking yourself for falling off the healthful path. You’ll say “I’ve blown it!” and maybe even have a second piece, because you know what? You “earned it.” And if everyone else can enjoy it then why can’t you? And you might as well enjoy everything on the table—twice—because Thanksgiving only comes once a year and you’ll just get back on track on Monday morning.  Sound familiar? The next day, when you step on the scale, you’ll throw your hands up in the air and curse yourself for eating that “dang piece of pie!” and blame it for the extra pound you’re up or shame yourself for staying the same when you’re trying to lose. Just thinking about all of this negativity is exhausting, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you like to simply eat your favorite piece of pumpkin pie one day in your life and not feel bad about it? Don’t you want—more than anything—not to feel disgusted with yourself and unhappy in your body and eat that piece of pie in peace? That’s not asking too much, and you can have that right now. How to Actually Enjoy Your Pumpkin Pie THIS holiday season, you just gotta try it the Nutritious Life way, and turn it into YOUR way. The Nutritious Life way means that you’re always working hard at living your most Nutritious Life. Most of the time, it has you feeling good about your food, fitness, and wellness choices. There are things that are super easy for you to do (i.e. have your favorite salad at lunchtime) and there will always be areas you need to work a little harder on (i.e. getting yourself to the gym before work). This is normal, and you don’t beat yourself up for not being “perfect.” You just keep trying and improving. Are you working hard on all of your nutrition and wellness work 90% of the time? Good for you! If you’re truly doing great health and nutrition work 90% of the time, you should be… enjoying dessert, a glass of wine, or a savory treat a few times every week. These are what I call conscious indulgences. What is a Conscious Indulgence? A conscious indulgence is a planned treat that you add to your lifestyle only because it’s delicious, makes you happy, and is a part of being an empowered eater.    So put that Nutritious Life hat on and change your thinking. Empowered You is now contemplating that same pie and thinking, “I cannot wait to eat a peace (pun intended) of my favorite pie! I’m going to savor every bite.” Empowered eaters can have their cake, pie, chips, or french fries and be satisfied once they’ve eaten it, rather than triggered to want more and more.  This mindset reduces stress over food because there’s nothing illicit about the gravy. You planned on eating it. This is the Nutritious Life way—a mindset—deliberate, planned and empowered. Try it out. You’ll see that you’re really proud of your good work and savoring and enjoying your conscious indulgences, and the negative brain power is a forgotten memory. You’ll continue to reach your weight and health goals. Farewell to the Frustrated Old You. You like this You much more. Have a healthful and fabulous Thanksgiving (to make it utterly spectacular check out my healthy Thanksgiving menu). Enjoy your holiday and your conscious indulgence.

Is Ghee Healthy?

Q: Is ghee healthy? A: Ghee is actually healthy? Say, it is so?  Everyone wants to slab a little butter on their morning toast and doing so in the name of health is just so. much. butter, I mean better. As a little refresher, butter is a dairy product made from churning milk until the buttermilk (liquids) separates from the butterfat (solids). It’s this solid part that’s known as butter, the creamy yellow product that pretty much makes anything and everything taste better. “Ghee”, is a form of clarified butter and is different from traditional butter in that it’s made by boiling butter until the water in the butter has evaporated. What you’re left with is three layers—whey protein, liquid fat, and casein particles.  After skimming off the top protein layer, you’re able to pour off and separate the liquid fat layer.  This liquid fat is what’s known as clarified butter, a more pure version of traditional butter. Ghee is a form of clarified butter and only slightly different in that it’s prepared by simmering longer at a lower heat (versus simply boiling) until the butter is caramelized and then strained again. Thanks to this lower heat preparation, ghee retains more nutrients than other forms of clarified butter. While ghee may now be popping up in grocery store aisles across the globe, this rich, golden clarified butter has been used for thousands of years in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. It even plays a key role in Ayurveda medicine for its proposed anti-inflammatory, digestive, and healing attributes. Ayurveda recommends roasting cooking spices in ghee to boost their flavor and nutrition. So, should we all start spreading, melting and drizzling clarified butter or ghee on all of our fave dishes?  Let’s discuss. Ghee vs Butter One tablespoon of traditional butter offers about 100 calories and 11 grams of fat (7 of which are saturated fat).  Ghee has 123 calories and 14 grams of fat (8 of which are saturated fat).  Not that big of a difference, right?  But, we all know that just like actions speak louder than words, ghee’s health benefits count more than calories.  The traditional yellow butter you know and love might be on par in terms of calories, but ghee is richer in vitamins A, D, and E, which can help repair damaged skin, improve vision, help balance your hormones, and regulate your metabolism.  Ghee also contains 25 percent medium and short chain fatty acids compared to normal butter which contains only 12 to 15 percent. Unlike long-chain fatty acids, medium chain triglycerides are rapidly broken down and go straight to the liver where they can be used as an instant energy source and are less likely to be stored as fat. Butyric acid, one of the short chain fatty acids found in ghee has been linked to better gastrointestinal health, anti-inflammatory properties as well as helping the body use it for fuel more efficiently.  Recent science has even shown that people who consumed higher amounts of ghee had a lower occurrence of coronary heart disease, lower LDL cholesterol, improvements in psoriasis, and enhancement of memory. It may even have a positive effect on wound healing.  Ghee is also a better choice if you have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Because ghee separates milk from the fat, you won’t find any lactose or milk proteins in this butter alternative.  When it comes to cooking, ghee has a higher smoke point compared to its traditional butter counterpart. This means that next time you’re whipping up that asian stir fry, you’re less likely to inhale smoke or consume any carcinogenic byproduct that’s produced by drizzling your cooking oil into a searing pan.  So, if you’re planning on frying, sauteing, or grilling, ghee might be a better choice. It will also add a sweet, nutty flavor and richness to any of your dishes. You can try melting it into your mashed potatoes, drizzling it on top of your veggies, or even tossing your popcorn with it. The only exception is with baked goods. If you love that classic buttery flavor in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, then it might be best to stick with traditional butter. Now, back to the fat issue. Even though ghee is high in saturated fat, studies have shown that the old school thought of of all saturated fat is ‘bad’ for you might be a grand oversimplification.  The relationship between the dietary intake of fats and health is complicated.  Fats overall, even including some saturated fats, are important for our health and wellness. Like just about all foods, there’s of course a spectrum of crummy fats (think processed, refined, and hydrogenated) and then there’s nutrient powerhouse fats like those found in ghee and avocado.  But this all comes along with a balanced mindset. A diet overabundant in anything (including good healthy fats) can still be harmful to your health. Ghee is often marketed as a “health food” but even the healthiest of foods can be overdone. After all, it’s still a form of butter, and butter is a ‘use in proper portion’ kind of fat. A little healthy fat goes a long way, but too much can work against you in attaining or maintaining your health and weight goals. I’m a big fan of a little bit (think a teaspoon or two) of real nutrient dense fats at every meal. Add ghee to the list next to avocado, coconut or almonds as a fat food that can play a healthy role in your diet.  Just don’t eat with a spoon out of a jar no matter how tempting it may taste and how many health benefits you can rattle off.