Holidays & Seasons

Holidays make us crazy. Everyone has somewhere to go, something to do. Hectic schedules, big family dinners, last minute party details - even small distractions could throw us completely off course. So why is it that we let the holiday season itself keep us from sticking to our eating plans? Many people can make the conscious decision to indulge in this or that and then jump right back on track. But making that decision, and actually doing it, are two different things. We can have the best intentions in the world, but if we don't follow up on them, they can be our undoing. I, for one, used to be guilty of putting off my healthy eating or exercise plan until after the holidays. I knew it would be difficult with all the tempting foods around. It was much easier to just wait until the feasting was over. But think about it. Are the holidays truly ever over? No, not really.

Dana Carpender shares her recipe for Low Carb Mockahlua, as well as ways to fit alcohol into your low carb holiday celebrations. 'Tis the season to make merry! Seems to me that there are more parties crammed into the month of December than all the rest of the year put together. For many of us, parties mean downing cocktail or two. So how does drinking alcohol fit into a low carb diet?

Christmas is drawing close and many people are still trying to figure out what to get that special someone who is hard to buy for. You know the one I'm talking about - those that either have everything (which is certainly not me!) or those who are particular in their likes and dislikes. And let's just face the reality that low-carbers are picky. We have to be, at least where food is concerned. One of the great things about us is that we are passionate about our lifestyle and we aren't afraid to share that passion and help others. So this Christmas, give some of that love back to the low-carber in your life. Below I've listed what I believe to be some of the best gifts a low-carber could ask for.

Holidays bring a myriad of emotions. The joy of spending time with family and friends can be the highlight of the season. The flip side of this coin is that family gatherings tend to center around food, and the inevitable pressure to eat everything your Aunt Trudy made. After all, she made that sugary carb-loaded favorite just for you! Will it really hurt to have just one serving and save her fragile feelings?

Thanksgiving was Thursday. Maybe you took an Indulgence Day, maybe - like a growing (or, more accurately, shrinking) group of low carbers, you kept on low carbing right through the feast. I heard from a lot of people who had fauxtatoes and sugar-free pumpkin pie. Regardless, you probably have some leftovers kicking around. You're not going to be eating turkey sandwiches, or at least I hope you're not. So what to do with your leftover bird?

I have had very low carb stuffing that was remarkably like cornbread stuffing, made from - of all things - crushed pork rinds. The recipe comes from my erstwhile friend Trish Z. who very kindly let me use it in 500 More! Low-Carb Recipes. Here it is!

Call it stuffing, or call it dressing, it's just not a holiday turkey without it! For me, stuffing is an essential part of holiday dinners. Indeed, I used to have what I like to call an "indulgence" (a term I prefer to "cheat") on holidays largely so I could have stuffing! Since then, however, I've learned to cut back on the carb count of my turkey stuffing. Here are some ideas:

Dana Carpender's Low-Carb Gravy Recipe. The holiday season is here! That means lots of big family dinners, flocks of roasted turkeys - and gallons of gravy. This last gives many people pause. I learned this at age twenty one, when a group of young and broke friends bought a couple of whole chickens on sale, and roasted them for a budget dinner party. When the chickens came out of the oven, I said, "Look at those nice drippings. Would anyone like it if I made gravy?"

We have all heard and/or made self-defeating statements regarding our low carb plans, but the enticement to stray is far more insidious during the holiday season. Watch out for these statements of sabotage which can wreak havoc on your low carb plan.

For the last glorious holiday weekend of the summer, a cookout seems mandatory. So call up some friends, throw some (light) beer in the cooler, fire up the barbecue, and let's make an end-of-summer feast that will be filling and memorable without any nutritional regrets. Includes her Low-Carb Salmon Recipe