5 Tips for an Ayurvedic Thanksgiving

This month many of us are celebrating one of our most revered days of feast, gratitude and community, Thanksgiving. Many of us gather with friends and family, set our tables with our finest, and prepare the season’s bounty with thanks. Often the anticipation of this event can bring on feelings of anxiety and stress, and many modern recipes leave us feeling tired, heavy, bloated and with a general feeling of discomfort. By applying Ayurvedic principles to our holiday, and maybe some well-balanced CBD, we can avoid some of these side effects and have a more enjoyable experience.

Here are 5 Ayurvedic Strategies to bring balance to yourself and your table this Thanksgiving.

1. Pause with a state of Awareness
Many of us are aware of the benefits of mindfulness and taking time to just be. By applying these simple tools to our moments of planning, we can hopefully interrupt these feelings of stress that might arise as we navigate Thanksgiving. When we make our plans, whether to cook, host or travel, try to remember to stay in an active state of mental and physical awareness.

Brew a cup of tea, take a deep breath and inhale its sweet scent, exhale and relax. In this paused time before active planning, consider how you want things to go and write down how you plan to execute them. It could be starting your chore and grocery list; or how you plan to navigate your challenging interactions with Uncle John.

When our mind has a road map it is easier for us to be present and aware in stressful situations. Return to this cup of tea mindset (or maybe drop some Calming CBD tincture under your tongue), should you need a pause and re-center during the event itself. Close your eyes, take a breath, notice how you are feeling and give yourself grace.

If you are spending time in the kitchen cooking, do it with presence. Yoga teaches us that the only thing that is real is the present moment and our experience within it. We don’t live in the past or the future, only in the here and now. This is where we will find contentment and joy. To help with this you can create a mantra that you return to as you cook. For example, “I am present and preparing this food with love and gratitude”.

Most importantly, practice gratitude. When things get challenging, taking a moment to remember the things we are grateful for can help us shift our mindset. Gratitude has been shown to make us more resilient and content, and improve our relationships. Remember, this is the holiday of giving thanks. Even if the whole day goes sideways, find at least one thing to be thankful for.

2. Look at Local Availability
Ayurveda encourages the practice of eating seasonally, and the best way to do this is to support your local farmers. In many areas harvests in November might be scant but some farms may be using greenhouses that give them a little longer season. If you have a year round farmers market, shop there first. If you are shopping at the grocery store, do your best to buy what’s seasonal and organic if possible.

Here is a short list of typical fall foods in ayurveda, cook them with lots of healthy fat (ghee, olive oil, and/or organic butter) and warming spices.

• Apples
• Squash such as butternut, acorn and pumpkin
• Sweet Potatoes
• Root Vegetables such as Carrots, Beets and Turnips
• Brussel Sprouts
• Broccoli
• Leeks and Onions
• Mushrooms
• Cool Weather Greens such as Kale, Chard and Spinach

3. Include All Six Tastes
The Ayurvedic system categorizes foods by 6 tastes. On most thanksgiving tables we find an abundance of sweet tastes with a bit too much salt, and a touch of sour. Often the table is missing the lighter tastes that come from the pungent, bitter and astringent categories. Consider cooking with pungent spices such as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne and even cinnamon. Include the bitter tastes by adding cooked greens or brussel sprouts.

Set the table with fresh pomegranate and include astringent spices to some of your dishes. Turmeric has astringent as well as pungent qualities; other spices to consider are bay leaf, caraway, dill, fennel, marjoram, oregano and nutmeg. Add these to your roasted vegetables!

4. Eat Early With The Ayurvedic Clock
According to the Ayurvedic Clock our digestive fire is strongest between 11am and 2pm. This is the ideal window to plan to have your holiday feast. Eating during this time will help your meal digest with more ease and you will likely feel less of the sluggishness that often follows these meals.

5. Avoid Grazing and Listen to Your Body
Ayurveda is not a proponent of snacking but often at events like this there is a full spread of appetizers set out for guests to graze on before the meal. Snacking on too many appetizers increases the likelihood of overeating. This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a little appetizer, just do it mindfully.

Instead of mindlessly snacking on the spread, pick one or two appetizers you think you will really enjoy and appreciate, eat them with presence and make those two appetizers an experience of joy. As you continue to eat and move to the main meal, eat slowly and listen to your body, it will tell you when to stop.

If you are hosting this year consider skipping appetizers all together and offering tea or a digestive tonic instead. A beverage bar with warming chai or mocktails with herbal bitters will not only add to the holiday vibe but they will help support healthy digestion.

After your holiday winds down, the table is cleared and the guests have gone, circle back to number one and pause. Take a few minutes to deeply appreciate everything that made this holiday wonderful. Give thanks for the season’s bounty bringing you nourishment from the earth and for the people who joined you in connection and community. We are grateful for you and hope that you have a wonderful holiday filled with joy!

Healthy Recipe from the Desk of Jo Tandberg – Delicious Broccoli Salad
Here is a recipe that is reminiscent of Joanna’s mom, but without the mayo which often defines food from the deep south (Joanna is originally from Atlanta, GA). Choose good-quality bright green broccoli with tight florets, and try not to overcook it; it should have an al-dente finish for texture.

Ingredients:

• 4 -5 cups tiny broccoli florets (and chopped stalks if you like)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 cup sunflower butter (or almond butter, peanut butter, be creative))
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon real honey
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 small crisp apples, cut into bit-sized pieces (to prepare ahead, let them sit in a bowl of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon)
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup toasted or candied sunflower or pumpkin seeds or nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts)
• 1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots*
• 4- 6 slices organic bacon cooked and crumbled ***
• Finely chopped green onions or chives (optional)

Instructions:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt to taste like sea water.
• Boil the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge of – 10 or 15 seconds.
• Drain and immerse it in cold water.
• Spin the broccoli in a salad spinner to remove excess water or knock against the strainer against the sink.
• Set aside.
• Dressing: sprinkle the salt over the garlic clove, smash the clove and chop, smash – turning it into a paste.
• In a small bowl whisk the salty garlic paste with the seed/nut butter, lemon juice, honey and olive oil.
• Add the hot water and whisk until light and creamy. Taste and adjust if necessary, and set aside.
• In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, red onion, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. ***
• Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the *shallots and chives
• *Stir together the shallots, a splash of ghee (or olive oil) and a generous pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat.
• Stir every few minutes, to slowly brown, about fifteen minutes, until dark brown (but not burned), turn down the heat if necessary.
• Remove from the skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer where they will crisp up a bit.
• Serves 4 family style.

*** For a heartier and saltier edge, toss organic crispy chopped bacon in the bowl after the dressing, apples, onions and broccoli.

Happy Thanksgiving with Love,
Joanna Tandberg & Bloom Hemp CBD