Thanksgiving: a time for family, pie and the inquisition into your eating habits!

Just kidding, but I know sometimes it can feel that way.

After reading a blog post about how to “defend” your dietary choices at Thanksgiving, I felt compelled to make this video. In it, I explain the one-liner I use, when family asks about my food choices at Thanksgiving and other major holidays, where we’re all eating together.

Ahimsa, or non-violence, can be practiced in our speech along with our food choices. By food choices I don’t mean vegetarianism, I mean feeding our bodies in a way that is kind.

Let’s do both this Thanksgiving!

Food tastes better when our speech is sweet.

While we’re at it, let’s be more kind to your bodies. So, on Friday we can wake up feeling ready to hit the yoga mat and meditation cushion and not moaning over why we had to eat that third piece of pie.

Here are four easy things you can do at a feast to help protect your digestion, good sleep and energy.

1. Bring your appetite to the table.

Avoid the hors d’oeuvres and snacking all day; trust me the cheese puffs and mini-quiches are not worth it.

A strong appetite is your body’s message that it is ready to digest food—that’s just what you’re going to give it!

If you’re not very hungry when you dig into stuffing and turkey, you’ll find you’ll feel more sluggish or bloated afterwards.

2. Drink something hot—or at least avoid cold drinks.

Cold drinks are hard on circulation and digestion.This may mean drinking a glass of red wine or a hot toddy instead of a Coca-Cola over ice (even the Mexican kind).

3. Quality not quantity.

I’m wholeheartedly in favor of you trying all the foods your heart desires on this special day. Really. I’m also in favor of you honoring your body’s wishes for portion control.

If you know you digest gluten really poorly and you pile your plate high in stuffing we both know how that’s going to end. If you know that raw crunchy salads give you major gas, only have a little and chew the heck out of it. See #4.

4. Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew.

Something I hear every year: “Kate, you eat so slowly.”

Yep, that’s me and I’m proud of it.

I’ll wave my slow eater flag high because it helps me digest my food better and it gives me enough time to realize when I’m feeling full.

When everyone else is racing into pie and you’re still on your green beans, think of me giving you a big thumbs up.

I hope these tips help support you in enjoying the day and being fully present with the feast that we are so fortunate to have.

Thank you everyone for all you bring to this world!

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Author: Kate Schwabacher

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: video still