Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Let's hear how your Thanksgiving Day went. Not just what you ate (although that would be welcome also) but how did the day go? Did you have guests? Family, friends or frenemies? Did you take time just for yourself? Was is a chore or a joy? Or some of each? What do you do to maintain a healthy balance?

I find that starting about Halloween, the days get shorter and darker, I want to go into hibernation mode. Too many holidays feel as if I'm rolling downhill faster than I want to go. I pull back and do less. I do spend time with the important people in my life, and by now they are many. I realize I can't do everything, so I do less, and enjoy more.

I'm grateful for all that I have and realize that I have all that I need and most of what I want. I still want world peace and good health for all, but those things are not for sale.

Let us hear how you are doing. Your cyberfriends are as real as the ones you see every day.

My husband and I were going to go over to our daughter's house for Thanksgiving. Well, we had an unexpected change in our Thanksgiving plans. Our daughter's father-in-law came down with covid and he had been over her house the day before he had symptoms. I hope none of my daughter's family (including our 2 grandsons) come down with covid. So my husband and I stayed home and I made Thanksgiving dinner at my house and had my sister and nephew over. It was nice to have dinner with my husband, my sister and nephew but I did miss seeing our daughter's family and our 2 grandsons. For Thanksgiving dinner I made a vegan meatloaf, baked potatoes with Mary McDougall's Fat Free Golden gravy, corn on the cob, salad, cornbread and homemade cranberry sauce. Everyone enjoyed what I made but I did miss seeing my daughter's family.

I had planned to take the vegan meatloaf, cranberry sauce and cornbread to my daughter's house so I ended up doing more cooking than I thought but it turned out good.

Vanilla Orchid, what did you have for your Thanksgiving dinner?

Daydream, it sounds as if you had a nice day. Glad you changed your plans for everyone's safety. Someone in our group was exposed to COVID the day before Thanksgiving, so decided to stay home with her partner. We're grateful that she did, since we had a 90+ year old at the table and nobody wanted to put her at risk.

We all need to take care of one another.

I am always in charge of bringing the veg for the thanksgiving potluck and i had it easy this year because my daughter felt like cooking them all for me.

my other daughter is a health professional, she urged us all to be covid tested before the event. all but one family complied. I brought enough covid tests for everybody. it's really inconsiderate that not all complied because we had one older senior and one who is on lots of prescription drugs.

The host didn't want to do it because he just got over covid. The host's son asked "what would you do if one of us had it?" i said, "send you to your room with food.". He thought it was reasonable but didn't comply.

Matcha ,

Mr. Non-compliant is so rude!

My husband and I belong to several dance clubs--tango and English Country. There are a number of us who are of a certain age, and some who have medical conditions (including cancer) that make them especially vulnerable. Proof of vaccinations is mandatory and in the case of one club where someone is receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, vaccinations, masks AND a COVID test within 2 hours of admission is mandatory. Don't like it? You are not invited. Period.

Our friends are too important to us not to comply, and compliance is so simple.

Haven't done Thanksgiving for quite a while. I'm know an outlier,and probably a bad person for cancelling Thanksgiving .

BUT Thanksgiving was always my least favorite holiday. Why? Let me count the ways!

I didn't care about the Pilgrim "fathers", as we were taught to call them in elementary school in the 1950's. Even pre-McDougall I thought turkey - especially seeing the whole dead carcass on the table - was way gross and off-putting. I hate holiday travel...and then there's the relative who always had to pick a fight on Thanksgiving. There's football, which I don't watch, and the Black Friday frenzy which I happily ignore. Mainly, I was only thankful when it was all over!

When I was younger, I had to go along with it all to make other people happy. But those people are gone now, and I don't feel obligated to observe a holiday that has no meaning for me. It's time off from work, that I can devote to cooking and eating the foods that I actually like!

So my personal tradition, since becoming a McDougaller has been to stay home and enjoy a quiet meal of my own traditional holiday food: sweet potato, brown rice, tofu and broccoli with ginger and garlic sauce. Then a nice walk in the woods to hopefully see wild turkeys roaming free.

Thankfully no birds had to suffer for my dinner, and my arteries aren't clogged with holiday goo.

But for those who do like thanksgiving, happy holidays to those who enjoy them (or can't escape) , and good (starchivore) eating to all!

Well, here we are again the evening before Thanksgiving, and we will, again be joining friends for an early dinner tomorrow. It's a mixed group with mostly omnivores, a few vegetarians and my husband and me. I'm bringing my signature dish--a Vegan Wellington adapted from a cookbook I picked up years ago at a restaurant called Food for Friends in Brighton, UK. Everyone loves it.

We are living in scary times with multiple wars and disease, including but not limited to an increase in COVID cases.

The day is not all about the food--it's about being with people we care about, and being grateful for all that we have, including the privilege to share.

May you all have a great day, no matter how you decide to spend it.

Your dish sounds wonderful, Vanilla!

Agree 100% that today is about taking a step back to reflect on all we have to be grateful for and to enjoy time with family and friends!

We are laying low this year with just bringing a meal to my FIL's. Every other year we have extended family celebrations. We'll be having an easy meal --- salad, split pea soup, potatoes and sweet potatoes, corn, and fruit plate.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Stephanie