Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays: There are no gifts, there are no parties, there are no real requirements other than to eat delicious food and be with the people who are most close to you. If you can't slow down for the entire week, then I urge you at the very least to take a real, decided breather on Thanksgiving itself -- so that you can both relax and reconnect. It's so important to occasionally stop engaging with the noise on the streets, and turn down the din in your head that might be coming through as a constant stream of self-criticism, doubt, and anxiety. Lean into those you love, who are probably the same people who are the most solid and steadfast pillars of support in your life, who are the most inclined to celebrate you in all of your unique glory. It's far too easy to get so involved with our own lives -- so sucked into our own tunnels of reality -- that we forget to connect with our family and friends and nurture and develop those relationships that feed the right places within.
As a concept, "health" is very nebulous: It has many layers, though we tend to fixate on the more superficial ones. Our worlds are inundated with distorted messages of beauty and sex, making it no wonder, really, that we become attracted to, and sometimes addicted to quick yet ineffective weight loss tactics, plastic surgery that's supposed to deliver the fountain of youth, and relationships with people who are decades younger. Instead, we need to fill the disengagement gap, and remind ourselves that health is about balance, and that life is meant to be enjoyed, not coerced into being something that it's not.
I created a fitness method to empower people to find the best version of themselves -- to harness transformation without ever plateauing. I'm constantly pushing my clients to step outside of their comfort zones and move their bodies smart and consistently -- to become truly connected physically and mentally, to become their most proportioned self in every sense of the word.
When you truly connect to your body, you become acutely aware of your health. And you ensure that you're developing a heart that both feels and understands that you will see changes in your life. You begin to believe. Because of this, you won't miss the miracles, nor will you undermine your own potential. So slow down this Thanksgiving, and pause for a minute to take your pulse and refocus on what's important.
We only have to fear technology, gimmicks, and the noise -- which all contribute to a prevailing sense of insecurity -- if we buy into the manipulation. It requires participation. Is diet soda really good for you? Is everyone on Facebook happier than you? Is the girl in that ad going to make you happy? Will you get a promotion if you buy that jacket? If you have that girl's butt, will the guy of your dreams appear? Not a chance in hell. But, if you are good to yourself, and your family and close friends and co-workers, you will become the ultimate achiever.
And in the process of being good to yourself, don't forget to move. Don't atrophy the brain's connection to your muscles. Don't repeat movements that your brain and muscles have mapped and mastered. Overcome your weaknesses and begin your transformation -- and take a friend or family member with you.
Meanwhile, I put my food guru Megan Grocutt and myself to the test to create both a gluten-free Thanksgiving spread, and a post-Thanksgiving detox. It was created with nothing but love for you and your loved ones! Happy Thanksgiving!
With love,
Tracy
---
Roasted Turkey
10-13 LB turkey
Tie legs together.
Season turkey with simple salt and pepper.
Take fresh Marjoram, Tarragon, Shallots and Rosemary and dice rather fine, making about 1/2 cup of seasoning.
Take about 1/2 of the mix and spread under the skin as much as possible.
Drizzle the outside of the turkey with olive oil and take the other 1/2 of the mixture, rubbing it all over the turkey.
Take a full sprig of each -- Marjoram, Tarragon, Whole Shallot, Rosemary -- and tie together and place inside turkey.
Take 4-6 lemon slices and place in large pan with turkey.
Peel and add 6-8 heirloom carrots in the pan.
**You can also add 4-6 medium red potatoes in the pan, cut in half.
Set oven temp to 430-450 and cook about 30 mins to crisp the skin and lock in juices. Lower temp at 360 for roughly the next 2-2.5 hours, until 165 desired temp is reached.
Let sit 20-30 mins before cutting and serving
---
Scalloped Yam and Potato With Gruyere
Using a 9 inch glass baking dish, add:
2 thinly sliced and peeled medium to large potatoes
1-2 thinly sliced and peeled medium to large yams
Layer the slices: potato, yam, potato, yam, etc. but save about 1/4-1/2 inch of space on top for your sauce
In a medium sauce pan, add 1 cup heavy cream
2 small Shallots, diced
2 Tbsp Butter
1 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
Heat until smooth and blended. Pour over potato layers and bake at 350 for 25 mins, until slightly brown on top.
---
Braised Kale with Lemon and Capers
6 Cups Chopped Kale
1/2 cup Chopped Capers
1 Lemon, Juiced
4 Small Garlic Cloves, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp to coat pan
Add Garlic with olive oil in pan for 2-3 minutes and then add kale
Braise about 7 minutes on low to medium heat and slowly add in capers.
Do not add lemon until the end or your kale will become brown.
Squeeze lemon at end just before serving.
---
Cauliflower and Chive Mash
2 heads of Cauliflower, cut into small pieces. Place in 9x12 baking dish and season with salt, pepper and drizzle 4 Tbsp of olive oil
Bake at 365 until slightly brown, tossing cauliflower to evenly cook every 10 mins
Once tender, place in Vitamix or high-powered blender. Work in batches by taking 1/3 to 1/2 of the cauliflower.
Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp fresh chopped Chives
Blend until pureed very well
Repeat with other half of cauliflower and add salt/pepper to taste
---
Nanny's Cornbread Pudding
1 cup fresh corn off cob
1 1/2 cups creamed corn (we made ours with 1 cup fresh corn, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp butter, 1-2 tsp raw sugar)
8 oz. Sour Cream
1 Package Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix
Mix everything together and bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes
Baked Fruit Salad
1 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup fresh Cranberries, cut in half
1 cup Raspberries
2 Pears, diced
1 Apple, diced
Place all diced fruit in mixing bowl with 1/4 tsp raw vanilla extract and 1-2 tsp cinnamon. Mix together with a spoon and add:
1 Tbsp Tapioca
Place in 9 inch glass baking dish and bake at 365 for about 25-30 mins, mixing every so often.
---
Turkey Gravy
Using your pan drippings from the turkey you just baked, transfer to a medium sauce pan
Stir on medium to high heat and slowly add in arrowroot flour to thicken to your desired consistency. Remember a little flour goes a long way and might not look like it's thickening with the heat, but it will as soon as it's allowed to settle. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
---
Tracy Anderson's Post Thanksgiving Detox
Instead of eating leftovers for days, you can opt for this Post Thanksgiving Detox. Start any of the broth recipes with your favorite herb combination and make a large batch. You can have as much broth as you want throughout the day and you will have two shakes (recipes below). Follow this for two days.
Kale/Banana Shake
1 bunch of kale (will blend smoothly if chopped prior)
1/2 banana
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup 2% milk or almond milk (milk of choice)
1 cup filtered water
Blend in Vitamix or high-powered blender until smooth
Kale/Mango Shake
1 bunch of kale (will blend smoothly if chopped prior)
1/2 cup sliced Mango
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup milk of choice
1 cup water
Blend in Vitamix or high-powered blender until smooth
*Note: You can add ice to any shake and either use all water as your filler, half organic milk and half water (in the directions), or any milk of your choice.
Give Metamorphosis this holiday season, because the gift of health is the best gift there is. And the workouts change every 10 days quite frankly, because if you stop, life stops! There is no time like the present to begin to change your life -- in every way.