LET’S TALK TURKEY – Stress on the menu
Stress on the Menu – Did you know that it was in 1941 when Congress decided that the fourth Thursday in November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and a federal legal holiday? Did you know that in 1863 Abe Lincoln proclaimed a national annual Thanksgiving Day? And that in 1789 President George Washington issued a proclamation naming November 26 a day of Annual Thanksgiving. In 1621 the first Thanksgiving was observed in Plymouth, Massachusetts with around 90 Native Americans attending. It goes back. With stress through the years, I would guess.
So anyway it’s a long-standing tradition that Thanksgiving is the day when we feel most grateful for the blessings in our lives. So why do we talk so much about Thanksgiving stress? It can weigh more heavily on us than that having a slice of every type of pie and dessert put out. (And probably seconds.) We don’t plan on it, but stress seems to be part of most peoples’ plans. From the very beginning. Who should we invite? Wait, why do we have to do it at our house, anyway? Why don’t we let someone else tackle the whole event and just offer to bring cranberry relish? So, it starts with self-reproach. But of course, we have to plan the Thanksgiving soiree of the season. We have so much to be thankful for. There’s planning the menu for an intimate dinner for 30 or so. Should we stick with the old tried and true, or be adventuresome and try something new? That ought to fill up a solid week of looking for recipes. There’s the shopping…gee, thanks. There’s the cost involved…gee, thanks. There’s the preparation schedules and oven temperatures and cooking times…really, oh gee…thanks.
Gobble that up.
RECIPES FOR DISASTER
Guess who’s coming to dinner? When a family gathers elbow to elbow around a large table, the iconic Norman Rockwell scene doesn’t always materialize. Relationships that are strained can feel even more so when everyone is in the same room. Parents and grown children and even Grandparents often clash over everything from table manners to unanswered questions. (“Why haven’t you met a nice man yet?”) Old arguments—political (today’s tinderbox), emotional, or otherwise—can resurface. For many people, Thanksgiving is a massive platter of family-related stress. Discomfort wasn’t part of the menu, but there seems to be a lot of it going around. And it’s not always just clash of the families…when you figure in friends, anything goes. Ingredients for more stress, sweats and a stomach turning even before the battle of the gorge.
STORE-BOUGHT AND OTHER SINS
Whether you’re cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner or have been the go-to host for years, it can be stressful to be at the culinary helm. Some family members may have dietary restrictions like veganism. Some just turn up their noses at anything new you did dare to try. Or a friend brings something that no one goes to take one bite of. It’s your fault, of course, not theirs. Many stores make wonderful holiday dishes that would probably help make your life a little easier. But “easy” translates to “guilty” in a flash. How could you? It would be nice…oh, you couldn’t. And do you have a pet? if you do, you have to watch them with as much attention as making sure the serving dishes are always refilled. Because turkey bones splinter, they can choke dogs or cats, the Veterinary Medical Association warns. Dogs should also be kept away from any dish that contains onions, leeks or garlic because they are known to damage canine red blood cells. Likewise, raisins and grapes can induce kidney failure. And chocolate, especially vast amounts of the dark variety, can lead to serious gastrointestinal symptoms and even death in dogs. Another species begging for more. Does it stop?
Uh…no. There’s plenty more room for other kinds of guilt. Think of the travel. Driving? Agonizing. Flying? Nightmare would be understatement. Either is enough to plant an eetsy –beetsy thought in your head of skipping the whole thing and trying to convince yourself Thanksgiving is just like any other day. There’s the guilt you feel when you feel like that and then think of all the people who will spend the day alone, wishing they had someone to celebrate with. There is a lot of “blessed” mixed in with the guilt. So you stop stuffing the turkey and feel thankful for a bit. Feels good.
BE GRATEFUL
IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR. THE STRESS THAT BEGINS WEEKS BEFORE THE BIG DAY. THE HEADACHES, NERVOUS FEELINGS. TROUBLE SLEEPING. MUSCLE ACHES AND JOINT PAIN. YOU ALWAYS ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE HOLIDAYS. BUT THOSE FEELING COULD BE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE; YOUR HORMONES. THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU FEEL UNHINGED BECAUSE YOUR HORMONES ARE UNBALANCED. HORMONES ARE WHAT SEND MESSAGES THROUGHOUT YOUR BODY, HELPING CONTROL HOW CELLS AND ORGANS DO THEIR WORK. AND WHEN THEY’RE NOT WORKING THE WAY THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO, YOUR BODY DOESN’T WORK AT ITS BEST. THANKFULLY, HELP IS NEARBY.
STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY. WITH SIMPLE TESTS AND COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION, HE IS ABLE TO PINPOINT THE SOURCE OF YOUR PROBLEMS AND DETERMINE EXACTLY THE TREATMENT YOU NEED TO FEEL THE BEST YOU CAN DURING A TIME YOU HAVE TO. AND ALL THE TIME AFTER.
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY.
WITH SOMETHING THIS IMPORTANT, THE TURKEY CAN WAIT A LITTLE.
