by Olga Aura

Every year we look forward to Thanksgiving — the warmth of family, the cornucopia of delicious food, the spirits and the jokes — and afterwards, the not-so-funny indigestion and constipation. Sound familiar?

I love to eat! I love to eat organic gourmet food that not only tastes good, but is also good for my health. Last year my husband and I attended an all-raw Thanksgiving potluck dinner hosted by my friend and raw food pioneer Elaina Love. What a gourmet feast it was! The long table sitting almost 20 of us was completely covered with fresh cranberry relish, stuffing, mashed potatoes with mock turkey and gravy, steamed veggies,  and a big yam pie with cashew cream.

During the three-hour exotic feast  I must have had at least 10 food-gasms, my taste buds climaxing with each new bite. And the biggest surprise came after the meal; unlike after a traditional Thanksgiving meal, I did not feel tired. We all put on our shoes and went out into the night — walking, skipping and giggling. The food was working its magic; I felt energized, light and clear. I was ecstatic!

This year, a nutritional-counseling client who has diabetes asked me how she can add more healthy alternatives  to her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. “I want to have a 50/50 table: half to be mainstream food and the other half  nontraditional,” she said. “I want to have more energy, look great in my   holiday clothes, and enjoy eating with my family at the same time.” Isn’t this what everyone wants?

Here are three keys to better digestion, more energy and great looks for this holiday season:

1.  Take digestive enzymes before your meal, especially if you are going to eat more than two different kinds of foods in one sitting.

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2.  Eat fruits first, not at the end of the meal, to avoid bloatedness, gas and constipation.

3.  Drink only fresh green juice the morning after Thanksgiving to rest your overworked digestive track and prevent weight gain.

Great food and great health is only 25 percent about what you eat; 75 percent is about how you eat.

This holiday season, eat peacefully; breathe, light candles, chew the food slowly, and smile to yourself. Happy food adventures and happy holidays to you.

Steamed Garlic Green Beans

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Makes 4 servings

4 cups fresh green beans

2 cloves garlic, pressed

3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tamari sauce

2 teaspoons dried chili pepper

Snap off the stem end of the beans. Steam the green beans lightly, just until they turn bright green and tender. Immediately toss with the remaining ingredients. Voila!

Guilt-free Yam Pie with Cashew Cream

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Inspired by Nomi Shannon, The Raw Gourmet

Crust:

1 cup shredded coconut

2 cups Brazil nuts

½ cup pitted dates

dash of salt

Process shredded coconut in the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process again until the mixture is sticky. Press the dough into a round pie pan and put in the freezer while making the filling.

Filling:

6 small yams, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 cup raisins, covered in water for 20 minutes (keep the water)

½ cup pitted dates

½ cup macadamia nuts

1 orange, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of clove powder

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons psyllium powder

Blend the first five ingredients in a power blender, including the water from the raisins. If the mixture is hard to blend, add a little more water. Add the remaining ingredients, except the psyllium powder, and blend. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the psyllium powder and pour into the crust immediately. Then put back into the freezer while making the cream.

Cashew Cream:

2 cups cashews

½ cup pitted dates

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup water

Blend everything in a power blender. If hard to blend, gradually add more water until the mixture is the consistency of whipped cream. Pour over the pie and smooth out  with a spatula. Or put the cream into a frosting bag and make nice designs. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Olga Aura is an intuitive health counselor and a gourmet raw food chef who offers complementary 30-minute consultations to jumpstart your best life. Call her at 415-512-5775. For more holiday recipes and for information about hands-on holiday classes, visit her Web site at www.IamFullyAlive.com.