I am gearing up for Thanksgiving. This is my favorite holiday, probably because I get to feed so many people and throw an all day party.

This year we are having a turkducken (turkey stuffed with a duck which is stuffed with a chicken). We will also have a regular turkey, a tofurkey (which most of you will think is more gross than I think the turkducken will be), and a ham for good measure.

Thanksgiving is gluttonous. People leave my house with their top pants button unbuttoned. I will not be making a lighter version of scalloped potatoes. The potatoes will have butter and cream. In fact, butter will be purchased in bulk for this occasion. I’m making stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, brussel sprouts, dinner rolls, and more. We will start with appetizers and finish with pies and ice cream. I doubt people will leave here before midnight.

By the time the holidays end, I’d prefer to stay in the same pant size that I currently wear. I don’t want to add a spare tire or a muffin top at any point. At the same time, I don’t want to diet during Thanksgiving. So, what do I do? I have devised a plan and I’d like to share it with you. I developed this plan for my trip to England a few weeks ago. This is my way of preparing for a situation where I don’t want to limit myself or deprive myself from tasting everything to my heart’s content. I knew that while I was in England I would have to eat fish and chips and then more chips. I knew I would want to have cheese with every meal. I also knew there would be lots of wine consumed with friends and family. I didn’t want to ever have to worry about all of those calories.

Three days before I left for England and for three days after I got back, I juiced. I’d love to say I only made homemade juices and that was all I had for three days. I have read a lot about a three day juicing fast, but I just can’t do it. I think I have made it through one and a half days before I miss chewing food so much and can’t take it any more. So, no, I didn’t just drink juice. I also drank vegetable broth and green or herbal tea. I don’t have any limit on how much tea, juice or broth I can drink during these days.

I make enough juice in the morning to last the whole day. I like to change up the juice combinations too. You don’t want to get bored. One day, I make a carrot, apple, ginger and orange juice. This is a juice I discovered in England years ago. Another day, I’ll make a tomato, cucumber, celery, lemon, kale, and romaine lettuce juice. On the third, I’ll put it all together into one juice and add some cayenne pepper. Oh, and add in herbs like cilantro and flat leaf parsley too. Throw in berries. It can be really fun. I might just be lucky but I really love these juices. No matter the combination, I think they taste amazing. My kids and their friends think I am nuts.

Yes, you will need a juicer. One day, I told Claud I needed a juicer and he found me one at Goodwill. That was fine and I had a lot of fun with my little white plastic juicer. I had to rinse it several times throughout the process of making a juice because it clogged. It was pretty messy too. I was so happy to have juice that I didn’t really care. Then, my good friend saw it and said she had an extra juicer she’d like to give to me. She brought it over and it was like going from a VW Bug to a Ferrari. This stainless steel juicer from Breville is amazing. I don’t have to chop anything up. It’s so fast. There is no mess. I guess that’s the difference between $15 at Goodwill and $500 at William Sanoma. Luckily, I am still $15 into this. Whether you go for an expensive one or one which needs more pampering, I believe it’s worth it. Juicing is awesome. I find you don’t need coffee in the morning because the juice gives you so much energy. Just think of all of the nutrients in one glass. You could never eat that many fruits and vegetables in one sitting. I know, we are missing the fiber but I am not suggesting you drink food forever.

Then, because I need to eat something solid or I will lose my mind, either for dinner or lunch I eat something plant based. I try to make the meal as raw as possible. I don’t use anything processed. I don’t use dairy or meat. I might make a simple green salad with lemon squeezed on for dressing. Sometimes, I’ll make some quinoa and add vegetables, again with lemon squeezed all over it. I’ll add chickpeas. I think it is good to get clever with this since it is your one meal.

For example, here I have prepared a “burrito salad.” It has pretty much what I would want in my burrito but I use lettuce instead of a tortilla. This is actually a very filling meal. You’ll be surprised. Give this concept a try and you won’t have to worry about eating that piece of pie.

Burrito Salad

1 piece of romaine lettuce

cup fat free refried beans, heated

cup sauted peppers and onions (or raw)

olives, chopped

1 small tomato, diced

hot sauce

Layer all of these ingredients into the lettuce.