As Thanksgiving approaches, visions of delectable turkey, whipped potatoes, and pumpkin pie are dancing in your day-dreaming, ready-to-start-the-long-weekend head. For those of us with a gluten-intolerance, Thanksgiving brings other thoughts – like those of hours of indigestion and headaches! If you can relate, there’s no reason to fret: there are dozens of great gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes out there. Out of all of the gluten-FULL side dishes, stuffing might be the hardest to resist – so try out this great recipe for yourself, or your gluten-free friends & family.

Gluten-Free Stuffing
1 loaf Food for Life (or similar brand) gluten-free rice almond bread, cut into one-inch cubes, toasted and cooled
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 egg yolk
1-2 cups gluten free chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Saute the garlic, onion & celery in olive oil on medium-low heat until almost translucent; add chopped mushrooms and sauté an additional minute or two. Add the thyme & rosemary and cook one additional minute while stirring.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer on high heat; place the egg yolk in a medium-sized bowl and add 2 – 3 spoonfuls of the stock into the egg yolk. This will prevent the eggs from scrambling. Continue to add the rest of the chicken stock to the egg mixture.

Add the cooled garlic, onion, celery, mushroom & herb mixture into the stock & egg mixture. Toss the bread cubes in the broth mixture and coat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper and mix.

Place the mixture into a greased casserole dish (3 quarts) and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 – 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the stuffing to test doneness – if it comes out clean, stuffing is done! If not, give it a few more minutes. Bon appétit!

For more great gluten-free recipes, check out Elana's Pantry or Gluten-Free Girl.
 

Congratulations ANDREA! You are the winner of the “How do you boost your energy during the day?” contest! You've got a $25 gift card to CorePower Yoga coming your way.

Next time you're craving that extra cup of coffee, try one of the top three suggestions below:

Andrea:
The biggest thing I do to help boost my energy is get up and out of my chair and go for a quick walk outside, into the kitchen to make some tea; something that gets me away from my desk where I've most likely been sitting all day. I'll take a few minutes for some strong deep breaths and a good forward bend. When I come back to my desk I'll transition to sitting on my yoga ball which for me, keeps me a little more active as I'm not sitting as still.

Thanks for this post. It seems like something so simple, but I think we forget about the little things we can do for an afternoon pick up.

Michelle:
I boost my energy by changing my energy. I like to running in place or do jumping jacks. Even if it is just for a minute, it gets my blood flowing and gives me that extra jolt of energy I need to get through the work day.

Allison:
My quick at work energy boost goes like this:
Take a 15 min walk outside. No matter what the temperature is, a trip outside away from my desk always wakes me up a bit. While on my walk I do a set of 10 lunges, 10 jumping jacks, and 1 quick sprint. This always gets my blood flowing and my energy up!

Thanks to everyone who contributed their no-fail energy boost techniques; great ideas!

Mid-afternoon is slowly approaching…your eyelids are beginning to droop, you’re slouching in your chair, and you’re starting to seriously consider that third cup of coffee. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, there’s simply not enough time to be tired!

These 5 yoga postures are great for a quick energy boost and are easy enough to do at the office. Pick one or a combination to bring oomph to your afternoon.

Mountain Pose
Stand up tall with your big toes touching. Bring balance evenly into both of your feet. Begin to engage the muscles in your legs, core and shoulders. Raise your arms alongside your ears and ease your shoulder blades down your back. Hold for 5 breaths, lower your arms down.

Forward fold/Ragdoll
Begin in Mountain Pose. Exhale and fold forward bending from your hips. Bend your knees to ease pressure on your hamstrings. Drop your arms alongside your ears and grasp your opposite elbows with opposite palms. Either stand still or sway side to side. Shake your head from side to side and forward and back to release the tension in your neck. Hold for 3-5 breaths; then release by rolling up to Mountain Pose one vertebra at a time.

Hot Yoga Half Moon
Begin in Mountain Pose. Inhale your arms above your head. Wrap your right hand around your left wrist, exhale and extend over to the right. Square your hips forward, and draw your left shoulder back so your heart opens. Hold and breathe for 3-5 breaths. Inhale back to center, switch your grip, and repeat on the left side.

Gentle Seated Twist
Begin seated in a chair with your arms down at your side. Inhale and lengthen your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head. As you exhale, twist your torso to the right. Bring your left arm around the front of your body and grab the arm or side of the chair to help you twist deeper. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Inhale back to center and repeat on your left side.

Seated Cat/Cow
Begin seated in a chair with your arms down at your side and a straight spine. While inhaling through your nose, puff your chest out, arch your spine and look up. Exhale, tuck your chin and round your spine. Repeat this cycle 3-5 times, moving with your breath.

Looking for more detailed posture breakdowns? Check out our Podcast page!

How do you boost your energy during the day?
Share your ideas and you’ll have a chance to win a $25 CorePower Yoga gift card. Send a 3-5 sentence tip to blog@corepoweryoga.com – the winner will be announced this Friday, 11/20!