Seven weeks to go to my half-marathon in Carlsbad, CA ... and between now and then we have "the eating season" of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

Clearly, I need a plan that allows me to enjoy the holiday season while taking care of my health and emerge January 16th ready to run 13.1 miles.

A lot of people have asked me what I'm going to do about Thanksgiving, so here's my plan.

Our family will start the day with the Turkey Trot 5K run.

Then, I'll prepare a beautiful, delicious, healthy meal for the entire family. I'll ditch the green bean casserole, cheesy broccoli, butter-laden mashed potatoes and refined carbohydrates from stuffing and pies.

Instead, we'll have amazing food that's nutrient-dense and actually improves our health while tasting awesome!

Here's wishing you a wonderful holiday. I hope you're surrounded by family and friends and filled with thanksgiving for the many blessings in our lives. I am especially thankful this year for my amazing clients, my family and our health!

If you want some inspiration to boost the health-index of some of all of your own holiday meal, feel free to use or adapt any of my ideas!

Here's the menu

• Roast turkey with extra-virgin olive oil and Italian herbs seasoning
• Whole wheat dressing with fresh cranberries and apples
• Whole wheat honey rolls
  • Substitute extra virgin olive oil for butter in all instances
  • These turn out just fine if you skip the all-purpose flour and use only whole wheat for a healthier version
• Roasted butternut squash (extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, herbs, salt and pepper)
  • Peel and core butternut squash, removing all the pulp
  • Cut into 1-inch cubes and toss into a large mixing bowl
  • Coat sparingly with extra virgin olive oil -- just enough to coat your squash and not pool in the bottom of the bowl
  • Add chopped onion and minced garlic to your taste and mix well
  • Sprinkle with Italian herb seasoning, kosher or sea salt and pepper
  • Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
• Veggie/pasta side dish: zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, whole grain penne, homemade marinara
  • Chop up enough zucchini, green peppers, and red onions for your needs and tastes
  • Saute in a large skillet with about 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and Italian herb seasoning until peppers are tender
  • Add mushrooms (canned is fine, but drain and rinse to reduce salt) and mix well
  • Add two cups cooked whole grain penne pasta and stir to mix
  • Add just enough marinara sauce to coat. I use a homemade marinara, but Rao's sauces are good without a lot of added sugar or ultra processing.
  • Optional: serve with freshly-grated Parmesan if desired
• Traditional greek salad
• Homemade cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and honey
• Dessert: sliced apples baked with cinnamon, rolled oats, walnuts and honey ... with a dollop of greek yogurt on top.
  • Peel, core and slice enough apples for your group. I use Honeycrisp apples and figure about 1/2 cup per person
  • Coat generously with ground cinnamon
  • Add rolled oats and chopped walnuts as desired
  • Drizzle honey on top and mix well
  • Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and oats are slightly toasted.