More than any other holiday—This one really is about the food.

It’s time to celebrate 4Leaf eating for the rest of our lives.

My childhood memories of Thanksgiving are not that great. That’s because I never was a big fan of the traditional turkey and dressing feast. I remember asking my mother when I was about twelve years old, “Why don’t we have one of our favorite meals on Thanksgiving? If turkey and dressing is so great, why do we only have it once a year?”

I don’t remember her answer, but whatever it was, it made no difference in the way that I felt about Thanksgiving. But now, I have a happy story to tell. That’s because this holiday is now my favorite. And unlike my childhood memories, Thanksgiving no longer means endless hours of preparation, eating far too much of the wrong food, the beginning of a six-week period of over-eating—followed by guilt and January resolves to lose weight.

For the past few years, my family has enjoyed Thanksgiving more than ever, now that we’re eating nothing but plant-based foods a la 4Leaf for Life. Now that’s something to truly be thankful about; beginning with vibrant health for ourselves and leading to a celebration of a return to living in harmony with Nature on this planet.

2012 Annual Hike on Thanksgiving Day—near Wachusett Mountain Ski Resort in Massachusetts.

On Thanksgiving morning, we’ll start out with some fresh fruit over a bowl of oatmeal with almond milk and maybe enjoy a crackling fire while enjoying that first meal of the day. Then, we’ll take our annual Thanksgiving morning hike on one of the many trails in the Holden – Wachusett Mountain area (like this one).

Later, our Thanksgiving feast will feature a wholesome array of fresh vegetables, grains and legumes — and it will be awesomely delicious, thanks to Lisa’s incredible expertise in the kitchen—an expertise that includes some kind of healthy and delicious dessert. There’s something special about celebrating with a nutritious meal that also has many healthy implications for the planet and does not require one minute of suffering by any other creature.

As we sit down for our holiday dinner, we can all be thankful that our diet-style enables each of us to reduce our total water consumption by 90%, lower our energy footprint by 30%, and free up three acres of land that can be used for feeding more people or perhaps restoring some of the forests that we humans have so recklessly destroyed over the past 100 years.

This particular Thanksgiving is very special—it will be our family’s first one in Lisa’s brand new 4Leaf Kitchen. With a new dining area next to the pellet stove and alongside the brand new row of windows overlooking the lovely outdoor recreation area.

Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen—the home of thousands of future health-promoting meals for the Hicks family.

The Bottom Line. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks—for our vibrant health, for our families, and for the great feeling that comes from making a difference—promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

One more thing. There won’t be any Tofurkey or fake vegan cheese at our Thanksgiving dinner. Those unhealthy imitations are just reminders of foods that are not good for our health or our environment. We’re ready to move on—and celebrate the consumption of foods that are good for both. —My 655th consecutive daily blog—

PS: I think I see a spot in the new kitchen that would be an ideal location for Lisa’s new 4Leaf for Life Clock shown above. I am thinking right above that pellet stove in the corner. What do you think, Lisa?

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Handy 4-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

• The movie that’s changing the lives of millions: Forks Over Knives DVD 
• Healthy Eating, Healthy World, The “big picture” about food (our book)
• An essential scientific resource: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell
• Dr. McDougall’s new book, The Starch Solution, with lots of great recipes.

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

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J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

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Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation