Celebrate Thanksgiving with a delicious feast. Follow these tips to cook a nutritious turkey. Don't forget to try out these healthy recipes when cooking your big Thanksgiving dinner.

As 2014 comes to a close, enjoy our favorite recipes of the year.

Feeling fatigued? It’s a good bet that you’re also stressed. Fatigue and stress feed off each other.

How to perk up? Add whole foods to your diet, find more time to exercise, and cut down on sugar and caffeine. Adding some key supplements may also help.

In his book No More Fatigue, natural health expert Jack Challem identifies “The Five Circles of Fatigue” as stress, poor dietary habits, hormone imbalances, chronic illnesses (and many medications), and the aging process. Common medical causes of fatigue include anemia, sleep disorders, depression, chronic pain or infection, and inflammatory disorders. Stress is an underlying contributor to all of these.

Nutrition for Stress and Fatigue

• Avoid Sugar and Caffeine

  Contrary to popular opinion, sugar is not an energy food and coffee is not an energy drink. Relying on either for a pick-me-up will leave you more tired.

  Consider instead the nutritional density of whatever you consume. For example, sugar has a lot of calories, but it offers little in the way of vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients. On the other hand, protein and vegetables are nutrient dense.

• Eat Green Foods for Energy

  Many green foods are nutrient dense, including:

  • alfalfa
  • barley grass
  • chlorella
  • green tea
  • kelp
  • spirulina
  • wheatgrass

  In addition to being loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, these supergreens have the added benefits of enzymes and chlorophyll.

  • Enzymes are essential for nearly every biological process.
  • Chlorophyll (the pigment that makes plants green) oxygenates blood and delivers magnesium.

• Supplement with Supergreens and More

  Supergreens are available in supplements, including powders, tablets, and tinctures. Here are other proven fatigue-fighting supplements.

  • B-complex vitamins, which help turn food into energy
  • Vitamin C, necessary for making chemicals that keep the brain energized
  • Coenzyme Q10, known to boost energy levels and enhance stamina
  • L-carnitine, which helps transport fat to the cells’ mitochondria, where it is burned for energy
  • Alpha lipoic acid, which fosters energy production
  • Quercetin, which increases your body’s ability to metabolize glucose and fat for energy

• Try Adaptogens for Energy

  Also consider adaptogens: herbs that generate a defensive response to stress.

  Adaptogens that specifically help fight fatigue and increase energy and endurance include:

  • American ginseng
  • Asian ginseng
  • ashwagandha
  • cordyceps
  • eleuthero
  • holy basil
  • rhodiola
  • schisandra

Special holiday recipes often come with secret ingredients that are passed down from generation to generation. But, sometimes these tasty dishes contain allergic triggers and may be harmful for people with life-threatening (severe) allergies, since they are at risk for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Food allergies, a common cause of anaphylaxis, are on the rise. And with an estimated one in 13 children in the U.S. affected by food allergies, cooking for holiday festivities can be a challenge.

Chef, cookbook author, blogger and mother of five children (including one with food allergies), Kelly Rudnicki understands the obstacles that may come along with this joyous season. Kelly has partnered with Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™, an educational initiative that offers practical information to help communities better understand, get ready for and manage the potential consequences of life-threatening (severe) allergies.

With the holidays upon us, Kelly, on behalf of the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis initiative, encourages everyone to be cognizant of each ingredient served at the table and to keep in mind these helpful cooking and entertaining tips.

Know Your Audience & Their Allergies 

Whether you’re baking brownies for second graders or hosting a dinner for extended family, it’s important to be aware of those with life-threatening allergies. This can be as simple as talking to the teacher about the students or including a note to guests in your invitation.

Food Allergy-Friendly Substitutions

With simple substitutions, many recipes can become allergy-friendly. Some substitutions that work well for Kelly include:

Substitutes for Egg Allergies

For people with egg allergies, replace with applesauce or another fruit puree, like pear (one egg usually equals about a quarter-cup of fruit puree).

Believe it or not, water often works as a replacement for eggs or milk – but it’s best to test the recipe before serving it to guests. And for people with nut allergies… skip the nuts! Think about using extra chocolate chips for recipes that need extra crunch.

Dinner Diplomacies

If you’re hosting, place ingredient cards in front of each dish, include separate utensils to avoid cross-contamination and invite guests with food allergies to serve themselves first. If you’re attending a party, always contact the host ahead of time to let him/her know about your food allergies. Kelly often offers to bring a dish she knows is safe.  

Plan Ahead to Avoid Allergy Triggers

Even by taking precautions to avoid allergic triggers, it’s still important for everyone to know how to respond to a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). People with food allergies and their friends and family should be ready to use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate emergency medical care if anaphylaxis occurs.

Additional resources, including specific recipes and tips for dining out, can be found on Anaphylaxis101.com.