Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays but it’s also a challenging holiday because it’s centered around so much YUMMY food. We all tend to indulge, or should I say overindulge; but we can make it a little healthier with a few little changes.
Plan a post-meal walk – plan a family walk after the meal. It’s a good time to enjoy some fresh air, get in the right mindset and have some movement in your day. Even if you only get a few people to join you it will be harder to bail out. That second piece of pumpkin pie won’t look nearly as good after you’ve taken a walk.
Walk around and talk to people – instead of just focusing on the food and all the appetizers, focus your attention on the people there, the conversations and the sights and sounds of the holiday.
Plan a workout after the holiday – schedule a fitness date with a friend or family member on Friday. Go for a hike or a walk or shop (at least you’re burning some calories). We won’t be open Friday but you can come in on Saturday so your post weekend holiday will be filled with activity and good health.
Volunteer to help clean up – physically removing yourself from the table keeps you from picking at leftovers and your hostess will appreciate the help cleaning up. Cleaning up also will help you burn some of those Thanksgiving dinner calories.
Avoid holiday weight gain by keeping your healthy habits in check. I know, it’s hard with so much delicious food on your Thanksgiving table but you can take control of the day and get a jump-start on a healthy and active holiday season by not overindulging.
STOP eating when you are full – it seems pretty obvious, but most of us hang out at the table and chat and pick at the food and before you know it – NAP time because your belly is stuffed to the brim with turkey! Try serving yourself small portions of all the things you want to eat but have only enough to satisfy your stomach. Don’t overdo it.
Most of all – we hope you have a wonderful, healthy Thanksgiving!