1. Don’t Skip Breakfast and Be Sure to Have a Light Lunch- Many out there think skipping breakfast or lunch will save them some room extra calories later. Bad idea! This strategy will leave you hungry and increase the likelihood you indulge on sweet and fatty foods before and during the big meal.
2. Get some exercise- Before and after the big meal be sure to get out and move! There is a strong possibility you are going to eat more than a typical meal and therefore you want to burn some calories on the big day. Rather than store the excess food as fat, get out there and burn some calories. Before dinner, you can create a glycogen deficit in your muscles by getting out and exercising. After dinner, an easy walk around the block is a great way to help your body naturally regulate any excess blood sugar.
3. Go Organic With Your Turkey- Free Range and Organic turkeys (USDA Organic) are fed organic feed (no pesticides and GMO’s ) and have not been treated with antibiotics. Conventional factory farmed turkey farms have little to no access to the outdoors or sunlight and are crowded into a very small space. This leads to increase in diseases, infections and is the reason why they are regularly given antibiotics. Yes, they do cost more, but YOU and your family are worth it! And supporting farms that care about YOU and the environment is also worth it.
4. Be Mindful With Dessert- Yes we all love dessert! And you should have some. Don’t deprive yourself and don’t stuff yourself either! Fruit salad with a little whipping cream is a great option as a dessert.
5. Pay Attention to When You’re Full- Simple concept but not always easy, Chew your food slowly (at least 30-50 times per bite) Your stomach doesn’t have teeth! Chewing leads to smooth digestion, greater assimilation of nutrients by initiating the release of digestive enzymes that break down food. Chewing slowly will cause you to eat less food, consume fewer calories and find the food more satisfying. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full, so wait at least 20 minutes before going for a second helping!
We hope these tips will lead to a Healthful Thanksgiving!