In light of this wonderful upcoming holiday of thanks, giving and (often) eating too much I wanted to share 10 things you can do to stay healthy this holiday without comprising the fun and food of Thanksgiving.
- Get in your active minutes Thanksgiving morning (any activity you want, just try to break a sweat)
- Start a family & friends Planksgiving challenge: One week of planks starting the day after Thanksgiving, increasing the duration of the hold by 15 seconds each day (each person can have a different starting point if need be)
- Drinks lots of water leading up to and after your Thanksgiving meal
- Eat with your stomach, not with your head- we often think we “need” much more food than we really do
- Eat “half” your plate: bring a tupperware, make your “ideal” plate, and then move half into the tupperware to enjoy the following day
- Chew slowly: the first place we are meant to break down food is in the mouth, but most people miss this very important part of digestion by chewing too quickly and swallowing whole chunks of food (side note- this also increases intestinal gas)
- Put your fork down in between each bite- this helps slow down the overall speed at which you eat, which also helps #6
- Savor your food- smell it, taste it and savor the experience
- Choose your favorite dessert, not one of each, and indulge in that
- Give Thanks- don’t neglect to take the time to be thankful for the food, family and/or friends surrounding you