When many people think of Thanksgiving, they think of turkey and cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy… and most of all, how much of it they can eat! Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to cram ourselves full of food and not feel guilty about it. Unfortunately, we usually regret the stomach ache we experience after our holiday splurge. We try to prepare for it with a careful selection of pants that are maybe a size too large and have button that can be popped off, making sure the belt chosen has a few extra notches to expand, and the shirt has room to grow. But in the end, we’ve enjoyed our 20 minutes of gorging and not so much the 3 days of recovery. So here are some tips to make it through this Thanksgiving enjoying the turkey rather then regretting it.
- Skip the snacking before dinner to save room and calories. Occupy yourself with a game, try the Turkey Blaster iPhone app if you are the sporting type. Or if you prefer to exercise your brain before your belly, try the Word Spree Thanksgiving app.
- At dinner, eat slower, enjoy the flavors, allow room for conversation between bites. By eating slower you allow your body time to give you signals when it’s full. This will prevent the always dreaded, after Thanksgiving dinner stomach ache as well as improve the social aspect of this important holiday dinner that is meant to bring people together over what they are thankful for.
- Don’t over-eat. Listen to your body’s signals before the pain starts. By eating less now, you leave leftovers! With leftovers you get to keep enjoying the wonderful tastes of Thanksgiving for the days that follow (Click here for some great recipes with your left overs). And don’t forget to swing by the store and get those awesome disposable bowls, you’ll make your host grateful that you thought ahead!
- Get the family together and go for a walk after dinner! The first thing you always want to do after stuffing yourself like the turkey you ate, is to sit back and take a nap, right? Well try something new this year – go for a walk and you’ll be surprised at how well you feel afterward. Food is fuel and the best way to burn that fuel is to walk.
By playing it safe this Thanksgiving you will spare yourself the heartburn, the dreaded extra inch to your waistline and by staying healthy, you save money with less trips to the doctors!
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Look for our upcoming article about the dangers of Thanksgiving, being prepared can prevent a trip to the hospital!