5 Tricks To Have A Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has so many positive aspects to it: being with family, exuding gratefulness and appreciation for the big and little things in your life, and having a great meal with greater company. The downsides? Eating yourself into oblivion and feeling sick. Read on for five tricks I use each Thanksgiving to make sure I am still thankful for the meal at the end.

Disclaimer: Always remember “everything in moderation!” If you slip up and indulge, this is the holiday to do it. Don’t be hard on yourself. Love your body and it will love you back. Drink lots of water and forgive yourself.

Before the meal…

Go on a run in the morning

If you have time to kill before the dinner event itself, why not go on a run? Most gyms are closed and there is no reason to get yourself stuck in traffic, so it’s ideal to go on a little run around where you live. Getting your heart pumping will keep your metabolism going strong for the rest of the day, and night, to help you to better digest the food you eat and cut the high-calorie impact.

During the meal…

Drink water throughout the meal.

While it’s tempting to gorge out on wine or soft drinks, stick to water, and drink a lot of it. Before and after each plate you consume, drink a full glass of cold water. Your body will burn calories to heat the water after you drink it, and it will help to digest the food you have already eaten. Drinking water also helps to curb eating too much because the feeling of thirst is often mistaken for the feeling of hunger. Plus, if you don’t drink your calories you can get more wiggle room with the calories you consume in the rest of your meal.

Make most of your plate green

If you load up on green sides then you will become fuller faster, with less of the fat and calories. But be smart about your greens, if they’re drenched in butter or covered in something breaded or fried it is best to skip it entirely. However, making your plate mostly green is a safe bet when it comes to keeping your meal healthy.

Know your portions

Make sure that when you’re arranging your plate you aren’t sabotaging yourself. One easy trick is to make sure that the food on your plate isn’t touching. Another is to make sure most items don’t exceed a fist-size. When it comes to seconds, only go with one or two things and keep those portions light. Remember that dessert is always next. Also, never be hard on yourself if you slip up with portioning. Everything in moderation!

After the meal…

Go on a post-dinner walk

This is a tradition you can do with your significant other, or maybe a parent. Any loved one who you want to pull aside and have a little one-on-one time with over a nice brisk walk. The walk will help with digestion in that it will keep your metabolism going, and a nice chat after dinner is a great way to end a meal… and prepare you for dessert!