Thanksgiving; the place where all diets go to die
Ever heard the saying “Thanksgiving calories don’t count”?
Well, this and many variations of it are as old as the holiday itself. Many take it as a time to indulge in what is probably the most popular combination of comfort foods. However, this once-a-year binge, and your health and well being, will benefit from some positive offsets.
That interruption of your otherwise healthy lifestyle will, among other consequences, have a tendency to affect your eating habits moving through the holiday season. With Christmas and New Year’s soon after, desserts and parties present even more opportunities to indulge.
While it’s fun to let loose and enjoy a treat here and there, you surely don't want to spend the new year “getting back on track”.
So, what then is the answer? Healthy traditions.
No, this doesn’t mean you need to swap the turkey and stuffing for broccoli and carrots. You can actually have your Thanksgiving and eat it too. The key here is being mindful about both what you eat and when you eat along with what you spend your time doing the remainder of the holiday. Here are a few suggestions to consider.
1. Stay Active Through the Festivities
We all know about the long term benefits of staying active including reduced risk of heart disease, maintenance of healthy weight and so on.
However, there are numerous short term benefits as well. One of the most important of these is that it helps with digestion. This is especially true when the activity takes place before the meal or up to 3 hours after according to the Manhattan Gastroenterological Society.
So how do you keep active during the holiday? Put several of these ideas to the test.
- Have fun group activities like ball games.
- Take a walk together.
- Dance, dance and dance some more.
- Avoid binge watching TV.
- Let everyone have a part to play in the preparation; and the cleanup.
2. Focus on Nutrition, Not Just Consumption.
Remember, Thanksgiving is not just about hearty face-stuffing. It is important to ensure that the foods you consume benefit your health. A great new tradition to try out is introducing superfoods to the menu.
Sure, stuffing and mashed potatoes don’t do a whole lot for your overall health. Does this mean you are not going to eat them? Probably not. But, now that we recognize that many of the delicious Thanksgiving comfort foods don’t actually provide our bodies with the nutrients they crave, we can add some superfoods to help make up for it.
Blue green algae in particular is a great option with numerous benefits including antioxidant effects and high micronutrient concentrations. Our favorite option, organic Wild Microalgae ™, also known as aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA). Highly versatile and highly nutritious you can take it in capsule form or add it to your favorite cool dips for a nutritional punch!
3. Digest the Delicious Meal
Most foods on the Thanksgiving menu are very dense whether it is the turkey or the mashies with gravy. Therefore, after what is inevitably going to be a heavy meal, you will need a little help with the digesting. This is where products like the Enzymes from New Earth help.
These enzymes have numerous benefits with the most important being that they help speed up digestion to prevent the feeling of discomfort after heavy meals.
Better yet, make the whole process easier on yourself with a convenient packet of superfoods and digestive support. Essentials from New Earth is an organic packet of supplements containing botanical superfoods including wild algae, probiotics, and enzymes. This powerful combination helps to support your ever important gut brain axis. Simply put, it helps to support a healthy gut which in turn supports a healthy mind. Something we could all use this Thanksgiving and throughout the year.
4. Make Gratitude the Main Ingredient
Remember the reason for the season. It is about so much more than turkey dinners and football games. Make sure to carve out time to share what you are grateful for as a group. Better yet, show your gratitude by giving back. This could include anything from gestures of kindness towards those around you or volunteering for a soup kitchen, to taking part in a charity Thanksgiving walk or even donating leftovers.
Practicing gratitude and giving not only benefits those around you but boosts your health and wellbeing as well.
5. Have Your Dinner Early; Better Yet Make it Lunch
The timing of your meals has a great impact on your wellness affecting things like digestion and energy levels. With that, turning Thanksgiving dinner into Thanksgiving lunch works in your favor, especially when it comes to your health.
You may have heard that it’s best to eat your bigger meals earlier in the day. This holds true, especially for Thanksgiving. Naturally, we are most active during the day and become more sedentary later in the afternoon or evening. The same holds true for our digestive system as well, it’s more active during the day therefore making digestion more efficient earlier in the day.
This small shift is a great way to ensure that the meal is not the center of the holiday but a part of it. It also leaves you with plenty of time and energy to have fun together whether you choose to have a post-feast walk or a dance party.
How Do You Even Start?
New traditions are hard to start and old ones even harder to break. You don’t know whether or not your family and friends will like your ideas. You don’t know whether they will catch on enough to be repeated every year.
One way to ensure this is by introducing them one at a time. Do not try an extreme overhaul as it will most likely be rejected. It also helps to rally the troops with an explanation of why you want to make some of the changes and how it will not in any way take away from the Thanksgiving experience. In fact, depending on your traditions, it may enhance it!