Stuff your Turkey not your Tummy

This Thanksgiving the average American will consume 2- 3 times the amount of food they typically have in a day... and that's just at Thanksgiving dinner. While this is not going to send anyone to the emergency room, it can be the impetus for making unhealthy choices that last throughout the holiday season. 

Here are a few tips for a sensible Thanksgiving that provides momentum for healthy eating throughout the holidays. 

1) Stuff your Turkey, not your Tummy. Choose smaller, more reasonable portions of those high caloric foods like stuffing (1/2 cup) and gravy (2 tablespoons). Eat them slowly. 

2) Enjoy and savor; don't gobble. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to recognize signals of satiety (comfortable fullness) from your stomach. The slower you eat, the less you need, and the more satiated you feel. 

3) It's not the Last Supper; Jesus' last meal was not Thanksgiving dinner. Don't skip meals because you're "saving up" for Thanksgiving dinner. Eat a good breakfast and something for lunch to maintain a healthy metabolism and prevent overeating. 

4) Make the holidays less about food and more about family, friends, and helping those in need. Thanksgiving is a great time to plan that afternoon backyard football game. Just be sure to remind Grandpa Joe to warm up and stretch. Everyone should spend at least 5 minutes warming up before playing. Light jogging or tossing the football back and forth is a great way to increase blood flow to muscles and prevent injury. 

5) Don't punish yourself if you overdo it. Take the morality and judgement out of eating by reserving feelings of disgust for true injustice in the world. Eating too much pumpkin pie does not make someone a bad person. So often, people feel guilty about their "mistakes" with food and punish themselves accordingly, sometimes in the form of restricting. This will only set a person up for overdoing it again. If you eat a little too much, forgive yourself and move on... to 3 healthy meals and 2-3 snacks along with some physical activity... a sure way to success. 

Have a healthy Thanksgiving from Momentum Nutrition and Fitness! 

Contributed by Monica Van Winkle