Healthy living tips. Make this year’s Thanksgiving healthier

Holidays are upon us, with Thanksgiving kicking off the season where we spend time in the company of our loved ones, chilling by the fire, and sharing exciting anecdotes. Traditionally, the one thing people are looking forward to during the celebrations is yummy, scrumptious food.

Deliciously prepared stuffings, gorgeously arranged desserts, creamy gravies, and endless plates of turkey servings beckon you. With so many calorie-rich temptations are around you, dieting and exercising may be the last thing on your mind. Nonetheless, exercising on Thanksgiving Day is great and rewarding, not to mention the long-term benefits that will come from making physical activity a regular habit. Your body will thank you for years to come!

“Eat to heart’s content now and worry later” may be your motto for the day, but you do not need to completely give up on healthy eating habits.

While this pass is temporary, you can still make the most out of the holidays. Read our healthy living tips to know how you can make this Thanksgiving healthier.

1. Get Moving

Even if you are very careful counting the calories, limiting your food and liquids intake, you may leave the table feeling heavy. That may be because you had an engaging company at the table and got lost in conversation. There is no need to worry, this is very common.

You should anticipate an increased calorie intake and in order to burn them, you need to increase your metabolism.

The ABCs to Boost your Metabolism

A) Walk off the calories

If you anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley, taking a simple walk isn’t the easiest option to burn calories. On Thanksgiving, you can park your car far from your host’s home so you can get a bit of walking done after dinner. A moderate physical activity after dinner will help improve digestion, lipids, and blood glucose levels after the heavy meal.

B) Amp your workout

Charge up your regular workout routine to burn those pesky calories that you have just added. Add more reps to your regime or exercise for a longer time than usual.

C) Do not stress

Whatever you do, do not get stressed out. Even if you put on a few ounces of weight, it will disappear with some extra exercise.

Continue getting vigorous physical activity all through the year and not just during the holidays. You can stay fitter, healthier, and overall, a lot happier. You can try out aquatics therapy for weight loss, or even rehab services near you, just in case thinks go out of control a bit.

2. Dig into the Specials

We are not going to stop you from eating your favorite treats. But be wise – have a certain food if it is really worthy and special. Instead of binging on cheese and crackers and wasting your appetite and calories on them, have a slice of pie, taste the gravy, or a bit of stuffing. These are the foods you rarely eat all round the year and most other dishes get a hard pass.

Stick to the dishes that associate with celebrations; for example the Thanksgiving Turkey. For one thing, it screams holidays and the main part is that it is white meat, which is a lot healthier option.

3. Sample Everything

Contradicting the first tip, here we say that you should taste everything. Your host or the cook has loving prepared those delicacies for you, and of course, you feel guilty to say NO. But if you can’t indulge, you can at least try out what they have made.

Sample the savory drizzle of gravy or scoops of potato casserole and show that you are being grateful to the cook. But if you still have that nasty bug in your head about healthy eating, here is what you can do.

Bring your own food to the table – any small thing, the healthier the better. This can be your main meal and you can enjoy your favorite side dishes in moderation.

4. Load on Veggies

Adding a lot of greens to the food is a way to ensure a healthy dinner. Compensate the decadent fun with non-starchy seasonal produce. The main vegetable in focus is the potato, but it must not be the only one.

Embrace leafy greens, winter squashes, pumpkins, apples, pears, beets, carrots, cranberries, and pomegranates. Take a popular side dish recipe and give it a healthier twist using seasonal vegetables.

5. Indulge in Snacking

Is the thought of having fatty foods for dinner scaring you? Then fill up on nuts, vegetables, yogurt, and cereal during the day. You will feel fuller when you start your holiday meal and will be able to control the delectable temptations.

When you invite health-conscious guests over for dinner, you should also consider their habits. Maybe they like to have lighter foods with fiber and protein. Put out bowls of oranges, salads, or roasted walnuts.

6. Improvise the Recipes

Thanksgiving calls for cooking heavy, indulgent dishes and leaves not much room to substitute the ingredients. Yet, you can choose to make their healthier versions.

• Modify your favorite dessert recipes by cutting down on the sugar.
• Add extra veggies to the stuffing.
• Use herbs, spices, and smoked paprika on the turkey breast.
• Replace your butter with canola oil or olive oil.

Thanksgiving Turkey tip: Toss out the delicious, but high-fat skin from the Turkey slice before you eat.

7. Limit Sweets

We all look forward to the sugary delights that indicate the official end of the dinner. Cranberry sauce, pies, and other sweetmeats are dripping in a high amount of sugar. And satisfying your sweet tooth on the holidays get more difficult with newer recipes the cooks come up with.

However, make it a point to eat sweets in moderation. If the cravings still don’t go away, bit into fruits. Hosts can make their guests feel comfortable by making only bite-sized, mini sweets to let them have portion control.

8. Keep Hydrating

Apart from the mouth-watering, appetizing solid foods you get to consume, another inviting aspect of the holiday dinner is the varied range of beverages. Even soft drinks and fruit punches contain added sugars and preservatives. Mocktails made with carbonated beverages, and alcohol adds up to higher calorie intake.

Combined with sugar mixtures, these liquid calories can make you feel thirsty, and you binge on more liquids. So, here is a valuable suggestion for this festive season:

Keep drinking plenty of water during your dinner!

1. Water doesn’t pack on additional calories like other beverages, which can get harder to burn later.
2. Drinking water before and during the meal keeps your stomach full and you can avoid overeating.
3. Diluting a glass of wine with seltzer or sparkling water cuts back on extra calories.

In conclusion, by making some changes on Thanksgiving, your body will be thankful to you. You’ll avoid the unnecessary weight gain, and you’ll reap the benefits of for years to come!