The TurKEYS to a successful Thanksgiving
As much as we would like to forget the caloric intake of this holiday, let’s grasp the reality of it all.
The average Thanksgiving meal contains 4500 calories and 229 grams of fat.
This is not including the days leading up to or the days grazing on tasty leftovers after turkey day is long gone.
Thanksgiving can notion the authentic smell of your grandmother’s apple pie, your aunt’s famous homemade stuffing, and that distant cousin?s infamous cranberry creation. Thanksgiving is thought of as a day of appreciating food, flavors and for many family and traditions.
And if you are keeping the watch on your health and weight, this is the beginning of the eating season so how do you create a balance to enjoy the day and stay on track?
It’s important to remember it’s only one day.
When it comes to the holiday season, there seems to be this “all or none principle.”
There’s almost a default response of eating till “Thanksgiving full” versus enjoying your meal and eating mindfully. Do you out intensely prior to the day thinking you “earned” the right to eat as much as you want?
Instead of eating everything in sight because you earned it or simply because it is Thanksgiving, what would it look like to enjoy the foods that are most important to you on the table and savor each bite?
When we listen to our bodies, and respect our hunger, food decisions become more organic. Choose the foods that are the most important to you at Thanksgiving and enjoy them without guilt to avoid the binge or Thanksgiving food coma.
Eating Mindfully is a lot easier said then done, but a little mindfulness can go a long way towards less grazing in the kitchen so make a plate, sit down, and enjoy it.
Don’t eat your feelings away or let your nerves overcome the appetizer table!
Focus on the people around you, and the traditions of watching the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day parade or the football game, and less on what’s on your plate.
We can choose to focus on the reasons we are thankful rather than the 4500 calories. We can choose to fixate on this number, or choose to create 4,500 reasons why we are Thankful this Thanksgiving.
The TurKEYS are in your pocket, to open the door to a successful Thanksgiving.
This blog was co-written by Susan Dopart and RD intern Elizabeth Wluka
