6 Steps to Happier and HEALTHIER Holiday!

The average caloric value of Thanksgiving dinner in the United States ranges from 3000-4500 calories according to Consumer Reports. The fat content was measured to range from 155-200 grams of fat. While I do not normally recommend counting calories, I highlight these statistics to make a point. Most of us go way overboard on food intake on Thanksgiving!  

As an athlete who may have a tournament, game,  competition, race or who just needs to keep training through the holiday weekend in the days following Thanksgiving, this can send you off your game and further away from your performance goals . Overeating to this degree can slow down your metabolism, cause dehydration and a feeling of sluggishness, nausea and fatigue.  

Here are 6 steps to take to avoid the bad habit of overeating at Thanksgiving so that you feel better and stay on track with your training and competing:

1. Don't Skip Breakfast on Thanksgiving Day! Eat like you normally would. Fuel yourself well the entire day. If your family dinner is at 4, for example, eat breakfast around 7 am, a small snack at 10 am, lunch at 1 and then you can have a normal sized meal as your family celebration.

2. Choose Wisely. When you sit down with an abundance of choices in front of you, make nutrient rich choices! Thanksgiving options are traditional very healthy! Turkey (white meat) is a great source of lean protein, Roasted potatoes are loaded with healthy carbs, potassium and fiber. Sweet potatoes are also a great source of carbs and chock full of vitamin A, C  and potassium. Green beans contain vitamin C and antioxidants and cranberry sauce is loaded with vitamin C, E and K. 

3. Wait for Dessert. You don't need dessert directly after dinner. Waiting 2-3 hours after a regular sized meal will help your digestion. While we are talking about dessert, once you get to dessert time,  making a healthy choice here is also a good idea! Pumpkin pie or apple pie tend to be better choices. But no matter what you choose, make sure it's  something you really enjoy. Take time to savor it and you will be less likely to overindulge.

4. Make Mocktails! Alcohol intake skyrockets over the holiday weekend. This can also impair performance. If you are going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation, alternating a non-alcoholic beverage (preferably water) in between each cocktail. Even better...combine flavored seltzer (such as Spindrift) with pomegranate arils and sliced orange peels  for a festive Thanksgiving mocktail!  

5. Embrace Leftovers. another great tip is to remember that you can have leftovers tomorrow! That will help your perspective regarding overeating at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Recognize that there is an abundance of food and there will be plenty to enjoy again tomorrow.

6. Focus on Family. Take the focus away from food and place it on family, gratitude and thankfulness. This is another wonderful mindset to adopt that will assist with limiting overeating and staying in the moment. 

I wish you and your family A Happy and Very Healthy Thanksgiving!!

-Jenn