HEALTHY: Tips for a Healthy (and Happy) Thanksgiving!
a mostly clean meal I made for Mother's Day
So #PSPFit is over and the holiday season is beginning and I'm trying to figure out how I can have a healthy Thanksgiving. For my entire life, Thanksgiving to Christmas is a limitless rollercoaster of food. I'm talking fried chicken, yams, cookies and cakes - the whole nine. Since I'm on this quest to just do better, I've enlisted the help of a personal trainer to keep my cravings in check. Crystal Williams has been training me through my fitness goals and even has me weight lifting!
Crystal, without my asking, sent some really great tips to enjoy Thanksgiving and make some smart, healthy choices:
1. Don't abandon your exercise regimen: Holiday brunches/parties are bound to happen. However, this is not the time that you want to allow your metabolism to crash. Make sure to stick to your "x times per week" workout regimen. If you need a bit of discipline, create incentives for going out (i.e., saying "I won't partake in my office pre-Thanksgiving lunch tomorrow unless I work out tonight). I definitely recommend exercising on holidays (hey, you can even volunteer to be the person who runs back and forth to the store!). It's all about jump starting the burn to offset the calories.
2. Eat Before an Event: Never show up to a holiday event hungry - the idea behind "saving it for dinner" is actually very counteractive to your body as it's being forced into starvation mode. The next time you feed it, your body will be less eager to burn calories because it doesn't know when it's being fed again (this is the entire principle of eating 5-6 times a day). Also, if your appetite is raging, you'll inhale everything in sight the minute you step itno Grandma's house. My advice is to eat a HUGE salad before you go out. You'll be able to think a lot clearer about what you're consuming.
3. Avoid the Egg Nog and Hard Alcohol: I don't want to put a damper on your parade, but a single 8 oz. cup of egg nog is about 440 calories! That's roughly about three glasses of wines. In terms of hard alcohol, most of it is derived from foods we should omit from our everyday eating (vodka from white potatoes, whiskey from barley, bourbon from corn) - we shouldn't have them in fermented form either. Feel like you need a cinnamon-y comfort drink? Try drinking nog made from rice or almond milk. It may not be as thick, but remember - a big part of being fit is adjusting your taste buds to healthier options. Having a glass (possibly two) of vino at dinner won't kill you, but remain accountable. If you want my opinion, I can drink bubbly all year 'round, but my sister only cooks duck once a year :) #DontDrinkYourCalories
4. Survey the ENTIRE spread before Piling up the Plate: This doesn't sound like fun, but it probably is the most critical. Take sight of everything that is being offered at dinner, then make your decision. Make a small plate; if you are still hungry 30 minutes later, then go back. Try to keep the plate veggie and protein heavy, and moderate the helpings of things such as potato salad and mac-and-cheese.
5. Be Wary of Second Day Leftovers: Again - don't want to be a killjoy, and I certainly don't believe in wasting food. However, consuming the same amount of calories another day immediately following Thanksgiving or Christmas isn't the wisest idea. Make your next day choices wisely - have 2-3 slices of turkey with a small portion of stuffing and VERY light amount of gravy for lunch, then eat 2-3 slices of turkey for dinner. Day 3, you should return to normal, healthier eating despite temptation. Mind over matter!
6. Eating Candied Yams is NOT the same as Eating your regular Sweet Potatoes: THEY ARE SWEETENED!
7. Don't Forget to Hydrate! Remember - a lot of times, our extra hunger pangs are signifying that we are thirsty - ESPECIALLY if we've consumed salty/sugary foods! Drink up!
If you have any questions or want to set up some sessions with Crystal (she's based in NYC), feel free to contact her at cryswill121@gmail.com.
Happy Thanksgiving, loves!