Turkey Day Tips

October 11, 2014 by lilmissfitnessfreak 10 Comments

Hey guys!

So I started writing this post Thursday night after my midterm (night class one) to wind down afterwards, but I obviously feel asleep before it was posted. Oooops. Anyways, I’m happy to report that I think I worried too much about it because it was preeeety easy peasy. I ain’t mad at that.

..Hope not…

Overall it’s been a busy week over here school wise. Midterm season has begun and although I only had one this week, I had a bunch of other assignments to fill my void…

Oh hey food microbiology pathogen growth assignment due Sunday night…Oh and thanks Courselink for failing me and not letting me submit it. After a minor freak out, call to the help desk and email with said assignment attached, to my prof. Things were zen once again.

Although you lost half your hair on Sunday night, that doesn’t mean you get a break…

Monday Keyword assignment due for my first year course.

Lab to prepare my writeup and study for the lab quiz for on Tuesday.

Study for midterm.

Work away at a random online discussion assignment (yeah, there is such a thing as submitting a paper in an online group. Awkward.) that’s due Friday

Study for midterm

Write midterm.

Chatter and rant away to you guys…

You guys are the best listeners. 😀

So the point of this post…

Gobble Gobble Day

ie. National ‘stuff yo face, unzip ya pants and fall asleep on the couch in a turkey coma’ day.

Oui?

I have to say that I can’t understand this logic. Oh it’s Thanksgiving so I’m going to eat so much that I feel like sh**. As far as I’m concerned, there shouldn’t be a special occasion for binge eating.

Please do not read too much into that statement. I am not talking about those individuals who struggle with binge eating behaviours. No. I’m talking about the general public.

I look at it this way. Yes, there are treats and things that are specially prepared for holidays like this, so enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie of that’s yo thang. Have some gravy for taste testing purposes (ha jokes). Enjoy your Mom’s special homemade stuffing.

I have no issue with taking the day to enjoy what you love because maybe this day is the only day you will get your favourite pie.

Instead, what I do have an issue with is going into dinner knowing and accepting the fact that you are going to eat 1-2 extra plates of food, pushing yourself way past the point of uncomfortable.

Is that really necessary to enjoy the holiday?

No.

So my next question is why does one feel the need to do this?

• Are you not eating enough food daily?
• Are you dieting?
• Are you depriving yourself of something you have wanted for a while
• Did you fast (ie not eat) all day in preparation for this dinner?

All of these are the complete wrong way to go about a special event that surrounds food. Why? They will all probably lead to a binge.

A very common thing is to eat very little during the day before the big dinner to ‘save your calories.’ This is a very poor outlook because you will be so hungry by the time dinner comes that you will eat everything in sight. The same thing goes for deprivation. If you have been craving something for weeks and finally have a taste of it you are more likely to go overboard on it.

So rather than having a piece for satisfaction, you end up eating half the pie, then perhaps going back for more later…

Eye’s bigger than your mouth lil guy?

Instead, don’t change your normal eating leading up to dinner. Eat to fuel your body as normal then once dinner comes around, have the things you want in moderation. That way, because you won’t be starving, you will be less likely over-stuff yourself or clear the dessert table because your body isn’t raging for food.

Make sense?

So that’s tip numero uno. Here are a few more tips on how to keep your pants on this Thanksgiving.

1.Take it easy on the drinks.

I have said this before, alcohol is just empty calories, In addition, due to it being toxic, your body has to deal with the alcohol first before food which can lead to weight gain. Obviously one night of one too many drinks is not going to cause you gain weight, but hey, where do you want your calories to come from this holiday season, yummy food that comes around once a year or a drink you can have any time?

Health tip: Enjoy your favourite pumpkin spiced drink

OR

Choose drink or dessert. Not both.

OR

There’s always pumpkin spiced tea.

2. Pick your indulgences.

If you’re all about YOLO’in then skip on ahead, but I think it’s a good idea to pick one or two things you will indulge in and save the rest of your plate for healthier and more nutritious options. Example, you love Grandma’s apple pie. Then go ahead, have your pie, and in exchange, go easy on the richer options for dinner.

If you really love a big ol’ spoonful of gravy then perhaps go easy on the dark meat or remove some of the skin to lighten the load a bit.

3. Where dem veggies at?

Fill a good half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. Whether that be the steamed or boiled variety or a nice salad, this will ensure you get some micro nutrients in your meal and allow some wiggle room for other indulgences to share the other half of the plate. The fiber and water content also helps to signal satiety in your belly, so they will help to control how much you eat.

4. Eat slowly.

Enjoy the social company. This way, you will give your body enough time to signal to your brain that you are satisfied. If you’re beginning to feel full, you will probably skip that next feedbag (as my Uncle Gary says) as you gotta have room for dessert right?

5. Bring a healthy side dish.

If there is the option of bringing something to help the host out, bring a side dish that is nourishing, filled with vegetables and tasty. Not only will you gain points for helping out, but you will definitely have a healthy option to add to your plate at dinner. Need some ideas? Check out some of these guys…

Apple Harvest Salad ~ Life Made Simple

Taking full advantage of the harvest vegetables.

Kale, Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberry Quinoa ~ Repurposed Life

Mashed potatoes that are still creamy without all of the butter. Bonus: Added protein from the yogurt!

Roasted Garlic Greek Yogurt Smashed Potatoes ~Running To The Kitchen

Everyone loves a good dip. Make yours nutritious and festive!

Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus ~ Running To The Kitchen

I would have thrown some good ol’ greens to highlight the many dark leafy lovelies that are in season, but those don’t transport or reheat well….

Okee guys the final, and most important, tip is…

6. Enjoy yourself!

It’s a holiday. You’re surrounded by family and/or friends. Don’t worry about the dinner and instead relax, socialize and have an amazing time. I didn’t post an extremely long list of restrictive tips because I really do believe you need to embrace what holidays are about and that is being stress free and having a good time with some good food and peeps (and/or pups ;-)).

For the day after….

If you did unintentionally go overboard and are feeling a lil bit heavier than normal, don’t go rushing to the gym to run on the treadmill for 3 hours. Instead, fit some exercise into you day, get lots of water into your system and enjoy a good bunch of veggie filled meals throughout the day to have something that is lighter on the system while delivering a nutritious punch. Perhaps make your first meal a nice green smoothie as something that will cleanse the system and get a big dose of green into your body first thing.

• Fat and protein should not be optional in my opinion. Just having a fruit and veggie shake will spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling unsatisfied. Add a tbsp of nut butter or coconut oil for some healthy fats or some chia seeds for a thicker and omega 3 boosting shake. For protein, explore other options other than just protein powder like peanut flour if you can get your hands on some.
• Watch those natural sugars. Have a fruit in there? Then there is no need for dates or honey or any other liquid sweetener in my opinion. If your palate just cannot take that, try liquid Stevia until you can eventually get away from any at all. Another option is to avoid the more bitter greens, like kale or beet greens, at first and go for more neutral ones. IE Spinach, chard and zucchini. I don’t recommend romaine lettuce or celery alone because they really don’t have many nutrients other than water in them.
• Some optional boosters I would recommend would be chia seeds, wheatgrass (try only a lil bit at first as it’s STRONG) for some energy, apple cider vinegar for cleansing or cinnamon because it boosts your metabolism and it’s just plain awesome.

If I drank smoothies (I don’t because my stomach can’t handle too much liquid at once…makes me sick) I would totally rock something with peanut butter in it. Maybe add some peanut flour for my protein, mix of zucchini and chard for my greens, chia for some fiber, peanut butter for some fats, lucuma powder (superfood sweetener), cinnamon, some frozen berries to make it sweeter and like a PB and J, unsweetened almond milk for my base and tons of ice to make it thick like a milkshake or slurry.

Knowing me, I would probably eat it with a spoon and top it with baked Questbar bites. Cuz I’m cool like that.

I have no idea how that would taste. It could be a disaster BUT if anyone tries it out, let me know. 😀

Happy Friday and have an amazing Thanksgiving friends.

Stay tuned for the next post on some healthy ‘leftovers’ recipes!

What tip would you give for a healthier Thanksgiving?

What’s your favourite Thanksgiving dish, sweet or savory?

-Chelsea