With Thanksgiving coming up fast here in the United States, you are bound to see tons of articles, posts and videos about how to cut calories, slash fat and/or burn off everything you eat this holiday season with the newest fad in exercise. Given that this is a health blog, you might expect to find that here too. But I have news for you.....
...YOU WON'T!
That's right! I am not going to tell you to cut calories, slash fat and/or burn off everything you eat. Why? Because that takes all the fun out of eating Thanksgiving dinner! It's called THANKSgiving, not GUILTgiving! I am perpetually frustrated by the negativity permeating this holiday, and not just because I'm working toward recovery from an eating disorder. In my opinion, it negates what the holiday is all about in the first place!
So instead of telling you to make your mashed potatoes healthier and to nix the gravy, I'm going to tell you to eat it and enjoy it. Give thanks for it. Savor it. Smile.
I'm also going to tell you that I think the best plan of action is to be healthy and eat healthy ALL THE TIME, not just during the holidays! Here are my Top Six Nutrition Tips & Tricks:
1. Make friends with salad. Salad can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Dressings, cheese, meats and croutons can add serious fat and calories to your otherwise-healthful entree. If you're a dressing fan, try a lower calorie or fat-free dressing option. Or just have your dressing on the side and dip your fork tines in it before spearing your next bite. If you're a meat-on-salad type, opt for leaner meats like chicken, turkey or shrimp. Use cheese sparingly (but don't skip it, it's delicious!) and try to go easy on the croutons. Experiment with other toppings. Change it up! Salad is one of the most versatile foods around and is fun to play around with. My favorite salad toppings are peas, avocado, tomatoes and black beans!
2. Skip the sweeteners. We've all heard that artificial sweeteners are the devil. It's not literally true but they are bad for you. Some studies have shown that artificial sweeteners actually contribute to weight gain and other nasty things by tricking your body into thinking that it needs sweet things, thereby causing you to crave more sweet things. Try using natural sweetening agents such as honey or Stevia (the liquid kind) in your coffee or tea, and experiment with putting fruit in your oatmeal instead of brown sugar. It'll take some getting used to but your taste buds will adjust and you won't miss all the chemicals you used to be ingesting!
3. Protein up! It's no secret that protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. Protein keeps you feeling satiated and helps build muscle! I've found that having some lean protein at each main meal helps me stay alert, energized and even-keeled. I don't get as many blood sugar crashes when I've had my protein! Eggs or Greek yogurt are great to have at breakfast or lunch and turkey, chicken or white fish are my go-to foods for dinners. Nuts, legumes and dairy all can provide protein too. There's lots of choices, have fun!
4. Hydrate. Sometimes, when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty! If you've eaten what you think is an appropriate amount but are still feeling peckish, try drinking a big glass of water. Then wait twenty minutes. If you still feel hungry, then you probably are. Staying hydrated helps keep all our systems running properly. Dehydration can cause headaches and other yucky sensations, not to mention it can majorly mess up our bodies! Make sure you drink enough water every day. One source suggests the following as a guide for how much water you should drink per day: your weight divided in half = the number of ounces you should aim for. So if you weigh 100 pounds, you need about 50 ounces of water. If you feel thirsty, water is the best choice!
5. Carbs for cardio. This one is totally a personal preference, but I absolutely cannot cut out carbs/grains! As a fitness instructor and runner, I am the Cardio Queen. My husband mainly adheres to the Paleo diet, which eliminates grains, and I cannot do it. I have tried. But for the amount of cardio I do, my body needs grains for energy. Without them I am unbelievably sluggish! So when I need a carb/grain fix, I go for whole grains. Whole grain bread and whole grain pasta are my favorites and without oatmeal I might starve! Some people do just fine on a grain-free diet, some don't. If your body tells you it needs something, listen to it! But that doesn't mean you should give it the unhealthy version. Do your research and find out what your body is asking for!
6. Be mindful. As a person working toward recovery from an eating disorder, being mindful is one of the hardest things for me when eating. I tend to want to distract myself from what I'm doing - read a book, watch TV, read blogs on my phone, etc. But I've been trying really hard lately to bring myself back to what I'm doing. Focus on my food. How does it taste? What does it look like? Does it taste the way it smells? What's my earliest memory of eating this food? These questions keep me present and focused on what I'm doing which, let's face it, can be really uncomfortable at times. But I have found that I've felt more satisfied with my food when I am actually paying attention to it. The natural sweetness of an apple is so much more enjoyable when I actually notice it! Take the time to honor your food for the nutrients it is giving you, and honor yourself for taking them in!
This Thanksgiving holiday, enjoy your food. Don't hate on it. Savor the flavors and know that you can always have leftovers. You don't have to eat it all in one day. And besides, you can have pumpkin pie in June! There is no reason that this food can only be consumed on Thanksgiving! So enjoy it and rest assured that it's not the last time you'll ever see it. Moderation, moderation, moderation. And perhaps a little whipped cream. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment