Dr. Barbara L. Downes – Tips on Having a Healthy Thanksgiving

November 21, 2011 By: Barbara Downes

This time each year starts the onslaught of too much food and too little activity.  The average person gains 9-13 pounds between now and the New Year!  I am suggesting we need to consider Thanksgiving in terms of activities and festivities rather than feast to help keep it light and vibrantly healthy.

Festivities seem to include action so I suggest starting a family fun time as a Thanksgiving holiday tradition.  There are numerous Turkey Runs around town, we have some beautiful biking and hiking trails nearby.  Let’s force the kids out of bed and have some serious activity and fun early in the day!

Take some protein snacks along so the gorge won’t be so dramatic later.  Almonds, walnuts, some cheese or an apple pack nicely and keep blood sugar steady.

As for food for the day, try to eat three healthy meals just like any other day.  The prospect of saving all the intake for one huge meal is counter to any digestive intelligence our bodies have.  A few small meals and snacks throughout the day will keep us from over-indulging in the really difficult foods to process and burn.

When the feast finally arrives realize it is just a meal and not an all-you-can-eat buffet.  A good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with vegetables and a quarter with skinless turkey, and treat yourself with a dab of potatoes or stuffing if you must, but keep that in a small quadrant of the plate.

After dinner a family walk or sled-ride would be perfect.  Just make sure to find a way to get the joints the oxygen, and the food moving.  Make it fun, it is our special holiday and a great time to celebrate the joys of being a healthy family!

Dr Barbara L. Downes
Chiropractic & Functional Medicine/Holistic Physician
www.downeshealth.com
drdownes@downeshealth.com