Happy Thanksgiving!
I have a love/hate relationship with Thanksgiving. I love spending time with beautiful amazing people amid the gluttony of rich decadent food. I hate the way my body feels (and often looks) for the next several days, up to weeks, after being hit by the tryptophan truck.
Over the years, I have compiled a few tips to help myself, as well as clients, to not only survive Thanksgiving but to also enjoy the holiday to its fullest without some of the negative physical hangover. Some holidays have been more successful than others 🙂
Tips for surviving Thanksgiving well
Prioritize Movement
I like to strategize about how I will move my body through the holidays the same way I would run through a mud pit. Get a running head start, knowing that halfway through my legs would feel like they’re churning through thick molasses, with the hope that all that momentum will carry me through to the end. Every little bit counts.
Momentum
- Make time for some solid movement sessions prior to all the feasts and festivities.
- Start today.
- Start right now.
- On Thanksgiving Day
- Get 30-90 second movement restoration snacks between each food serving.
- Practice Chair Yoga wherever you sit down (it’s a great conversation starter – Seriously!)
- Take a short walk/hike outdoors before and/or after each meal.
- Play games
- Post-Thanksgiving
- Wake up early Friday morning for a coffee/tea movement flow.
- Keep moving throughout the weekend.
- Just. Keep. Moving.
As for the Eats
As a lover of food, I am not a good self-regulator when fat and sugary foods are in abundance. I find that the best way to prevent too much overeating is through the physiological state of being satiated with a full belly.
My strategy for satiation is:
For starters
- make a large first plate of salad and raw veggies.
- Use a small plate for all other servings.
- Take my time between servings.
- Drink water
- Don’t beat myself up for having small servings of all of the desserts.
Share an Extra Meal – including dessert
If you have a ton of leftovers, please consider making a meal/s for someone in need. There are fewer gifts greater than that of filling an empty belly.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Do you have any tips that help you survive Thanksgiving that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them on the TAOFit Tribe.
Thank you for living such an inspiring life. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Jesse James