Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's full of family, friends, reflecting and gratitude, and of course delicious food. A lot of us enjoy it, but there's also that lingering feeling of "guilt" in the background that we eventually shut off, go crazy, and then let it creep back in full force later on.
So... Here are a few easy and enjoyable ways to make the most out of your Thanksgiving day.
1. No Guilt! It's a holiday, and a special day. The number one rule of food is it must be enjoyable. Food should support you and make you feel good. Good food also will create the appropriate hormones to boost your metabolism and decrease your stress. Stress hormones will actually slow down your digestion and metabolism. If you feel guilty about eating, you're increasing your stress hormones and slowing down your digestion and metabolism, confounding the problem.
Shift your mindset: It's a day of celebration, relaxation, and enjoyment. No one meal has ever "ruined" a person's health. Enjoy the meal and the day, knowing you'll take the necessary steps the next day to get back on track. You've worked hard to improve your health both in the gym and with your diet, and you'll continue. Enjoy the rewards of your hard work!
2. Eat Dessert! That's right, your trainers are telling you to eat dessert. There's a very specific biochemical reaction that happens when we consume a combination of healthy protein, some fat, and a delicious dessert. This reaction boosts metabolic hormones and will actually help you avoid the post dinner "food coma," decrease the body's stress response, and will also give you the satisfaction of a complete and tasty dinner. (minimizing the "unhealthy fats" will also make this work better- cook with olive oil, butter, or coconut oil instead of vegetable and/or seed oils)
Shift your mindset: Most of us, in an effort to minimize our dessert craving and consumption, over-indulge in the main course and (more "dangerous") all of the fixings. Though at the end of the meal, we're craving something sweet, give in anyways, and stuff ourselves to the brim to squeeze that tasty dessert in that we're craving.
The brain produces cravings for a reason (it's not just because you're "the one person who isn't disciplined enough to say no"). Plan on eating dessert to make your meal work for you, and actually save room for it! Fewer and smaller portions of sides is a great way to save space and avoid some of the more unhealthy fats and grains that slow the digestive and metabolic process down.
Our number one rule is to enjoy yourself! A great quote you'll probably hear often around our gym is "Life is too short to do things that we hate or make us miserable just so we can live longer." Thanksgiving is a day of relaxation, celebration, and reflection on how fortunate we are. We're so thankful for this special Fitness Evolved community that we get to be a part of. We're honored that you've allowed us to be a part of your journey and incredibly blessed and thankful that you allow us to do what we love as our "job."
Happy Thanksgiving!
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