While Thanksgiving is a time of year that centers around food. Americans are prone to binge and between the snacks before the meal and after, average 4,500 calories with over 220 grams of fat. Besides weight gain, there are some very real risks to eating this much food at once setting.
First off, always keep in mind that how you eat on one day does not determine your health. How you eat the other 364 days of the year does. So dust off the crumbs, and get back to clean living. Here are 3 post-Thanksgiving binge tips.
Make healthy use of leftovers. Top your salad, for example, with strips of roasted, skinless turkey breast. And add those healthier sides to your dinner and ditch the leftover pie.
Get back to your regular exercise routine, or if guests are in town, plan something active for all of you for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday like a hike in the woods or cruise the malls- the people watching i no-charge. In other words, do your best to stay off the couch.
And during the long weekend don’t starve yourself either. Restricting your food intake will only make you hungry. And when your stomach growls for too long, you know what happens. Any leftovers sitting in the fridge, especially the fatty, sugary ones, end up in huge platefuls in front of you.
Stop with the guilt.
Focus instead on the present, and praise yourself for laying the groundwork with a post-Thanksgiving plan. Be proud that you’re conscious of your eating and exercise behaviors, and your efforts to improve them. And before you know it the holidays will be in your rear view mirror.
Here are some option for using those leftovers:
A comforting Gluten-Free Turkey Pot Pie made from scratch using leftover turkey, carrots, onion, peas and a creamy, smooth gravy like sauce. This is an easy way to use up that leftover turkey. Get the recipe here.
This upgraded sandwich recipe is higher in protein than most, dairy free, and completely free of cheese and even mayo. And not only does it use your leftover turkey- but your cranberries as well! Try this one out and it will be one more item to add to your tradition list. Get the recipe here.
Wild Rice Soup
This healthy leftover turkey wild rice soup is a creamy, delicious, hearty soup made with whole-grain wild rice, leftover turkey, and no cream for a light but comforting meal made with Thanksgiving leftovers! Get the recipe here.
Enjoy the holidays, try not to binge and share your results with us!