Hello, hello, and welcome to this week's episode of the Rev Up Health Podcast. This week we're getting ready for Thanksgiving next week, and we thought it would be a good idea to hop on and talk about some of the challenges that come along with the holidays and the food of the standard American diet — all the food, all the lack of exercise, all the social interactions. It's just a multitude of things that affect folks during the holidays, and it's tough to stay on track. So we hope to give you a little insight about some things you can do, and avoid, to help keep yourself healthy and on a healthier pathway.
Holidays Look Different for Everyone
First of all, holidays really can look different for every family. For some families it might be a really easy, fun get-together, and for others it might not be so much — there may even be some added stress with the holidays and Thanksgiving. That's something to just be aware of, and my invitation would be to feel into that and make a decision about how it fits in for you.
It's really incredible — until we started looking at some of the details. Did you realize that the average person, on that day of Thanksgiving, will eat 4,500 calories? That is twice what you have in a day regularly, on non-holiday calories. I thought that was pretty incredible, but when you think about it, it's actually true — with all the turkey and the dressing and the potatoes and the green beans and the bread and all the snacks, and then you throw in alcohol, it puts you over the top. So no wonder we feel awful after such a filling meal.
Plan Your Plate and Watch Portions
There are a lot of things we can do to prepare ourselves to not go as crazy as we normally would. Portion control is everything. We really want to make a plan on what we're going to fill this plate with — what do you want to eat, what do you know is going to be good for you, and what do you know is probably not going to be good for you? It's not that you can't have things that aren't good for you — everybody loves pumpkin pie, and pecan pie, and all the pies. And it's not just about the desserts; there's a lot of prep that goes into the side dishes too. So try to plan what you need on that plate and try to portion-control it. Know, "This is what I'm going to eat, and this is all I'm going to eat," and try to skip the seconds.
Second portions really play into a lot of problems for us. It's like, "Oh gosh, I shouldn't have had that extra piece of pie or that extra roll," and everybody's in regretful mode sometimes — I've done that many, many times. I think it's the Japanese — hara hachi bu — where they eat until they're about 80% full, and then that's it; they don't eat until they're completely full.
Wait 20 Minutes
The other tip we found: as you're deciding whether to go back for a second plate, just wait 20 minutes. Eat your plate, sit and visit with everyone, and if after 20 minutes you still feel like you want a second helping, then go ahead and get it. Let the hormones — the leptin and ghrelin — settle in, do their thing, and get to the right concentrations. That resets the brain, and it's like, "You know what, I'm pretty full, I don't think I need it." It takes a while for our brain to realize we've eaten so much food, so we don't want to eat too fast. Take your time eating. We all get super hungry — we've skipped breakfast, and now we're eating lunch at two in the afternoon and everybody's starving — so slow down.
Fill Up on the Good Stuff First
Make sure you're getting the protein you need, get the leafy green vegetables, and put the starches and the extra stuff on last. Try to fill up on the greens and the proteins — those greens, proteins, fibers, and fats will satiate you, keep you from overfilling, and slow down your glucose spikes, which is what we really don't want to see. And drink a lot of water. Start out the meal by drinking a lot of water to get your stomach filled up a little, so you're not just rushing into that plate.
Watch the Alcohol
We've pretty much touched on the tips for nutrition — and watch the alcohol. Alcohol is a real kicker; it's a calorie buster and an inhibitor. Once you start drinking, sometimes you're not consciously thinking about the things you're doing — you're just doing them because it feels good.
If you're bringing side dishes, or you're in charge of something, bring something that's going to be less calorie-dense, with a better glycemic index than what you'd usually have. Think of doing cauliflower mash instead of mashed potatoes. I know mashed potatoes are yummy — I can't go wrong there — but maybe think of some better ways to cook the greens, and try to skip some of the fatty sauces and the cheesy stuff.
Another thing: as the host or hostess, you could line up your buffet so people fill their plates with the good things at the beginning, and then by the time they get to the things they probably shouldn't have a huge helping of, they don't have enough room. And it's best to hide the dessert — that would be a good thing.
Move After the Meal
Now the meal's over — what can we do to help slow our glucose spikes and mobilize the food so we don't get too uncomfortable? Exercise is an option. If we can just move our body — let's not even call it exercise, let's just call it movement — go for a walk after we eat. Just moving is good. A 30-minute brisk walk, they say, is supposed to be around a 200-calorie buster, so that takes a little out of our 4,500 calories. Our muscles are really important to mobilize that glucose — they'll take it up, and you'll get a better insulin response with glucose and movement into the muscles.
That's a great thing to do with the kids too — get them out, expend some of that energy, and take the dog for a walk between your meal and dessert. And beforehand, lots of places have turkey trots, little 5Ks and 10Ks you can do the morning of to get your day started off on a good start. That movement is going to help improve your digestion and mobilize that glucose so we don't have the spikes.
Holiday Weight and Keeping Your Foundation
They say it's like one or two pounds that you gain over a holiday like Thanksgiving, and it's really difficult to get that back off again, so it's something you have to work at. In the past, it's kind of felt like, "Here we are, it's the holiday season, and I'm just pretty much giving up for the year — I'm just going to indulge." But if you can make the decision that you're still going to indulge a little, but you're not going to totally go off the rails and lose your good nutrition and activity habits — keep those things as the foundation — that is going to put you in such a better place once the holidays are over.
It's a Social Event, Too
Let's be real — this is a social event, so it's difficult to keep our intake in check when we're snacking and eating all day, or socializing as we eat and drink. But it's a social event, so let's figure out activities we can do from a social standpoint to get everybody involved. Different families have different dynamics, but it's a way to keep people in touch with each other — "How was your last Thanksgiving? How was your year? How was that birthday?" There are social activities and games a person can play to burn off some calories — go throw the football around; there's football going on that day. Or play some basketball.
I really like the point about socialization and making a conscious effort to have some meaningful conversation, asking each other questions, and telling stories about a long time ago. This holiday, we've had a lot of loss this year, so this holiday is going to look a lot different, and there are going to be people who won't be at the table with us. Reflect on those good times — those are memories we don't want to forget — and keep that going and pass it down to children, loved ones, and grandkids. It has a traditional effect on them too.
Navigating Family Stress
Another piece of stress is that sometimes people have a hard time with family members who have different thoughts or ideas about things. Just going in knowing that if there are situations like that, you don't have to engage in a stressful conversation. It is a holiday and a social time, and it's okay for you to say, "We're going to have to agree to disagree, and I don't want to talk about that anymore." You may also be a social support network for people who are having a hard time, or going through a depressed time, or who've lost loved ones and just need somebody to talk to and get their mind off it. It's a way of helping them work through it and cope.
Gratitude and Wrapping Up
Thanksgiving is always a really good time of the year — nice and fall, nice and cool. If we just be a little more mindful about what we're eating and how we eat, and know that we still need to keep up our movement and activity, I think that will help ensure we can get through the holidays a little healthier. And gratitude — obviously that's what Thanksgiving is all about: being thankful and mindful of those things, and even taking it a step further and letting the people you're grateful for know that you're grateful for them, spreading a little love that way.
It's a stressful time too, and that affects our cortisol levels, which can affect our blood sugar levels, which affects our hormone levels — one trickle-down effect. And everybody knows the gut is a very precocious thing that can be disrupted with all this change. If you're used to eating salad and chicken on a daily basis, and now you're throwing in the turkey with the dressing and the greasy gravy and the bread, it can really upset the bowels — our gut can really have to reset.
Thanksgiving can be a really wonderful time of the year if we're just mindful about what we do and how we eat. With family and friends, it's a good time to get together and socialize — and who knows, they may change their mind too. If they see you eating healthy, maybe they'll think, "Maybe I need to do that too, maybe I need to turn a new leaf over." So you can maybe start a trend. Okay, well, thank you so much, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.