OK – We got through Halloween! Hopefully you and your kids took my advice and have been indulging in the candy just a little bit once in a while. So now we have what is probably the biggest gastro-challenge of the year…Thanksgiving!
So how do we help our kids to combat the temptation to over indulge? By remembering the following rules:
1. Start Thanksgiving morning with a family walk or touch football game or some type of 30-minute aerobic exercise to compensate for the extra calories later.
2. At dinner, don’t be as concerned about calorie watching as overeating. Put small amounts on your plate and eat slowly." Drinking a big glass of water will help fill you up, and remember, you should drink at least 32 oz of water every day.
3. Starving yourself all day until the big feast makes your body less efficient at burning calories. It thinks “Oh no, I'm starving” and switches into survival mode, slowing down your metabolism and storing fat.
4. To keep your metabolism humming, you should eat a healthy breakfast within 90 minutes of waking and wait no more than 4 hours between meals or healthy snacks.
5. Be sure to load up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables such as squash, carrots, turnips, and pumpkins. And bake them with a little olive oil. Candied yams are not healthy!!
6. Get moving! After dinner, get the family active with fun indoor or outdoor activities.
And finally, don’t beat yourself up! If you feel like your family forgot their healthy habits, then just get the family back on the healthy track when you sit down to Black Friday’s leftovers!
So this Thanksgiving, remember to be thankful for the gift that is your life and the gift that is your children. The best way to show your appreciation for this gift of life is to treat it with respect. Respect for your body, your mind and your Family is best served with a healthy lifestyle.
I am thankful for you, my readers, and wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
-Diana
No comments:
Post a Comment