The average person consumes an extra 600 calories on average per day between Thanksgiving and their New Year's resolution start-time--that's an increased pant size and the next notch on your belt! Now that we're down to the three-week stretch before the the big-gun (and big-gut) holidays roll out, it's the time to start preparing your body to gracefully handle the serious calorie bomb that is November 26 (and entire following month), in order to avoid those extra pounds.
Do Not Skip Breakfast.
We know it's hectic in the mornings, but breakfast is the most important meal at any point of the year, not just the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Starting each day with a well-rounded meal givess your body more important nutrients like fiber and calcium to jumpstart your brain, and makes you far less likely to overeat throughout the day. Now is the time to implement this important eating habit, ensuring that your body becomes accustomed to morning meals and fewer mid-day and late-night calorie splurges, an important skill, come Thanksgiving. Nature's Path Organic Smart Bran will deliver half your days worth of fiber in a single bowl, or if you're on the run, the classic McDonald's Egg McMuffin provides protein on a nutritious English muffin.
Build strength.
Ever heard the expression "Your body is a temple?" Make that "Your body is a fortress," and fill your body with nutrients from now until the 26, effectively prepping it to thwart caloric enemies. Eat protein, a macronutrient of which your body needs large amounts, daily, like yogurt, black beans, and lean beef.
Also eat things like salmon and walnuts, which are packed with omega-3s, essential for your heart's health. And if you've ever felt your heart race after an epic Thanksgiving meal, you know the importance of cardiovascular health. Blueberries will also boost your heart's health, effectively prepping it for the overtime it may have to work. Dried, frozen, or blueberry jams are equally effective.
Is Your Morning Coffee Ruining Your Diet??
Master Snacking Tactics.
Keep your body loaded with nutrients between meals with mindful munching. Try a few ounces of full-fat cheese, a handful of walnuts or almonds, an apple with peanut butter, or a bowl of berries to prevent binge-eating and to practice your power over the pounds on the big day.
Eat Smarter Meals.
Try this for lunch a few days a week in November: spinach salad with tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, tossed with olive oil. The nutritional dark green powerhouse is packed with omega-3s and folate, compounds that will reduce the risk of strokes (and let's be honest, considering the typical diet for this American holiday, is a risk). The lycopene in the tomatoes is good for your stomach and arteries, other areas of our bodies that could use some help during the holidays. Carrots and bell peppers are stocked with fat-soluble vitamins, and the high amount of antioxidants in the olive oil dressing will raise your good cholesterol while lowering your bad.
For dinners, get into the all-American spirit with a baked potato (garnished with chives and melted Monterey jack, not butter and sour cream). The classic meal delivers a ton of potassium, which will reduce blood pressure, a good move before the holidays.
Develop a taste for spicy and tangy.
By eating just one gram of red pepper flakes, you can reduce your appetite by nearly a fifth. Vinegar also holds the magical power to make us feel fuller. Work in 2 tablespoons with a carb-heavy lunch or dinner to reduce your blood sugar by nearly a quarter, and spike your meal with antioxidants.
These tips for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will improve your health over the next three weeks, enabling your body to effectively combat the impending feast, and helping you with portion control--the most serious offender in the Thanksgiving lineup. Now come the big day of meal-based festive family gathering, the giving of thanks and the stuffing of mouths, your body and your mindset will be properly equipped to handle the fatty feast, but still do yourself a few favors:
1. Avoid any creamy, cheesy dips. We know it's hard, but do not dip even one fried chip or white chunk of French baguette into that cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, or cream cheese-based dip. Just don't do it. Instead, save the real estate in your stomach for instead the nutrients that exist in the actual Thanksgiving meal. Main course options such as zinc-rich beef tenderloin and protein-heavy roasted turkey are leaner, lower-fat ways to feast.
2. Toast with a glass of red wine, a drink packed with antioxidants and resveratrols, instead of carb-heavy beer. (Seasonal brews tends to have more calories and carbohydrates than regular beers.)
3. Focus your fork on the Vitamin A-, potassium and beta-carotene-rich filling of that pumpkin pie, or the magnesium and phosphorus-laden center of the pecan pie, and try to avoid the buttery crust. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream will at least provide your body with calcium, and will cool and calm your stomach after a manic day of festive feasting.
Check out StyleCaster for more
celebrity, fashion news, and relationship advice:
-
A
How To On Saving Money: Try These Easy Tips
-
Sunscreen
in the Winter? Why It's So Crucial!
- Sam Kass: Official White House Chef for The Obama's
-
Going
Granolas for Oatmeal: 3 Dessert Worthy
Recipes
