The Active Organic

Happy Turdunken Day!

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by The Active Organic in Active, Drinks, Food, Musings

Here is a little tid-bit to start your holiday season off right.

The holidays are a beautiful time! Sharing it with family and friends, getting to stuff our faces several days in a month. Turkey day, and the holidays in general are also a time of gluttony…which I can’t say I disagree with.

I love the holidays and love me some turkey and stuffing. I try and keep it all in moderation however and don’t stray from my lifestyle but for a day or two during the holidays. A nice way to balance it out is to do a Turkey Trot the morning of your feast. You should be able to find one anywhere you live, they are quite prevalent and you can walk or run. Another great aspect of these Turkey Runs are that they usually support and contribute to local soup kitchens or shelters. So on our day of Thanks you get to support the local community, get some exercise, get the metabolism cranking and than you get to eat like a cave-person, or hopefully like half a cave-person!

Anywho, I came across this little nugget that may help you curb the gluttony a bit and thought I would share it. It’s also a little plug for my favorite water; smartwater.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you that celebrate it and have a safe and fun day! Cheers!

Here’s a shocker (not)… Thanksgiving is the single highest day of food consumption in the US, according to the USDA.

The holiday is designed to count your blessings – not your calories.

Yes, Thanksgiving feasts encourage indulgence – it’s not the time to feel guilty about consuming food (leave that for the following morning when you hit the gym).

But courtesy of nutritionist, Christina Meyer-Jax MS, RD, there is a simple way to enjoy the food you’d like on the day without expanding your waist line.

“The trick is fool your stomach into thinking it’s full before it actually is,” says Christina. “That way you can enjoy all the foods on your plate but you won’t feel compelled to go back for repeat helpings.”

So what’s the trick? Meyer-Jax suggests consuming a bottle of water an hour before meal time on Thanksgiving.

“One 16 oz. bottle of smart water will create an early foundation; filling just enough space in the stomach to limit the hunger pangs that cause people to gorge themselves with second and third helpings,” says Christina. “Plus, it has electrolytes that you don’t find in normal tap water; so there is an added nutritional boost.”

Christina Meyer-Jax MS, RD is a registered dietician that serves on the faculty at The Art Institutes International Minnesota Culinary Arts School and enjoys nutrition communications. Helping real people, eat real good!