How to Avoid the Thanksgiving Binge

There will be no newsletter on Friday. I will be enjoying the holiday with my family. I hope you will do the same! I’ll be back on Monday.

The holiday season gives everyone an excuse to binge. Food seems to be everywhere. Everyone is expected to:

• Fill their plates

• Go back for more

• Finish with desert

• Watch football

• Pass out on the couch (must be the tryptophan in the turkey, right?)

There are some things you can do to avoid this fate. Worst case you can close your eyes on the couch and pretend to be asleep like everyone else if you eat right and don’t feel tired.

Start your day with a low-carb breakfast and possibly lunch before heading to your family’s house or before sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner at your house. Eat meals rich in fat. That should help you feel less hungry and limit your temptations for the bad stuff.

If you’re making the dinner, you really have control. There are all sorts of low-carb recipes on the internet. There are even low-carb desserts that work really well.

I would highly recommend you check out internet recipes and cookbooks from Maria Emmerich. She has a ton of very tasty AND healthy Thanksgiving recipes.

Even if you’re not cooking the dinner, chances are the hostess would love to have people bring certain dishes. Feel free to volunteer and make a low-carb recipe for everyone. You can always eat a generous portion of your own dish to avoid the other temptations.

Once you’re ready to eat, try to load your plate up with protein. Turkey, ham and other meat. If you still have room, go for the low-carb veggies.

• Green beans

• Brocolli

• Brussel Sprouts

• Asparagus

You get the idea. Avoid starchy foods like carrots and potatoes. Watch out for casseroles as well. They can have a lot of high-carb ingredients.

Avoid the high-carb and high-sugar sides:

• Stuffing

• Mashed and sweet potatoes

• Rolls

• Cranberry sauce

• Sugary desserts

Gravies can be problematic. Try to minimize the alcohol as well.

If you are really tempted or pressured by the family to try ‘Grandma’s favorite dish’, keep the portion size small.

Lest I sound like a holiday nazi, these are only suggestions. After all it’s just one day. If you or your loved ones are pretty good the rest of the year, it may be ok to slip on the holiday.

If you do slip, don’t go crazy stressing out about it. Get back on the wagon on Friday.

This is the hardest time of the year to keep your diet going well. Recognize that. If you’re taking care of elderly parents, try to have everyone eat healthy around them. So they are not as tempted.

And of course take some time to enjoy your family and friends. Look around and be thankful for all the blessings in your life. That is what we really should be thankful for.