Tag Archives: thanksgiving

Finding the Time to Workout During the Holidays

Posted on November 24, 2015 by | Leave a comment

The year is coming to an end, and we’re officially entering the holiday season!
No need to stress out trying to enjoy all the good things this season has to offer, without compromising your workout and the healthy habits you’ve adopted along the year.

You must be thinking ‘How can I find the time? And how about the motivation?’. We can give you a few tips!

Make a plan

Running-plan

If your calendar gets busier at this time of the year, take a closer look at your weekly schedule, so you can plan your training in advance and fit in some time for a run. If you find it easier, schedule all your runs in your mobile phone or any other kind of digital calendar that notifies you whenever it’s time for hitting the road.

Redefine your workout

Finding some free time to workout during the holiday season is not easy. But that doesn’t mean you should just skip your runs! Remember: shorter runs are better than no running at all. 30 minutes is all it takes to feel the runner’s high!

What about the rainy days? Consider a home workout routine for those times. Crunches, push-ups and running up and down the stairs are all runner-friendly exercises that can be done with no gym equipment.

Bring the family or a friend

Running-buddy

The holiday season is a great time to catch up with out-of-town friends who might be home visiting or even your own family members. So why not invite them to run with you? It’s fun and you can challenge each other. If you are the only member in the family who runs, try to find out local trails or tracks and see if anyone wants to go for a walk while you run. Going outdoors can be a fun way to enjoy the holiday season, release some stress, and of course, a great bonding experience.

More Intensity, less time

If you’re struggling to find the time for a long run, do a short run instead, at a faster pace, which will increase the effectiveness of the short run.

You can also try to crank up the intensity of one of your running workouts with a short, fast interval session on a track or treadmill. This will help you break up the monotony and give your fitness level a good boost to start the new year.

Fight the food temptation

Thanksgiving-Dinner

This is that time of the year when everyone seems to forget about healthy eating habits, food journals and counting calories. But who can resist the loaded buffet tables with all the delicious dishes?
Remember it’s ok to allow yourself to splurge on drinks or your favorite dessert once in a while, but don’t make a habit of it. All you need to do is to find a healthy balance: for example, if you have two parties on the same night, eat dinner on the first and leave some room for dessert at the next.

Bring the joy of the holiday season to your workout

There are a lot of fun races during this season, from turkey trots to jingle bell runs. Just find one near you, put it on your calendar, take some friends and family with you… and have the time of your life!

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5 Healthy Thanksgiving Eating Tips

Posted on November 26, 2014 by | Leave a comment

The holidays are a time to be merry with those we love, drink, eat and… gain a couple of extra pounds. Thanksgiving is no exception. In fact, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average person gains one pound over the holidays and never loses it. No one wants that!

On the holiday season, stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while enjoying your Thanksgiving with these 5 eating tips:

1. Be prepared for Thanksgiving

Keeping yourself from eating on Thanksgiving is an unhealthy and non effective tactic. If you want to avoid overeating, instead of going into your Thanksgiving meal on an empty stomach, start your day with a well-balanced breakfast.

Eating a healthy breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, helps you get nutrients in before a great meal and keeps your hunger satiated, by preventing a sugar crash.

Opt for healthy and filling options, such as oatmeal with fruit, eggs and toast or yogurt. If you’re thinking on hitting the road on Thanksgiving, check out our pre-run suggestions.

2. A Healthy Feast

5 Healthy Thanksgiving Eating Tips

Your Thanksgiving meal doesn’t have to be unhealthy to taste good. Go through your favorite dishes’ recipes and replace all unhealthy ingredients with tasteful and healthy options.

Here are some of our suggestions:

  • Turkey is a great source of lean protein, but when eating it you’ll probably want to skip the skin.
  • Opt for olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
  • For a more nutritious option, consider mashing sweet potatoes – the orange variety – instead of regular potatoes.
  • When it comes to sauces, gravy is the better option. Canned sauces and cranberry sauce are very high in sugar content.
  • If you’d like to indulge in an alcoholic beverage, red wine is the best option since it is full of antioxidants.

3. Prioritize seasonal foods

On Thanksgiving, there is so much to try on the table that it is tempting to have a bit of everything. To enjoy all your favorite seasonal foods you have to prioritize the foods you love the most and don’t normally get the chance to eat.

Put on your plate the foods you want most first and if they didn’t satiate your hunger completely, go for more afterwards.

4. Drink an after meal tea

After dinner, put the kettle on and make yourself and your guests a cup of tea. This might not be the first after meal drink on your mind, but certain teas like ginger, peppermint, dandelion and green tea are great to aid in digestion.

Plus, this is a pleasant way of spending time with your friends and family, after the big Thanksgiving feast.

5. Work up that appetite

Even though this is not a true eating tip, it is probably the most important one.

If you go a little too far on Thanksgiving, do an extra workout later or the next day. And you don’t have to hit the gym to burn calories. Instead, go for a walk with friends and family, or play outside with the kids!

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