Thanksgiving. To eat or not to eat.

Turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and wine. Its that time of year again, when we meet with family, eat as much as possible, and drink until we fall asleep; usually with out pants undone after getting out fill at the dinner table. This kind of binge eating can be detrimental to a person's diet, especially if they go to more than one of these functions over the weekend.


We all know how it starts. You show up and are greeted by familiar faces, who lead you into the parlor for some appetizers and a drink. You are usually waiting around an hour or two eating and drinking and meeting with family and friends. Then the big guy comes out; 10-15 lbs of pure tryptophan heaven. After eating your fill of Mr. Butterball and all his side dish friends, you are treated to a plethora of sugar infused foods that will raise you blood sugar levels beyond imagination. Man I am getting hungry just thinking about it.


If you are worried about how this will effect your diet, or that it will relapse you back into your old eating habits. Do not fret, I am here for you with tips and advice on what and how to eat and want not to eat.


In the following I will layout the safe and unsafe foods of the holiday season, and give you tips on how to work off the extra calories your have consumed.

Safe Foods

• Yams (add cinnamon for taste, great complex carbs)
• Pumpkin Pie (avoid any toppings on this fibrous food)
• Turkey (a great protein source, skip the gravy)
• Winter squash (you can add cinnamon & olive oil, or garlic and parsley for taste)
• Nuts (great for appetizers)
• Low fat cheese (cottage cheese is a great source of protein)
• Steamed Vegetables
• Stuffing (you can get away with this as long as you use whole wheat mulitgrain bread and minimal added fats)

Unsafe Foods

• Alcoholic beverages (with the amount of food you eat, you will be able to consume more alcohol without feeling the effects so rapidly, this can quickly increase your calories)
• High fat appetizers (nacho dips, chips, cheese balls, etc.)
• Sugary desserts (cheese cakes, rum balls, cookies, pies)
• Cranberry sauce (this stuff can be loaded with extra sugar)
• White mashed potatoes (usually has added fat)
• Gravy

Here are some great tips for keeping the pounds off during the holidays:

1. Use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for all fats needed in recipes
2. Season foods with salt & pepper, or Mrs. Dash
3. These dinners can last hours. This is great, as us body builders need to eat every few hours, so instead of having one huge meal, you can break it up into two. Have a small portion at the beginning. Take a break and converse with family, then eat another portion later on.
4. Walk. I know this is not the best method of fat loss, but no one expects you to go for a HIIT session while visiting family. Besides, It is much better than having "food coma" and falling asleep right after dinner.
5. Don't fall asleep right after dinner.
6. Drink coffee or tea when possible. This will keep your metabolism up through out that day, it will surprese your appetite, and help keep you from getting "food coma" after dinner.
7. If you must drink, drink a dry red wine. At least you can get some anti-oxidants from this.
8. Have a low carb protein shake before you arrive. This will stave off your hunger.
9. If you can time it properly, go to the gym right before dinner, and preform a heavy day. There is nothing better for those tired nutrient deprived muscles than to gourge yourself on complexe carbs and high amounts of protein from whole foods.
10. And above all laugh and have fun!

I want to wish you all, wherever in the world you may live, a day of peace, health, and, most of all, gratitude for whatever you may have. Rich or poor, free or opressed, happy or sad, there is always someone who is worse off than you.

diet tips, thanksgiving, safe foods, unsafe foods