It has been said that an average American consumes an average of 3,000 calories while having a traditional Thanksgiving meal with an additional 1,500 calories on drinks, desserts and other snacks. When you consider the list of items on a traditional thanksgiving dinner – turkey, ham, buttery mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pies, corn bread etc., you don’t need to think too far on what the total calorie intake just during the dinner may be.
While we are having fun and enjoying this special moment by engorging all these food, experts have said that we are also doing a disservice to our body by overloading the digestive organs with more work than it is accustomed to.
According to the American Heart Association, some of the tips below can be utilized in managing calorie intake during the festive seasons:
- Eat lower-fat and reduced-calorie foods for days in advance of the holiday feast, and for days after.
- Prepare for handling your worst temptations; if you want both pecan and pumpkin pie, take a tiny slice of each, instead of a full serving.
- If cooking, provide low-fat foods, or ask if you can bring a low-fat dish.
- After the meal, start a tradition — a holiday walk, for instance.
Although we may have overeaten during thanksgiving, but some of the tips provided by the American Heart Association can help us to curtail our food intake during the next festive season, Christmas, and similar occasions.
Check out the video below of an expert describing what really happens to your body after gorging so much thanksgiving dinner.
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