Here are my top five tips for enjoying a healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

5 Ways to Enjoy a Healthy Thanksgiving

Start Your Day Right

A national holiday doesn’t mean it’s no workout day. Keep your daily or weekly workout routine on the calendar. Clear the first two hours of your Thanksgiving morning. Plan for it the night before by putting your workout clothes out.

Sign-up for a Turkey trot and run it with friends while having fun. Local gyms have special HIIT-style classes on the schedule. So, hit the gym and revive your metabolism with intense Thanksgiving sessions.

Enjoy Outdoors

Get moving outdoors. You can make it a family affair. Visit a local park with kids. Take your guests and kids to a trail and go hiking late morning or early afternoon. Research shows that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety. You will be a mood booster and a great bonding activity for your family and friends. Go for a gratitude run or walk. I love logging gratitude miles on Thanksgiving Day. I offer thanks for something or someone each mile I run. Offering gratitude in this manner makes up a nice long run too.

Take your guests and kids to a trail and go hiking late morning or early afternoon.

Eat All Your Meals

I have heard this so many times. I’m saving space for dinner tonight. Please don’t skip breakfast and lunch. It isn’t healthy to skip meals. It makes you very hungry by dinner, and it slows your metabolism. Starving all day will only make you eat everything in sight! Let go of your food restrictions this Thanksgiving related to your weight. Enjoy Thanksgiving all day by eating flavorful meals throughout the day.

Start your day with a balanced breakfast. A couple of hours before dinner, eat a light lunch or snack. Include thanksgiving flavors in your other meals. Go for pumpkin pancakes and eggs with a side of roasted squash. Try a fall salad topped with roasted chicken and pumpkin seeds for lunch. Spreading out Thanksgiving throughout the day will give your body time to digest and be satisfied. It will ensure your blood sugar is stable, and you won’t have unnecessary food cravings.

Let go of your food restrictions this Thanksgiving related to your weight.

Eat a Balanced Dinner

Food provides nutrition to your body, and food on holidays like Thanksgiving bring us closer to our loved ones. Eat a balanced meal on Thanksgiving Day and every other day of the year. Your plate should ideally have quality protein, healthy fibrous carbohydrates, and good fats. This combination of macronutrients in optimal amounts will help balance your blood sugar and keep your metabolic rate high. To balance your thanksgiving plate, fill half your plate with veggies like green beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and squash, then fill 1/3 of the plate with protein like turkey breast and finally fill the rest with healthy grains like brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, or whole grain bread. Top off your plate with healthy fat sources like olive oil and nuts. You can use this plating technique to visualize the amount of food you should have, but you don’t have to eat it that way!

Savor the Food

Food is supposed to be enjoyed, so consume it slowly. Slowing down while eating is a great way to communicate with our brains. Research shows that the body sends its satiation signal about 20 minutes after its full to the brain. This lag leads us to overeat often unconsciously. Savor your thanksgiving meal and enjoy the company of loved ones. Be present in the moment and enjoy every bite of your meal. Bon Appetit!

The good news is that it’s possible to enjoy this holiday and stay on top of your health goals.

It’s time to celebrate and offer gratitude for the people and experiences you cherish. This Thanksgiving, enjoys the outdoors, make it about friends and family, and enjoy balanced meals throughout the day. Following these tips, you can enjoy this holiday while staying on track with your healthy habits.

The post How To Enjoy a Healthy Thanksgiving 5 (1) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Here are some tips for creating a stretching routine and avoiding injury.

Do’s of Stretching

Do it daily- Stretching can be done every day. The more regular you are, the better results you will see. That means aiming for a minimum of five days per week.

Talk to your doctor- If you have a chronic disease or a joint/muscle injury, getting your doctor’s approval is a good idea.

See physical therapist- It’s essential to get an assessment of your posture, muscle strength, and range of motion before starting a stretching program. They can use that assessment to help you develop a stretching routine that will address your muscle tightness and postural dysfunction.

Correct your technique- Just like any other exercise, correct technique is a top priority. Work closely with a trainer or a physical therapist, when possible, to perfect your form.

Focus on the major muscle groups- Major muscle groups such as the upper back, lower back, shoulders, chest, hamstrings, hips, and thighs should be stretched.

Pre and post-workout- Bookend your workout with stretching. That’s right! Make sure to incorporate a dynamic stretch in the warmup. After the workout!

Know your limits- Always practice moderation. It’s better to stretch lightly and never go beyond a comfortable stress sensation. You will notice right away that stretching puts stress on your muscles and joints.

Don’ts of Stretching

Avoid ballistic stretches- Ballistic stretching is the forceful bouncing of muscles and joints. His type of stretching uses the force to push muscles beyond the normal range of motion and can lead to injury.

Be discouraged- Postural dysfunctions can take many years to decrease mobility. Restoring the full range of motion in such cases cannot be done overnight. Patience and consistency are key.

Overdo the stretch- Certain types of stretching techniques, such as ballistic stretching when done without supervision, can cause you to overstretch and make your muscles and tendons vulnerable to injury. Stretching should feel like slight tension but shouldn’t be painful.

Give it up- stick with the stretching routine. Once you begin getting back some flexibility, stay with the stretching in your daily routine. You might feel better after some sessions. It’s essential to trust the process and continue the journey.

There are many different types of stretching techniques. Scheduling a few minutes for stretching in your daily routine can enhance flexibility, increase range of motion, and reduce your risk of injury. Stretching helps recover faster after workouts and improves sports performance. Unroll your yoga mat and start stretching!

The post Tips For Starting a Stretching Routine 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Keep reading for some tips on how to keep your whole family healthy and stress-free while planning for a successful school year.

Get Organized- Remember that waiting till the last day to get things organized will only create stress. Plan ahead. Get the back-to-school supplies list and shop the items. Organize kid’s backpacks. Choose a backpack for your kids that will be comfortable and won’t cause back pain. Asking the school for help during summer is a good idea too. Schools are open to addressing any parental concerns, like the specific needs of a child over the summer. Reaching out to your child’s teacher and introducing yourself and your child over e-mail will help your child’s teacher be familiar with you and your child.

Backpacks- It’s a good idea to pack light. Organizing the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. It’s good to remind your child always to use both shoulder straps. Wearing a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles and creates postural asymmetry. Adjusting the straps so that the bottom sits at the child’s waist is best.

Visit the School- Taking kids to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school can help reduce back to school stress for your kids. Plan to attend the new classroom orientation and meet with the kids’ teacher before the first day. If your kid is nervous, have a friendly conversation about the problem and then help them come up with solutions. It will help reduce the stress and give your kids tools to work out issues in future.

Teach Good Hygiene Habits– if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s to practice healthy hygiene. The most effective way to avoid spreading germs is proper handwashing. Teach your kids to wash hands thoroughly with soap fronts and backs of their hands and in-between fingers. Pack a small hand sanitizer in their backpacks.

Schedule a Doctor’s Visit– Schedule an annual check-up before heading back to school. Make sure your kid’s immunizations are up-to-date, too.

Get Back into the Routine– Starting back to school bedtime routine two weeks before school starts gives the kids a reasonable amount of time to transition into the new practice. It’s a good idea to cut back on screen time.

Plan Healthy Meals- Plan meals and school lunches ahead of time. Make a calendar of school lunches and home dinners. Get your kids involved in the process. Ask them to put their choice of healthy lunches and dinner options on the menu. Serve a healthy breakfast to kids each morning. Research shows that students who eat breakfast are more alert during class than those who don’t.

Stay Hydrated- Keeping your kids hydrated with water is essential for kid’s health and wellness. It helps prevent fatigue, improve mood, aid digestion, and maintenance, and enhance brain function. Try to limit sugary drinks.

Stay Active- Summer is the season for kids to stay active. I am sure you have been traveling with kids and doing all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, kayaking, and surfing. Keep that momentum going. Enroll the kids in a yoga class. Enroll them in some fall sport activity.

Calm Their Worries- Starting the new school year in a new classroom with new teacher and classmates can be nerve-racking for children. Inform the kids about their class schedule and other changes to go back to school. A regular yoga practice with kids can help reduce anxiety and promote feelings of calm.

Even setting aside fifteen to twenty minutes a day during summer break to plan for the school year ahead can go a long way. That bit of planning gives your child confidence that the new school year is a priority for you, and you will help them with any challenges in the future.

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