7 Tips To Help You Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Ready or not, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the six week holiday season!

As one of the biggest eating events of the year, this day sets the stage for an average weight gain of seven to ten pounds by Christmas!

Here’s the skinny on how to enjoy this highly anticipated holiday – without snowballing down the weight-gain hill.

1) Fast Before You Feast

The best way to transition into Thanksgiving day is with a fast. I know the idea of fasting on Thanksgiving (of all days) may sound like a complete conflict, so I’ll explain…

On the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, eat your last meal at 7 p.m. Then on Thursday, wait until about 11 a.m. to eat breakfast. This gives your body a full sixteen hours of rest from handling any food. This also gets your hormones into fat burning mode!

2) MOVE BEFORE YOU EAT

Kickstart your metabolism and plan some movement on Thanksgiving morning. Go for a walk, jog, bike, or do some yoga. Movement while you’re fasting, and before your first meal, enhances your ability to burn fat the rest of the day. Exercising with others is a great way to stay motivated, so check if your community has a turkey trot or other type of race – they are lots of fun!

Note: if you’re not accustomed to fasting, keep your pre-breakfast activity light!

3) LET FAT BREAK YOUR FAST

After exercising, and only when you feel hungry, eat breakfast. The more you can delay eating, the longer your fast will be, and the more health benefits you’ll receive.

Your first meal should be a high-fat, low-carb one. Forget the toast, pancakes or oatmeal and go for eggs, avocado, bacon, salmon, or a superfood shake that is fat and protein dense. I like to make mine with leafy greens, full fat coconut milk, almond butter, and a handful of berries.

4) HANDLE APPS LIKE A PRO

We all know the eating frenzy begins well before the turkey hits the table. Some easy ways to avoid blowing your belt are:

load up on veggies – plain or with a dairy-free dip
focus on fat and protein
avoid or limit cheese – raw (unpasteurized) and pasture raised (grass fed) cheese is the healthiest
stay hydrated and alcohol free

If you’re hosting or bringing a dish, try serving-up a few of these easy, but healthy appetizers:

guacamole with veggies
bacon wrapped shrimp or scallops
smoked salmon
olives

5) ENJOY THE BIG MEAL WITH LITTLE IMPACT

Yes, it’s possible to enjoy the big meal with little impact.

Turkey and vegetables should take up the majority of your plate. Go for sweet potatoes instead of white ones, but ditch the marshmallow topping! They’re called sweet potatoes for a reason, so enjoy their natural sweetness! If you must have stuffing, make your own gluten–free version with lots of added veggies.

6) SKIP THE SWEETS

You’ve made great choices so far, so do the same with dessert! Try to skip it all together and have herbal tea instead. If you do indulge, make it a low carb, gluten and dairy-free option.

Tip: You can find lots of healthy recipes by Googling “paleo” or “keto desserts”.

7) HELP YOUR GUT HELP YOU AVOID HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

Holiday or not, if you’ve hit the big 4-0, you should be taking digestive enzymes with every meal.

Why are digestive enzymes so important? Because they help break down food so you can absorb its nutrients.

Unfortunately, poor food choices and the natural aging process leaves most people enzyme deficient. If you often feel bloated, gassy or tired after eating, you most likely are not breaking down food properly.

While some foods naturally contain enzymes, if they are cooked or exposed to high heat, the enzymes are destroyed. Of course, you can get enzymes from eating a raw diet. But let’s face it, most of our food is cooked …and reheated multiple times.

That’s why supplementing with digestive enzymes is something I recommend for just about everyone.

They can help:

break down food for better digestion
increase nutrient absorption
reduce post meal bloating, gas and fatigue
strengthen your immune system
aid detoxification (less disease)
contribute to cellular energy

Check out BodyManual’s Digestive Enzymes, which contain 12 different enzymes in one capsule!

Since healthy digestion is so critical, it’s worth noting that many people have a condition called leaky gut, which is common in those who eat gluten and too many refined carbs. It occurs when the gut lining becomes damaged and permeable.

Even though leaky gut is common, it’s a dangerous condition – especially since most people don’t know they have it and continue to fuel the fire!

When you have leaky gut, undigested food particles, bacteria and other food toxins actually leak out of your digestive tract and into your bloodstream. As you can imagine, this causes all sorts of health problems, including:

poor digestion
food allergies
obesity
autoimmune conditions
some forms of cancer

You can prevent further damage to your gut by establishing a healthy diet, which usually starts by eliminating gluten and limiting grains.

To address the damage that has already been done, I developed a product called Leaky Gut Support. It contains specific nutrients that support gut health and repair.

You can learn more about the signs and symptoms of leaky gut here.

In short, try to make better food choices starting now. Don’t wait until after Thanksgiving day to start! The more consistent you are in making proper food choices, the better your future health will be. When your health is strong, you can afford to indulge on special occasions.

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Start Breaking Down Food Today!

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