With the holiday’s right around the corner, there’s a lot of temptation around us including our favorite comfort foods, which usually results in a food coma by the end of the night. The XPRO team encourage everyone to dive into the mashed potatoes, stuffing and our favorite casserole dishes, but in a way that won’t leave you curled up on the floor by the end of the night. Check out some health hacks on how to beat this year’s holiday bloat and food coma.
Eat before the party
Consume breakfast as well as a few healthy snacks throughout the day to avoid overeating at a holiday party. Most people think they have to fast all day to save room for Thanksgiving dinner, but that will only cause you to overeat, leaving you sick by the end of the night. For healthy snacks, Michele CanonNAME, XPRO for STRIDE BRAND, recommends snacks that contain protein, fat and fiber. Snacks such as a protein smoothie made with protein powder, nut butter, flax seeds & greens; apple slices w turkey, avocado on a rice cake, or greek yogurt and berries. Avoid breads, candy, chips and crackers as these types of foods will only spike your blood sugar leading to a crash and more cravings later.
Good posture
While sitting at the dinner table, be aware of your posture. Make sure you breathe deeply and sit up straight. Be sure not to lay down after a large meal because the food that you just consumed can move out of your stomach and into your esophagus. Remain in an upright position for a couple hours after eating to avoid heartburn.
Kelsey Decker, XPRO from StretchLab GO, suggest stretching as a way to improve your posture, especially around the holidays. A couple great stretches to help with your posture include a chest stretch in which your fingertips are interlocked behind your back and a hip flexor stretch to relieve tension in your lower back from sitting at the dinner table.
Slow down
Drop the bad habit of finishing your meal as quickly as you can. Take time to enjoy the company and conversations with your loved ones surrounding you. The food will still be there when you’re done talking. Pacing yourself and fully chewing your food will allow time for your stomach to digest throughout the night.
Exercise
You don’t necessarily have to hit the gym and do a full-body workout right after a big meal, but you could ask your family/friends to go on a stroll around the neighborhood to reap the benefits of improved digestion, heart health and blood sugar management.
A few yoga twists before and after meals could help with digestion. Dr. Nancy LinNAME XPRO for YogaSix GO says yoga can have beneficial effects on a person's digestive system. After all, practicing yoga often involves bending, folding, arching, stretching and twisting the torso. All of those actions aids in digestive health by reducing stress, increasing circulation and promoting physical movement of the gastrointestinal tract.
If you want to sweat out your toxins and re-energize yourself after overindulging (which you should never feel guilty about), you can integrate some high-energy cardio into your schedule the next day. Cycling, running, rowing, dance and boxing are all possibilities to lift your heart rate and refresh yourself. Check out CycleBar GO, STRIDE GO, Row House GO or AKT GO for a few great at-home classes that are easy to squeeze in between the holiday shopping and family time.
