Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, family and loads of food. With so many delicious dishes, people use this holiday as an excuse to pig-out. You can enjoy everything on the table without stuffing yourself, according to Molly Shattuck, United Way’s Healthy Food Ambassador.
“During the holiday season, it’s important to pay close attention to your eating and exercise habits,” Shattuck says. “It’s as easy to make healthy choices as it is to make unhealthy ones. The daily choices we make keep us healthy.”
Shattuck doesn’t expect people to pass on their favorite dishes. “You can taste everything on the table,” she said. “The key is to control portion size. Instead of eating a giant piece of pumpkin pie, limit your serving size to a half slice, brush your teeth, and my guess is you won’t want more.”
In addition to portion control, cook with natural ingredients. The chemicals in prepackaged foods are harmful, and they actually make you hungrier.
The most important ingredient to good health is being well-hydrated with water. Shattuck urges everyone to drink at least 90 ounces of water each day. It flushes out toxins in your body, makes you feel full, and keeps you energized.
“People don’t realize that most of the time when they feel hungry, they’re actually thirsty,” Shattuck said.
Remember to schedule time to exercise every day.
Shattuck recommends at least 22 minutes of exercise each day. Easy ways to fit exercise into your schedule include performing a few exercises, such as squats, leg raises and pushups, while watching TV. The most important thing is to get your body moving.
Shattuck demonstrates a wide range of workout routines, including a segment you can do with your children, in her recently released DVD, “The Vibrant Living Workout.” It features 90 minutes of fun exercises to help get you in better shape. Included with the DVD are a water bottle and a weekly log sheet to track your exercise, water and food consumption.
The DVD can be purchased on Amazon or www.MollyShattuck.com.
About Molly Shattuck:
Healthy living, staying active, living life to the fullest, family and community volunteering are the qualities that define Molly Shattuck. Molly, a mother of five, became the oldest cheerleader in NFL history, at the age 38. Molly is involved with many organizations, helping to provide basic needs and access to healthy food. For more information, visit www.MollyShattuck.com.
