Feast On A Healthy Thanksgiving Meal

A Thanksgiving feast can easily lead you to eat in excess of 4,000 calories — about double the amount of calories you should usually eat in a day. Not only are most Thanksgiving meals simply too big, they also tend to be to be full of cholesterol-rich saturated fats and low on nutrients.

Some people eat high-cholesterol meals that would fit that description all the time, but the holiday season that Thanksgiving ushers in places folks who normally make an effort to eat healthily at risk as well. Steer clear of the temptation to binge on food, and be responsible.

Anyone hosting a Thanksgiving dinner has a special duty to offer healthy food to their guests as well, I think. Turkey breast in itself is pretty healthy — there is lots of protein and little fat, plus lots of vitamins and minerals. Just make sure you keep it low fat, and you'll be fine. You could also consider bringing plates with portions in from the kitchen, rather than allowing your guests to take as much as they want. If you are going to serve an unhealthy, huge dinner, you may as well consider getting a reanimation kit to go along with it. Remember that the first two hours after the meal are the riskiest!

Avoid Stress

There is no doubt that the holiday season is terribly stressful on a lot of people. There are many reasons for that, including the stress of hosting dinners, the financial strain that goes along with the “happiest time of the year”, and the way in which holidays remind you or your own possibly traumatic childhood.

It is well-established that unusually high stress levels can contribute to your risk of having a heart attack, so finding a stress-relief method that really works for you is definitely very important. Sometimes, simply acknowledging that you are stressed, and talking it over with your partner or a friend will alleviate a lot of the stress. In other cases, eliminating the cause of your stress is the solution. If hosting a Thanksgiving dinner has you trembling, just don't do it. Stay in with just your immediate family instead. If you have long-term issues to work through, see a therapist if possible.

Exercise drives out stress for many people, and regular work-outs also reduce your overall chance of having a heart attack. If you are not currently getting enough physical activity, don't wait for the new year to make a resolution — commit to moving your body for 30 minutes a day right now! Remember, it doesn't have to be "exercise" to be movement. Gardening, walking to the store, doing chores, and chasing your kids around the playground do all count, too.

A Healthy Lifestyle The Rest Of The Year

Age, gender, and family history are some heart attack risk factors that you have no control over. There are many other risk factors that you can be proactive about avoiding — smoking, obesity, high cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and hypertension are all factors that you can influence positively.

Do you have any of the heart attack risk factors I just mentioned? Take this opportunity to make an appointment with your doctor now, and discuss how you can lead a healthier life. Thanksgiving may be a hazard, but eliminating risk factors by living healthily the rest of the year is still the best way to prevent a Thanksgiving heart attack.