Thanksgiving Aftermath

While it has been three days since the Thanksgiving holiday, some of us still might feel like we are in a food coma. This past Thursday was all about gathering with family and friends to enjoy delectable foods while celebrating the journey of the Pilgrims to America. The feast accompanied with this day offers wonderful foods such as mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, green bean casseroles, and yams. However, all of these dishes may raise a concern: Is it okay to indulge in these somewhat unhealthy foods for one day?

My answer is: YES, please go for it! This is one day out of the year. I understand that some people are on diet plans or try to closely watch their calorie intake, but to be fair I think this day is viewed as a treat and a celebration, so it is not necessarily bad/unhealthy to make an exception for one day.

Author Cameron English wrote an article on Polymic discussing how indulging on one holiday, Thanksgiving or Christmas, is not what leads to people becoming obese. In fact, he encourages readers "to eat the food we wisely avoid (or should avoid) the rest of the year" not only because it's only one occasion but also because it helps to maintain a healthier diet.

When talking about enjoying these foods, he suggests that," instead of thinking of occasional splurges as lapses in judgment, you treat them as manageable parts of your lifestyle, and you learn to control your eating habits more effectively as a result."

English ends by arguing that it is not these one-time things that contribute to the obesity of Americans, but it's instead their eating habits the other 364 days of the year.

Holiday celebrations are meant to be fun, not something to be dreaded. Don't let the worry of weight-gain take over, but focus on what can change in your eating habits either before or after the holidays.

It is too hard to sit down at a Thanksgiving dinner and stare at all the delicious foods that have been prepared, let yourself and your kids enjoy this day for what it's worth but then be more disciplined in your eating habits on the normal days of the year.