I love Thanksgiving – it’s one of my favorite times to gather with family and eat alllllll the delicious food and remember how grateful I am for my life.

Food wise, Thanksgiving can be tricky for a lot of people.

The Good Taste approach I live by and teach is never restrictive, but who wants to feel all bloated, gassy and uncomfortable for a day or more?

No one!

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, there are a few specific yet totally flexible and fun guidelines you can use to make sure you get to truly enjoy all your fav foods AND close out the day feeling light and sexy.

Even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, these tools are super helpful for any celebration or event where food is a big focus.

Here’s my hour-by-hour game plan you can adjust to your own needs . . .

9am – 9:30am

wake up and give myself a 20-minute Reiki treatment in bed; make my bed

9:30am – 10am

eat a protein-rich breakfast of two sunny eggs, baked sweet potato fries, sautéed kale, and a little toast with butter + coffee with coconut milk

IMPORTANT NOTE . . .

a lot of people skip breakfast to “save up” for the big meal – this is a mistake! you’ll be starving by the time you get to turkey dinner and end up overeating and feeling icky

10am – 10:30am

linger with my coffee, breathing and relaxing into my day

10:30am – 11:30am

get moving with some Franklin Method, dance, meditation, yoga, and Kundalini breathwork; I do an intuitive combo that varies day to day; I love letting myself flow with it instead of being rigid in a set routine

11:30am – 12:30pm

check my social media, email, news etc – let myself zone out for a bit! #realtalk

12:30pm – 1:30pm

get dressed for Thanksgiving

1:30pm – 2pm

leave for my sisters! yay

2pm – 3pm

time for bubbly and appetizers!

3pm – 5pm

dinner! breathe deep, chew, slow down, taste, savor, linger, connect <3

5pm – 6pm

dancing! I love that my family dances together. It’s a great way to stay energized and connected after the meal and help out your digestive sytem.

6pm – 7pm

dessert and coffee – mmm; I’m usually pretty satisfied at this point and just have a few bites of my favorites, but I never deprive myself if I do feel like having a whole slice (or two!) of something amazing; I just remember to breathe and chew chew chew to stay in touch with my fullness barometer

THANKSGIVING PLAYLINES

Like fun guidelines 🙂

1. CHEW CHEW CHEW.

If you don’t chew your food until it’s almost liquid, you’ll probably get super bloated and gassy. No fun. Chewing also gives you the time you need to realize you’re satisfied and full.

2. BREATHE.

Deep breaths engage your rest-and-digest system (parasympathetic nervous system) and bring oxygen to your gut so it can digest all the deliciousness and keep you feeling energized.

3. EAT WHAT YOU LOVE, LEAVE THE REST.

Don’t get trapped downing a bunch of food you don’t even really like because your aunt made it and you don’t want her to feel bad.

Fill your plate up with all the foods you love and leave the stuff you’re not a huge fan of on the banquet. It’s all good! This is your body, not a food disposal. Be kind and thankful, but stand up for your own physical needs as well.

4. MOVE.

Take a walk or hike with your family or friends, or have a dance party! This will help you digest all that goodness effectively without getting bogged down and clogged up.

5. TAKE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES AND PROBIOTICS.

These will help with any tummy trouble. I personally don’t take supplements at this point since my gut is in good shape and I know my body so well, but they’re hugely helpful if you’re feeling off in that area.

6. SIP SOME KOMBUCHA THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

It will help you digest your food and the probiotics balance your gut for good elimination. If you replace an alcoholic beverage with kombucha even just a couple times it will help you feel balanced and energized rather than overstuffed and drained.

7. STAY HYDRATED.

Remember to sip water when you’re thirsty throughout the day and drink extra water over the weekend, after the festivities are over.

8. PRIORITIZE SLEEP AND MOVEMENT.

A lot of people have a few days off around Thanksgiving, and this is a really great time to catch up on sleep. Sleep is crucial to staying energized and losing or maintaining weight.

Lack of sleep leaves you feeling groggy and irritated and throws off all your bodily functions, including digestion and metabolism.

Give yourself lots of rest after the big meal, and then wake up naturally and have a nice, energizing workout. Your body will be asking for movement after all that amazing food and sleep. Choose a style of exercise you love (pole dancing for me!) and go do it.

This is nothing intense, just some flex guidelines that will be useful if you want to enjoy all the food & bubbly without feeling bloated and exhausted.

Also, if you want to ignore all this… ROCK ON! I totally support you.

Thanksgiving comes once a year and if you just wanna do your usual thing I support that 100%.

BUT, if you want to indulge in all of your faves and still feel energized and sexy, try out these tools.

Most of all, have fun, whatever you may be up to!

Much love, MWAH!
Lula

Photo: Melina Hammer via @melinahammer on Instagram