Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 

Thanksgiving is a time to surround yourself with loved ones, indulge in delicious food and be thankful. To avoid overindulgence, feeling uncomfortable for hours after eating and remain stress free, use these tips to take control of Thanksgiving. 

Don't forget some exercise this Thanksgiving. Whether it's in the morning or in the afternoon your body will appreciate it. Try taking a walk in the morning before all the madness begins or do an after dinner walk with your family or a friends. Either way make time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Since Minnesota can be quite chilly this time of year, make sure to bundle up and dress appropriately. 

Eat breakfast. Fasting in order to save room for Thanksgiving dinner can lead to overeating. Hydrate to dominate. Check in with yourself throughout the day and make sure you are staying hydrated. Don't go crazy with appetizers! Make sure the appetizers you are eating are in moderation. This ensures that you have enough room for dinner! Also try using a smaller plate, this helps with portion control and avoiding over eating. Try chewing slowly and listening to your body when it is full. Wait a minute or so before going up for seconds to let your body tell you when enough is enough. Don't stress over food. It is Thanksgiving and it is okay to indulge yourself every once in a while but if you do indulge, don't punish yourself. 

Lastly, enjoy yourself! We all know the holidays can be stressful but they don't have to be that way. Anytime you are feeling a little too stressed take a step back, take some deep breaths and remind yourself what the holidays are really about. Make sure to give yourself enough time. No one likes to rush. Plan out what you want your morning to look like and try to stick to that schedule. Also get enough sleep the night before. Enough sleep will not only help control your appetite on Thanksgiving but also ensure you have enough energy to last the whole day! Finally, enjoy meaningful conversations and interactions with friends and family you don't see every day. Enjoy your time with your friends and family and be grateful. 

To learn more ways to keep your family healthy and happy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.

Sources: 

https://greatist.com/health/fit-healthy-thanksgiving-tips

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-tips-for-a-healthy-thanksgiving_us_5a0f4753e4b0e30a958506bb

Benefits of Yoga

With the holidays just around the corner, this time of year can be stressful. With events for family and friends every weekend until January it can be hard to find time to decompress. Make time for yourself this holiday season and give yoga a try! 

Yoga has significant physical and mental health benefits. Some of the physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility and balance, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration and increased energy. All of these things can help reduce the risk of falls in the elderly. Yoga can also help with weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health and improved athletic performance. According to health line, studies show that yoga may reduce inflammatory markers in the body and help prevent pro-inflammatory diseases. Health line also says that in combination with a healthy lifestyle, yoga may help decrease the risk of heart disease.

In addition to all the wonderful physical benefits that yoga offers there are substantial mental benefits as well. Yoga is a great way to manage stress. The American Osteopathic Association says that “Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate,” says Dr. Nevins. “Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook on life”. Yoga has been shown to ease stress and lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Several other studies have also shown that yoga is a safe and effective way to relieve anxiety, depression and promote healthy sleep patterns. 

So if this holiday season you are feeling a little stressed give yoga a try! To find out more ways to keep your family healthy and happy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A. 

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section8

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/

How to Cut the Stress and Calories During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a day filled with friends, family, fun, and (of course) food!  While the traditions of Thanksgiving may vary from gathering to gathering, the over-abundance is a staple of this yearly feast.  So here are a few tips to help you to indulge while being mindful of healthy eating habits and keeping your stress levels low.

1.  Skip the Apps

The pre-meal munchies and appetizers are tempting, but devastating to anyone looking to keep a moderate calorie count.  Chips, dips, and finger foods may be yummy, but when added to the massive meal that generally comes with Thanksgiving, they are just extra calories that could be better consumed with holiday foods.

2.  Downsize the Turkey to a Chicken

Not only is a whole chicken easier and quicker to cook than a turkey.  This can help keep you from getting frazzled in the kitchen and leave you to enjoy the holiday rather than be stuck by the oven.

3.  Make your Dressing from Scratch

Skip the boxed stuffings and bring in the fresh veggies.  By doing it yourself, you can add in a lot more nutritionally sound ingredients to this Thanksgiving staple and reduce the excess salt that is often in the boxed stuff.  Also, you can prepare this the day before so all you have to do is cook it quick, like you would with boxed stuffing, giving you fresh, homemade dressing without the stress.

4.  Make Cranberries from Scratch

Like above, doing it yourself will help you cut out excess sugars and let you add in some yummy flair that will make your cranberry sauce unique.  While this might add some work to your preparations, it generally can be prepared the night before.

5.  Skip the Dinner Rolls!

Unless it's grandma's fresh baked bread, or Uncle Steve's famous rolls, skip the bread.  Thanksgiving is a meal filled with carbohydrates.  Skipping the bread will allow you to enjoy the other delicious carbs and starches, like potatoes, yams, and corn.

6.  Make it Fresh

While green bean casserole may be a classic, plain green beans with some light seasoning is just as yummy and not as heavy in calories.  Or, if you're feeling adventurous, substitute in a fresh salad with Thanksgiving favorites like cranberries, pecans, and other fall foods instead of that tired ol' bean dish.

7.  Stick with the Pumpkin Pie

It's a trademark of the holiday, so why stray?  While some jazzy, new flavor of pie may be tempting, the Thanksgiving classic is generally lower in calories than many berry alternatives.  It's also easier to cut into smaller slices for the just the perfect cap at the end of an epic meal.

Source:  http://www.healthy-diet-habits.com/thanksgiving.html