Traditions are an important part of life as they add sentiment and strengthen emotional bonds between family and friends. Here are some ideas of how to create lasting memories through healthy-minded Thanksgiving traditions.
Did you know?
Holiday traditions can be a means of enhancing personal, social, and mental well-being. Traditions can bring even the most distant relatives together and can help to create lasting memories.
1. Make a Healthy Breakfast
Don’t starve yourself on Thanksgiving morning. According to Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN, LD, it may seem like a great idea to skip breakfast and “save” calories for the
main Thanksgiving meal. But skipping breakfast can negatively affect mood and make you feel ravenous. Properly nourish your body throughout the day to help you listen to hunger and fullness cues and to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving.
Try out Pumpkin Oatmeal or Egg Muffin Cups for a balanced Thanksgiving breakfast.
2. Spring into a Morning Race
Many communities across the United States hold a Thanksgiving race near or on Thanksgiving Day. Find a race near you, organize your own, or find another fun way to be physically active while the turkey is cooking.
Other ideas for physical activity include coordinating a pickleball or basketball
tournament (indoor at a facility, or outdoor as weather permits), playing flag football, taking a morning hike, or biking on a local path.
3. Take an Evening Stroll
Did you know that taking a short walk within a 60–90-minute window after a large meal has been shown to significantly help the body to control blood glucose and insulin levels?
Make it a tradition to take a family fall stroll after enjoying this delicious Thanksgiving meal!
4. Connect with Core Values
This Thanksgiving, be sure to make space to reflect on why it’s important for your family to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Center traditions this Thanksgiving, and throughout the holiday season, on the values that make these celebrations meaningful and motivate us all to come closer together.
