How to Stay Healthy During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can mean traveling to spend time with family and friends or it can mean over-indulging in food and drink or it can even mean putting yourself into crowded situations like shopping the sales on black-Friday. Many things you do around the Thanksgiving holiday can put you at risk taking part in unhealthy behaviors. With a little bit of effort, you can keep yourself healthy over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hand i-wipes
• Awareness of situations
• Vitamins
• Water
• Sleep
• Nutritious foods

1. Preparation of food is one of the most important Thanksgiving things that can make you sick. In order to stay healthy make sure you prepare food, especially turkey, safely. The internal temperature of turkey must reach 165 degrees to make sure it is fully cooked. DO NOT cook turkey at a low temperature (anything below 325 degrees) overnight. For instance, if you cook your turkey for 24 hours at a low temperature of 185 degrees, it will only promote bacteria growth and make everyone who eats that turkey very ill. When handling raw turkey, wash hands and surfaces thoroughly before handling other food items. Cross-contamination can be a breeding ground for food-borne illnesses. You can always go to the USDA's website for cooking and safety tips.

2. Store left-over turkey in the freezer if you are unsure it will be eaten within two or three days after Thanksgiving. Cooked turkey can spoil rather quickly if not eaten within a few days. Also make sure that you do not keep the cooked turkey out in the open, unrefrigerated for longer than an hour or two. If the turkey has been left out for too long, throw it out. It is better to be safe than end up in the emergency room with a severe case of food poisoning.

3. Do not overindulge or binge on Thanksgiving. This can be hard to resist with all the home-made, delicious foods floating around. Instead pick just a few of your favorites and eat small portions. Do not eat until you are full. You will feel much better without the food hangover the next day. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and don't forget to take your multi-vitamin.

4. Travel with care, whether it is driving or flying. Do not drink and drive under any circumstance. If traveling by plane, make sure to take lots of disinfectant wipes. Do not drink alcohol on the plane as it can be dehydrating and impact your immune system. Instead drink lots of water and eat healthy snacks along the way. Also limit your caffeine intake and stay away from fast foods.

5. Stay away from crowded places like shopping malls to prevent getting sick. Instead order gifts online or go to the malls very early or very late in the evenings when there are less crowds. Do not take small children, especially newborns, out to crowded places as they do not have the immunity to many diseases like adults do.

Tips & Warnings

• Drink plenty of water
• Take your vitamins
• Stay away from crowded, confined places
• Prepare food safely

[JenWrtr]

on 11/25/2009 I completely agree, I think many of us just overindulge and go out into crowds and then end up getting really sick! Better to just stick to a routine and keep yourself and family completely healthy!!!