Post Thanksgiving “Detox” 

Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, MBA 

 

Your Thanksgiving meal is nothing but a distant memory today; on average we consume 4,500 calories from this one meal alone! Between the appetizers, alcohol, main dish and desserts my guess is you aren’t feeling great.  

Our liver, kidneys and lungs do a great job of detoxifying our bodies from harmful toxins and pollutants; today is about getting rid of the bloated, full feeling you have from overeating. So here we go! 

 

Post-Holiday Detox…

·      Drink Water: Water helps flush out the excess sodium contributing to bloat.

 

·      Exercise: Exercise is completely underrated during the holidays. It’s the best way to control your weight alone with portion control on “non-holiday” days.  Physical activity is also a great way to control stress and anxiety during the holiday season. 

 

·      Eat healthy: Rather than focusing on restriction, focus on fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. Eat like this on a regular basis and you’ll find that days like Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas may have no affect on your weight at all. 

 

Here are some ideas to transform your protein rich left-over turkey: 

·      Turkey & White Bean Soup 

·      Turkey Veggie Stir-fry 

·      Turkey Chili

·      Turkey over mixed greens 

·      And instead of chicken salad, turkey salad on whole grain bread.  

Post-Thanksgiving Turkey “Salad” 

Prep: 10 minutes 

Makes: 6 Serving 

Ingredients: 

·      1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

·      ¼ cup light mayonnaise

·      ¼ cup drained capers

·      ½ diced red onion

·      ½ cup diced celery

·      2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

·      ¼ cup chopped parsley

·      1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

·      1 teaspoon kosher salt

·      1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

·      3 cups shredded Turkey Breast (may sub Rotisserie Chicken)

·      12 slices whole wheat or rye bread

·      1 head Bibb lettuce

Ingredients: 

1.     In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, capers, onion, celery, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add turkey to bowl and toss until evenly combined.

2.     Assemble 6 sandwiches using your favorite bread topped with Turkey Salad and Lettuce!

Nutrition for 1/6  of Turkey Salad Recipe without bread 

170 Calories; 3g Carbs; 7g Fat;  22g Protein; 322mg sodium; 0g fiber