The day after Thanksgiving is typically called Black Friday by retailers – the day that many businesses use to pull themselves into “the black.” It is a day that many of us rise early, stand in long lines, and shop until we drop. We usually don’t get enough sleep, eat on the run and the only exercise that we experience is shoving past other shoppers to be the first to get a deeply discounted television set. How can we make sure that we don’t lose our healthy habits on this first and biggest official shopping day?
Make sure that you begin the day before, with Thanksgiving. Eat sensibly. After your big meal, engage in light exercise – maybe a walk with your family after dinner, or challenge your spouse to a Wii fitness show down. If you plan to rise before dawn to get the the shops early, be certain to plan for an earlier than normal bedtime. Count backwards to see when you need to go to sleep in order to obtain at least seven hours of sleep. Eat a healthy, low-fat breakfast – perhaps a bowl of oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts, or a fruit smoothie. (more…)
