Have a healthy Thanksgiving

Life Extension, a company dedicated to helping clients live better longer, has released a study on the”¯“Healthiest States This Holiday Season,””¯after analyzing eight key metrics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spanning diet, exercise, alcohol intake and mental health in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Connecticut came in at No. 4 behind Utah, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., while New York was No. 13. But even the healthiest among us are facing the holiday challenge, beginning with Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 24. 

Excessive drinking, eating, stress and travel causes more”¯emergency room visits”¯and a 4% increase in cardiac deaths from”¯holiday heart attacks. 

Here are Life Extension”™s three”¯tips for indulging intelligently this holiday season: 

1)”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Swap decadent dishes for healthier versions:”¯Enjoy all the flavors but watch your portion size and make canny substitutions. For example, try oat cookies instead of sugar cookies, or mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. 

2)”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Do not skip the Thanksgiving turkey:”¯”¯Some people stay away from turkey, because they think it makes them tired. This is a myth. It is the overeating and heavy carbs in side dishes that cause the post-meal food coma.”¯Indeed, the”¯tryptophan in turkey”¯offers multiple health benefits, particularly when it comes to improving your mood. ”¯  

3)”¯”¯”¯”¯”¯Do not eat your emotions:”¯Spending time with family on Thanksgiving can be stressful, which leads to overeating. To offset culinary excess, exercise regularly and eat healthy snacks throughout the day.