Staying Out Of The Emergency Room This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has become a national day of celebration and excess, but if people were to act more like the founding fathers we might actually live longer; in America this is in November, while Canada observes it in October.

As Americans are headed off to visit with friends and family for what will for some be massive feasts perhaps this may be a good time to do a small review of fasting. The amount of food that is consumed at this time of year is rather staggering, in fact, the American Council on Fitness estimates that the average American will consume 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat. A 160-pound man would have to run for 4 hours, swim for 5 hours, or walk 30 miles to burn off these calories, that is if he can stay awake from all the turkey-induced sleeping magic. 

Tips for staying out of the emergency room:

Taking some simple precautions can help keep you and your family healthy over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to emergency medicine experts. A few simple steps could help to avoid preventable injury or illness and go a long way toward ensuring a safe and happy holiday.

First, if you are cooking, follow food safety guidelines and “Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill”

Plan out your meals, and don’t rush yourself to avoid cutting injuries that can happen when rushed or slicing too quickly. 

If you are not cooking and have allergies, be sure to ask about the ingredients and how the meal was prepared to be safe. 

Ask for help if needed, and don’t try to do too many things at once which is another cause of accidents, including fires as well as burnt food.

Be sure to bend at the knees when lifting heavy objects to avoid muscle strain and back injuries.

If your family is like mine, sports will be part of the gathering. Make sure that everyone stretches first and avoids overexertion when trying to one-up each other. It is also important to dress appropriately when outdoors to prevent frostbite or hypothermia. 

Drinking alcohol is another thing to take into consideration, as no one wants to hear of a D.U.I., traffic accident, or a tumble down the stairs. Keep an eye on how much your guests are drinking, and don’t be afraid to cut them off if you think they need to be. Keep stairs and walkways free of clutter to help prevent footing mishaps. Make sure that there are designated drivers or that drinkers have arrangements made for a lift home from someone who hasn’t been drinking. 

Normally most people can multitask, but during holidays such as Thanksgiving which is one of the busiest days in many emergency departments, distractions at this time are common and can prove to be costly. Multi-tasking, distractions, and poor decisions can send just about anyone to the E.R. If an accident or emergency does occur, please don’t ignore it or put it off, while it may seem more convenient at that time to delay the E.R trip it also can pose serious health risks. 

Though there may be nothing wrong with giving thanks and being grateful for what you are fortunate enough to have, most people forget that this day which has been turned into a day of excess is the polar opposite of what it once was, and the truth of the history behind it. When this day was celebrated by 17th Century Americans this day was originally a day of fasting, meditation, and worship, as well as serving as a replacement for the Roman Catholic holidays such as Christmas and Easter which Puritans rejected. 

As opposed to the excess of today’s celebrations the original 17th-century version of Thanksgiving may not sound as much fun, but fasting does have some significant medical benefits that can help to improve your overall health and support longevity. 

Perhaps as everyone heads off to stuff themselves with a gobble day dinner it may be worth keeping in mind that the original pilgrims had a point, at least from a health and longevity point of view in regard to fasting. Ironically, the world’s oldest turkey named Dinner was able to dodge off his namesake for 16 years in a row, certainly the animals would likely have a longer lifespan as well. 

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