Get your turkey day on, but feast wisely

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Before you dig in, get the scoop on overindulgence.

Posted November 16, 2020

This year, Thanksgiving will be different. Make no mistake about that. Instead of large family gatherings, some will be opting for more intimate affairs, while others may choose to stay huddled at home. Regardless of what you do this Thanksgiving, we hope that the holiday marks a bright spot in 2020.

However, there is a fine line between celebrating and overindulging. For this month’s Health and Safety feature, we’ve put together a guide that will help you make smart choices.

Here are our tips:

Breakfast is your buddy: Whoever coined the phrase, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” clearly didn’t have Thanksgiving Day in mind. However, it’s in your best interest to start the day with a few bites if you don’t want to overindulge. In other words, eat a small, healthy breakfast and give your body a little fuel, so you aren’t full-on famished when you step up to the table and embark on a four-helpings dive into turkey, stuffing, gravy, and the casserole triumvirate of Turkey Day: green bean, sweet potato, and broccoli.

Take a walk before you feast … and after: A little exercise every day does the body good, whether you’re getting in your steps or hitting the trails on a mountain bike. Thanksgiving is no different. A bit of exercise before and after your big meal will reduce the fat in your blood and help keep your blood sugar from spiking, according to ABC News. A bit of post-meal physical activity may also prevent you from taking the infamous – or is that celebrated? – Thanksgiving Day nap. (P.S. You can still take one. You just won’t have to.)

Find ways to sidestep salt: The American Heart Association wants you to have a great Turkey Day. And they want you to have another great one next year and the year after that and the year after that. To help make that happen, AHA has put together a few heart-healthy tips for Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Night, and Post-Thanksgiving Day dining:

Chose herbs and spices over salt to add flavor.
Use vinegar, citrus, or dried fruit to brighten up dishes.
If you can’t make your own broth, buy prepackaged low-sodium broth.
Canned beans are loaded with salt, so rinse them off before using. (On a related note: Stick with the homemade dishes. Premade dishes are often loaded with salt, sugar, or fat.)

Dr. Smaller Portions — or How I learned to love vegetables: Between all the meats, sweets, and stick-to-your-ribs eats, it’s easy to load up on the A-Ticket dishes. But if you start off with the veg-heavy sides and follow up with smaller portions of the fattier, saltier, gravy-covered items, you’re less likely to overindulge.

Stay hydrated: Water is your friend. Make sure you drink it.

Reason No. 1: Your body sometimes mistakes the need for water as a need to eat more. Reason No. 2: Water helps you digest your food. Oh … and go easy on the hard stuff. But you already know that.

Don’t beat yourself up: This is Thanksgiving, and we’re all expected to splurge a little. That’s kind of the point. So, if you break your diet, just relax. This is a once-a-year experience. And most of all, be thankful.

SynTerra is serious about the safety of individuals and teams. If you need assistance with the various components of a safe workplace (safety programs, hazard assessments, PPE selection, or training), contact Paul Tarquinio to see how SynTerra can help.

Kathy Webb, P.G.

Senior Market Leader | Principal

Kathy, a founder of SynTerra (previously The Fletcher Group) in 1992, has completed remedial investigations and regulatory compliance projects associated with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities, state and federal Superfund sites, solid waste landfills, brownfield redevelopment, utility coal combustion residual (CCR) management units, and regulated industrial facilities. She has supported litigation as an expert witness related to chlorinated solvents, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Kathy is known for her practical assessment strategy with the perspective of the client’s business objectives. She routinely evaluates groundwater corrective action systems for effectiveness and progress toward achieving compliance objectives. She has also co-authored a trade journal paper with case studies of low-impact remedial strategies. Kathy is a licensed Professional Geologist in North and South Carolina.

Mark Taylor, P.G.

Principal

Mark has worked more than 40 years in natural-resource based industries. His expertise includes mine geology and mine engineering, hydrogeologic and geotechnical investigations, solid and hazardous waste management, and regulatory negotiations. He has published peer-reviewed papers about coal geology, ore geochemistry, mineralogy, and solid waste management. He is a leading expert in mining and environmental permitting for litigation support.

Mark is licensed as a Professional Geologist in South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Washington. He serves on the boards of the Upstate Red Cross and Upstate Forever. He served on the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists for six years. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Geological Sciences from The University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Science from Harvard University.

Andrea Kehn, P.E.

Vice President of Engineering | Principal

Andrea, leader of our Civil & Environmental Engineering Business Unit, has 28 years of experience in chemical manufacturing and environmental consulting. She leads and supervises staff professionals on multidisciplinary projects for a variety of industrial clients. Andrea’s vast experience and expertise includes: air quality construction and operating permitting; air quality modeling; air permit record-keeping and reporting; Oil Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP); NPDES Permitting; water quality modeling; process safety management; risk management compliance and auditing; and RCRA compliance.

Andrea is registered as a Professional Engineer in South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Ruth Albright, P.E.

Vice President | Principal

Ruth has led projects for major industrial facilities throughout the Southeast and beyond. She built her knowledge of environmental regulations and their application to manufacturing operations while working for the second largest chemical manufacturing company in the United States. At SynTerra, she has expanded both her knowledge and reputation working for chemical manufacturing operations of all sizes. She has also worked extensively with other manufacturing operations, including pulp and paper, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, food, and automotive parts and assembly. Her experience includes air and wastewater permit compliance, solid and hazardous waste management, solid waste construction permitting, hazardous materials transportation, wastewater treatment systems, air pollution control equipment operations and maintenance, and ambient air monitoring systems.

Ruth is a professional engineer registered in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Michigan, Arkansas, and Kentucky. She is an active member of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Environmental Technical Committee and serves as the chair of the water subcommittee. She has previously served as the program and committee chair for the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce Environmental Affairs committee. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.