![\"strip2-thanksgiving-2013\"](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/strip2-thanksgiving-2013.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nDuffy\u2019s research takes her into the realm of food sensations, enjoyment, and satisfaction, the result of which is termed satiety \u2013 or that feeling of fullness and contentment we experience after eating. But, she says, it\u2019s not just a matter of how much or how often we eat.<\/p>\n
\u201cSatiety is an extremely complex phenomena involving communication between the intestinal tract and the brain,\u201d Duffy says. \u201cOn festive days such as Thanksgiving, the tendency to \u2018gobble\u2019 our food is what gets us into trouble from overeating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her advice: Slow down and savor what we eat, and allow time for chemical signals to reach the brain to tell us when we are full.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo much variety in the meal, including appetizers, can also cause overeating,\u201d she adds. \u201cKeep it simple, and \u2013 like packing for a trip \u2013 cut down on the number of things packed onto dinner plates. Humans have a biological drive for sweets, so pay attention to the sensory cues you receive during the meal in order to save room for dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ignore the distractions<\/b><\/p>\n
Ronald Sabatelli, professor and head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Dennis Pierce, director of Dining Services, agree that it’s important to slow down and enjoy the experience.<\/p>\n
Sabatelli says that traditional celebrations such as Thanksgiving provide multiple benefits, as we gather with family and friends to enjoy a meal.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver time,\u201d he says, \u201cwe have lost the habit of gathering as a family to enjoy an evening meal. Years ago, it was common to go to our grandparents\u2019 house on a Sunday, where we would eat a meal with our relatives and the kids would get to play with their cousins. That doesn\u2019t happen much anymore. So when it comes to a time like Thanksgiving, we have to create our traditions and rituals, we have to put aside the distractions of daily life, and we have to enjoy ourselves \u2013 and that includes enjoying mealtime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Enjoy!<\/b><\/p>\n
Pierce adds that while it\u2019s necessary to respect dietary restrictions and food preferences, holiday meals give us a chance to really enjoy what we\u2019re eating. \u201cOn these special family days, we really need to let go and indulge ourselves as much as we can,\u201d he says. “We need to enjoy what we\u2019re eating and who we\u2019re eating it with.<\/p>\n
One thing that sometimes makes Thanksgiving and other holiday meals seem like a chore is the high level of expectation people bring to the table. Pierce says meal preparation doesn\u2019t have to be complicated to be enjoyable, and he cites popular cooking trends such as soaking a turkey in brine before cooking \u2013 he says it\u2019s a foolproof way to seal in taste while assuring the meat will be moist \u2013 and the current popularity of kale as a versatile and tasty vegetable.<\/p>\n