Invite good health to your next tailgate party

Tailgating season is here. These gatherings are great opportunities for families and friends to connect over football and delicious food, but they can also be challenging for those living with chronic health conditions like Type-2 diabetes and hypertension.

Traditional cookout dishes are full of saturated fats, sodium, and processed sugars, which can leave us with more than just a full belly. For those with chronic conditions, overconsuming barbecue ribs, potato salad, and other cookout staples can lead to a range of problems from headaches to stroke-like symptoms. If just a cup of potato salad can have over 1300 milligrams of sodium, imagine how a half a plate of it will make you feel (even if you don’t have these illnesses).

As a primary care physician, I frequently see the impact poor food choices have on our overall health. I also see how dietary restrictions can leave people feeling ostracized in their social circles. In fact, lack of support from loved ones is one of the biggest challenges many of my patients have faced in adapting to a healthier lifestyle. Far too often, we view eating healthier foods as a punishment where we must give up things we enjoy. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Instead of skipping tailgating this year, adopt several simple changes to make these events healthier and fun.

Bring back pre-gaming.
Pre-gaming before an event isn’t only for college students on a tight budget; it's a great tactic for saving calories before attending your next barbecue. If you eat a healthy snack or small meal at home before a social gathering, you’re less likely to binge on the first thing you see when you get to the party. Start your next social gathering with a light meal of fruit salad, pasta salad, hummus and cucumbers or other veggies to dip, and mixed nuts.

Be the change you want to see.
One of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure there’s healthy food options at your next tailgating event is to simply bring them yourself. Showing up with a crisp caesar salad, homemade guacamole, your best baked beans, or other dishes made from whole foods will help keep you and your loved ones on your meal plans. Speaking of whole foods, you can make sure your plate satisfies your needs and some of your cravings by letting processed foods like potato chips be the last thing you add to (and eat from) your plate.

Remember: the thirst is real.
Believe it or not, sometimes we eat when we’re actually just thirsty. A 2016 study on the impacts of inadequate hydration found a significant association between inadequate hydration and elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) and inadequate hydration and obesity. Also, research published by the National Library of Medicine finds that sodas, fruit drinks, gourmet coffees, and other drinks that include high intensity sweeteners and fat replacers may impact our learned associations between either hunger or thirst. In other words, drinking plenty of water during your tailgating festivities can keep you hydrated, and might curb your hunger

Don’t forget to wobble, glide, and slide.
Exercise is just as important to our overall health as eating a healthy, balanced diet. Tailgating and other social gatherings are a great opportunity to get in the 150 minutes of exercise we’re recommended to have per week. Line dances, TikTok dance challenges, walks with your loved ones, and other interactive games are some great ways to burn a few calories at your next tailgating event.

Remember, there’s more to hosting a good cookout than providing food, drinks and folding chairs. In addition to creating our guest lists and assigning dishes for the best cooks, we must plan tailgating events that allow us to be both healthy and happy.

Dr. Neema Hooker is a primary care physician based in Charlotte, NC and the founder of Revolutionary Health & Wellness, PLLC, a telemedicine company that focuses on taking a more cooperative approach to fighting obesity and weight-related illnesses.