What To Do After Mrs. Russell’s Thanksgiving Dinner

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

How long should you walk, run, or exercise after you eat a heavy holiday dinner prepared by a cook who used recipes from some of  the nation’s first Black cookbooks?

This means how long should you start moving around after you enjoyed platters spread with ham, turkey, roast beef and oysters? Don’t forget you also enjoyed overflowing side dishes stuffed with macaroni and cheese, stuffing, gravy, potato salad, green beans, and deviled eggs?

Should you immediately exercise or wait, after you just enjoyed desserts such as French lady cake, lemon puffs, ginger drop cake, boiled berry pudding? Many of these recipes are included in the nation’s first Black cookbook written by Malinda Russell in 1866 and republished in February 2025.

Russell was a free Black woman who grew up in East Tennessee and moved to Lynchburg, Va. then relocated from Lynchburg to Michigan. Her book is titled, “A Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen.” It showcases complex Black and Southern dishes. It contains 265 recipes.

Copies of Russell’s first cookbook were destroyed in the famous 1866 fire in Paw Paw, Michigan. The fire largely destroyed the village. Decades later, in the early 2000s, a copy was discovered at the bottom of a box of books by culinary historian Janice Bluestein Longone, who donated it as part of an extensive archive of cookbooks now stored at the University of Michigan.  Russell’s cookbook is now available for free online through open access and in book form on Amazon.

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If you dine on cuisine from Mrs. Russell’s cookbook, experts say you should first stop eating – even when you are surrounded by food.

But, wait one to two hours before exercising. This allows your body to digest the food properly and helps prevent issues like cramping, nausea, or sluggishness during your workout.

It’s better to do some gentle movements that can feel comfortable even with a full belly such as walking or slow biking – something that doesn’t put too much strain on your stomach. Avoid high-intensity movement after a particularly large or heavy meal.

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Next, hydrate. “While you might feel as though you never want to eat another bite or drink another drop,” stay hydrated, said wellness dietitian Lindsey Wohlford. You will feel better if you are hydrated.

Sipping water after a large meal can keep you hydrated, and extra fluids can help with digestion and prevent constipation. Additionally, she said herbal teas like mint and ginger can soothe an upset stomach and help with indigestion.

The point is you will need to move around after you enjoy a tasteful holiday dinner prepared from recipes in Russell’s trailblazing cookbook. 

Just remember, you will need to keep it moving.