The holiday season is upon us and now we are faced with all the celebratory treats, meals, drinks and traditions that seem impossible to avoid. You've been consistent all year with a balanced lifestyle of exercise and nutrition to feel better, only to suddenly deal with all the food related emotions that comes with the holidays. We've all been through it. Cookie exchanges are tradition and you always take home more than you brought; Grandma always has enough food to feed 6 families and will be offended if you don't dig into the ham followed by heavy cream mashed potatoes and pecan pie. And then your emotions come into play that if you don't participate in all the joys of the season just to stick to your healthy habits you will miss out and have to wait a whole year to do it again!
Why not enjoy the holidays with family and friends while staying true to your own food & lifestyle values? I say you need to be willing to give and take, learn to say yes or no and have a plan. I always get through the holidays enjoying the good spirits with food and company, but never make it my mission to set unrealistic expectations. Since food is often the center around our holiday traditions it makes it impossible to avoid all together and can also come across as being distrustful to others who want you to be involved.
Here are my tips on how to cope with the food bonding traditions we participate in each holiday season.
1. Be true to yourself! Eat foods that please you and makes you satisfied. It's not about socially meeting others expectations, but making yourself comfortable with your decisions.
2. Tone down your expectations! You need to accept the fact that this is a special time of year with respect to foods and celebrations. You need to bend the rules just a little. If you know there is a party on Thursday night and a cookie exchange on Sunday stay true to your healthy habits the remainder of the week. Why torture yourself with guilt of indulging on a few fun traditions when you maintain a healthy balance 80% of the time.
3. Eat, Enjoy and Be Merry! I love to be social at the holidays and enjoy the festivities of the season. Who doesn't love getting dressed up in their favorite holiday wardrobe, drink a few glasses of wine and sample a few cookies? Be mindful of your choices, only pick the things you REALLY love to eat and drink and never binge! It's not the oh what the heck approach, but being conscious of what you really want.
Happy Holiday and be strong, be fit, be a better YOU!
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