Happy Holidays y’all! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year and we hope that you get to spend time with loved ones and share some joy.
We know that holidays can also be hard for various reasons, one being the food!
Do you struggle with binge eating sweets or food, where you just have to eat everything? Or do you struggle letting yourself eat any of the sweets or other foods?
Good news, you’re not alone! Here is a guide to help you navigate the holidays when it comes to nutrition.
First, let’s talk about what typically happens when people struggle with nutrition around the holidays…the “all or nothing” mindset.
1. Zero restrictions/care
- This is the “all” portion, where people pay no attention to what they are eating, almost losing touch with themselves in the process.
- Common outcomes are eating until you feel sick, eating in such excess that weight gain does occur, or eating so many foods you don’t normally eat that you feel guilty, sluggish, and just not good.
2. Total restriction
- This is the “nothing” portion, where such strict guidelines are put on nutrition. No sweets, no “unhealthy” foods, no alcohol, nothing out of the ordinary.
- Common outcomes are people questioning you, most likely thinking about what you want to eat, and probably not fully enjoying the present moment.
The all or nothing mindset is not always the best option. However, there are specific instances where it might not be as harmful for someone to pick either of the options. Those instances being: you have a competition or performance coming up close after the holidays are over where you need to be very aware of what you put in your body. The other side, you just had a competition or performance and you need time off of worrying about what you are putting into your body.
Now that we covered the polar opposites that are also presented to you on social media by fear-mongering…
Let’s talk about what you can do to navigate holiday eating!
1. Be mindful and aware
- Pay attention to what you are eating! All the appetizers, the self-serving dinners, the desserts, the alcohol. Holidays are celebrations, and feasts usually surround celebrations. We normally don’t know what everyone is bringing, and we naturally want to try everything. Which is great if we are mindful of what we are eating! If we aren’t, we might go overboard and not feel so great afterwards.
2. Be mindful and aware
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- While these celebrations and feasts usually last all day or night, do your best to plan what you eat and when you eat.
- What we mean by that is still have a balanced plate for meals, and try to spread out the snacks or other appetizers.
- Balanced plate: prioritizing protein, plenty of veggies, and some carbohydrates (that do taste the best around holidays). What about fats??? More than likely, the cooking of the meals has covered that fat intake for you!
3.Desserts!
- Here lies the trickiest part! Allow yourself to have a dessert and to enjoy it without eating all of the desserts. My best advice is to only eat dessert on the actual celebration days. (i.e. Christmas day, Thanksgiving day, new years eve, etc). Usually there are leftovers or mom is making various different desserts, but try to stay away from them until the day comes! This allows us to enjoy the sweets while still having boundaries so we don’t go overboard.
4. Alcohol
- As always, please be safe if you are drinking! Holidays come with a lot of cheer, but we still need to be cautious when it comes to alcohol.
- Try to pair your beverage with a glass of water, going back and forth between the two. Staying hydrated is incredibly important during the holiday season!
The truth about nutrition during the holidays comes down to one thing…
Make the best choice you can, where you are, with what you have.
You don’t have to be perfect! Be present, enjoy the season, and give yourself grace and pep talks along the way.
While this wasn’t a “step by step” or an “exact how to” guide (because those rarely work when it comes to nutrition), we hope that this helps you navigate the holidays and be more aware of your nutrition!
