Surviving the Holidays
This time of year, I start being asked, "how do I make it through the holidays?" type of questions. So, here I am about to break off some massive piece of truth.
EAT THE COOKIES!
When it comes to how we process diet culture and understand how food makes us feel, many feel uncomfortable and unsure about sugar. We are uncertain if foods with sugars in them are even "allowed," and the relationship with sugary treats is strained to say the least.
For the most part, the cookies/holiday treats aren't the problem. The problem is our perception and stress and uncertainty that follows these delicious morsels is. The idea that one holiday season with some cookies or your favourite broccoli casserole will do you and your healthy eating in is more damaging than the treats themselves.
I am not passing out get out of jail free cards, so to speak, to forget vegetables that exist. What I am saying is that stressing over enjoying some gingerbread cookies is going to do more damage to your mental health, your digestive well-being and your relationship with food.
When we create rigid rules around which foods are and are not acceptable to eat (sugar, I'm looking at you, pal), we generate an attitude of scarcity. We end up telling ourselves that "If I'm going to start this diet, I better eat all the sugar NOW because I will never be allowed again!" This type of scarcity development creates optimal environments for binge eating, restrictive behaviour, stress, and guilt regarding food.
It is important to remember that food is more than just-food. Food is associated with social interaction, love, stress, happiness, sadness, family, and fuel for day-to-day living. We use food to connect, learn about each other's cultures and upbringing, and share as human beings.
So, why would this be any different during the holidays? If anything, all of the social, cultural and emotional connections we have to the foods we eat end up becoming supercharged during the holidays. Additional meaning is placed on our meals, snacks and cookies, and I think this "supercharge" space is where many of our anxieties end up blasting through the roof. To help you navigate your holiday season and hopefully assist you in finding some stress relief around food, here are some simple tips.
5 Tips to a Healthful and Joyous Holiday Season:
Don't stop eating vegetables. Yes, I get it; there are 20 different cookies, bars, and mixes on display at any given moment, but your body would still enjoy the occasional vegetable. Be conscious of adding some veggie snacks to the mix and choosing some of your favourite vegetable side dishes.
If it isn't that great, don't eat it. This one might sound harsh because maybe your best friend worked hard to make those weird holiday bars, but if you bite in and it isn't as delicious as it looked, or you hoped, you are under no obligation to eat it. No rule says you have to eat something you don't like or aren't loving; this goes for kale too.
Choose things that really "spark some joy." We ALL have those items that we cannot wait to put on our plates and in our bellies during the holiday season; enjoy those things! These are worth it foods, they don't come around often, and when you eat them, they are always satisfying. Of course, abstinence from these foods is always a choice you can make, but in my experience, forcing yourself to stay away from a food you genuinely look forward to every year creates more stress than just eating the item ever would.
Routine can be helpful. Yes, the holidays have us all topsy turvy but as much as possible, stick to most of your routine. If you go to the gym during your lunch hour, try to keep going, keep to your regular bedtime and stick to primarily typical meals. Sprinkle the treats, outings and drinking into your routine; not only will this help you feel less turned around from December to the beginning of January, but it will also help to reduce your overall stress levels.
DRINK WATER! Wine and holiday cheer in the form of liquid is excellent, but it doesn't pack the same punch as a good glass of water. If you need to bring your water bottle around with you everywhere you go, keep sipping it throughout the day. Keep that body hydrated.
So, I am saying enjoy yourself, choose the items you really look forward to and still eat some vegetables and drink some water. I hope these tips help you reduce some stress and anxiety around your food choices this holiday season and afford you some space to relax and enjoy the season.
