Holidays are a time to enjoy family, friends, and of course… food.
It’s a time to celebrate, kick up your heels, and have a little extra this and that.
Grandma’s Christmas cookies may be oh-so-divine, but are they healthy? What about the prime rib, gingerbread men with silver candy buttons, dinner rolls with loads of butter, apple pie – including the crust dusted with sugar, hot chocolate with a pile of whipped cream, and all the other visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads? You catch my drift. Watch the YouTube video below or keep reading to learn what a health coach recommends so you don’t find yourself way off-track.
When it comes time to eat, we can overdo it. Not just on the holiday itself, but we justify eating unhealthy food for entire seasons!
New Year’s day comes along and we set resolutions to make up for it all. Catch my YouTube video here about why you may (naturally) lack motivation in January, why resolutions traditionally fail, and what the winter season is actually calling you to do.
There is no mercy after a period of time of not eating healthy for any of us, my friend. The bathing suit on that warm summer day will reveal what we consistently ate in private.
Let’s be honest, it’s fun to let loose. The thing is, holidays are the time for just that. So, how do you eat and actually stay healthy during the holidays? My answer is: whatever you want, with parameters, on the actual holiday. Hang tight, there’s more to it.
It starts with a bit more context. Having “treats” are what the holidays are for traditionally. However, we do need to keep this in check. Keep reading, as I will provide a list of tips so you do not feel like you are missing out when the pumpkin pie is being passed around.
It starts with a little history lesson. I want you to think back to the time of your ancestors, even just a few generations back. Most people could not afford to eat much more than the basics, if they were fortunate, let alone all year long.
People of the past pinched, saved, and worked so hard to hopefully have one nice meal to share with their family and honor the holiday at hand. It was a big deal to have one pot roast or simply having enough money for sugar which was considered opulent and a real “treat”.
Many people in the world today cannot afford to eat. If you want to help a family in need, I love the Basket Brigade linked here.
Holidays are incredibly special; they are sacred, meaningful, and significant.
With eating, we can take it too far. Instead of reserving opulence for a holiday, we justify eating and drinking like kings and queens every single day. That’s not just what we’re eating, it’s also how much we’re eating…
It’s time to start treating holidays like holidays and all other days we keep in check.
It’s not like we only have one holiday in 365 days of the year. There is a holiday almost every single month (if you celebrate them) and I recommend celebrating them! This doesn’t include birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, special occasions, accomplishments, and a whole host of other special days throughout the year. In other words, it’s not this long imagined dry spell where you can’t treat yourself and still be able to reach or maintain your health goals. You won’t go for days on end without a treat. Unless it’s Lent, that’s another story.
Treat Holidays Like Milestones.
Aim to eat healthy, work out, and keep up your routines without throwing in the towel for an entire season. Each milestone, you’ve earned a day where you can treat yourself. It’s nice to have something to look forward to. One has to have treats here and there to keep on the path to optimal health.
Ideas To Stay On Track During the Holidays:
- Ditch any shame or guilt on the day of the holiday. Let go of the, “Oh, I shouldn’t have that”, “I would hate to look at the scale tomorrow”, and all the other things we say to let everyone know you’re eating something you “shouldn’t”. Just eat it, enjoy it, and stop talking about it already. Let everyone enjoy their choices.
- Enjoy your choice fully. Bring mindfulness in; appreciation for how something tastes and smells, and have gratitude for having more than plenty to eat.
- Bring context into the holiday, beyond food. What other focus does your family have aside from food? Can you dive into the spiritual component? Appreciating time spent with loved ones? Time to unwind, slow down, and relax? What other meaning can you give the holiday besides food?
- Be grateful for the holiday itself. That is likely why the holiday was designed in the first place, way beyond a one-dimensional focus of just food.
- Set parameters. Allow yourself some treats here and there. Don’t eat a whole pie, but maybe have a slice and fully enjoy it without the guilt.
- Imagine eating healthy foods that you really enjoy… Food can be healthy and taste amazing. In fact, it’s often “those dishes” that people will request seconds and thirds. Need inspiration? My site is full of recipes that were designed for health, with Martha Stewart’s standards in mind. Here is a link to my favorite holiday recipes.
- Be a wave of healthy inspiration. How about bringing a healthy dish to the table that knocks everyone’s socks off? Oftentimes, dishes are so good, they have no idea it’s “healthy”.
- This one is important – bring awareness to how you feel after eating whatever you wanted:
- Did it feel good to eat it?
- Did you love it?
- Do you feel bloated, ill, or overly stuffed?
- Just be curious and take note.
- Have zero judgement, rather, have curiosity about how you feel and take note. It is simply information.
- Remove the stigma of allowing yourself one occasion for a treat. Without the stigma, guilt, shame, and negative feelings – will it be such a big deal?
When you remove the guilt or shame from eating, you will feel naturally inclined to eat healthy the days following and get back on track. It’s not forced, it’s something that just calls to you…
Sometimes when we grant ourselves permission to eat what we want, the stigma and attractiveness surrounding “the cheat” releases; it’s not such a big deal anymore.
Enjoy the holidays, but set parameters. It’s easier to stay on track than you think when you have something to look forward to and are able to fully enjoy festive foods, with a sense of deep gratitude.
Wishing you a happy holiday season and remember, there are numerous healthy treats abound as well.
Happy holidays and happy eating!
