The holidays shouldn’t be about restriction and white-knuckling it to avoid your favourite holiday foods. But they also don’t need to be a time where you eat everything in sight because you’re planning to embark on some intense diet in the new year. Instead, the holidays are a great time to practice balance. That means eating foods that nourish you and make you feel great, while also having treats that bring you joy and remind you of the holiday season. Here are a few quick tips on how to achieve balance with your eating this holiday season.
1. Make nutritious choices when you can
The holiday season abounds with dinners, parties and gifted treats where you want to be able to truly enjoy those items offered, regardless of how nutritious they are. And you should! To achieve a healthy balance, try to incorporate some nutritious choices along the way where you can. For me that means starting my day with a healthy breakfast such as a green smoothie, snacking on veggies throughout the day and having some of the more nutritious options like salads and roasted vegetables with my holiday dinners. Incorporating these healthy choices will help you feel your best during the holiday season and make those treats you have even more enjoyable!
2. Take the pressure off January
With all the treats around at this time of year, paired with the New Year’s resolution-frenzy that can come up in January, it’s pretty easy to get sucked into the “I’m going to be really healthy in January so I better eat all the food now!” When we do this though we are more likely to overeat, to feel heavy and bloated, and then to get down on ourselves. As soon as you think about the foods you’re going to avoid and how you’re going to restrict in the future, your body will be more prone to overeating because it knows a lack of food is on the way.
Instead, try to follow more of an intuitive eating approach. Be present with and enjoy the food you have in front of you and the company around you. Eat those foods you’re most excited about in a way that honours your hunger and fullness cues to the best of your abilities. And most importantly, be kind to yourself if you happen to eat less-healthy foods or too much food. You don’t need to plan some intense exercise and diet regimen for the new year. It’s just a few days where more unhealthy foods are around you. You can gently work your way towards healthier foods and more movement when you have opportunities throughout the holidays and continue to do so when the holidays are over. The key word here being, “gently”. Being hard on yourself will only lead you towards an all-or-nothing approach that isn’t ideal for your body or your mind. So do your best to stay kind to yourself.
3. Lose the guilt
The holidays are about a lot of things. They’re about joy, generosity, spending time with loved ones, and, yes…. food. Food has been used as a unifier for millennia. The holidays are a time where we get together with friends and family and enjoy a common meal. It’s built into us to crave the unity and bonding that comes from sharing a meal — particularly one that involves comforting, traditional dishes that remind of us wonderful memories we’ve made over the years. There is no need to feel guilty about these foods, to try desperately to avoid them or to berate ourselves when we’ve eaten too much. That is not what the holidays are about! Enjoy those meals you’ve been looking forward to. Enjoy the fact someone made them for you with love. Enjoy that you get to eat with people you care about. Enjoy the smells and flavours. Just enjoy. No guilt. Make those healthy choices when you can and truly enjoy those holiday treats too — that’s what holiday balance is all about.
Bottom line, the holidays are an incredible opportunity to spend time with loved ones and to enjoy some delicious meals. Eat nutritious foods that make you feel great when you can and enjoy some of your favourite treats along the way, 100% guilt-free!
Wishing you very happy holidays!