A Health-Oriented Mindset for the Holidays
Written By: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)
For many people the next several weeks will be full of socializing at parties, celebrations, and events, which will include a lot of festive foods and drinks. For some, these events may not be the happiest of times or may bring anxiety or tension when surrounded by certain family members and friends. When challenges arise some people use emotional eating to cope and reach for food to comfort – this is especially challenging during the holidays with the abundance of sweets and treats at one’s fingertips.
Overeating and gaining a little weight is common during this time, but you can enter this time with a positive mindset and strategies to take care of yourself. Managing one’s intake and blood sugar through non-holidays times is difficult enough; consider using this time to recommit to a health-oriented mindset. Some may even use it to launch into new behaviors and patterns ahead of the new year. This could mean setting a goal to maintain or even lose weight or to just feel healthy and rested during the holidays. There are endless goals that you can choose just be sure that they are specific and achievable. These may also be goals that help take the focus off food and place it on relationships, gratitude, exercise, and sleep.
From a nutritional perspective, there are several things you can do to prepare for events you are going to. Go in with a plan on how much you are going to eat (and drink) ahead of time and stick to the plan. This means you can and should eat your favorite foods – having a plan will reduce guilt and avoid triggers to overeat. For example, you may choose to have one plate of food and one dessert or to enjoy two appetizers from a passed tray at a party. Be sure to bring a nutritious dish to an event so you can count on it as a healthy choice; it Is likely that others will be thankful for your contribution as well. Making this plan ahead of time will help you limit how much you eat and will make you choose what you really want to eat instead of randomly sampling foods.
Too often people skip meals throughout the day and show up to festivities hungry and end up overeating. It is especially important to stick to your meal and snack schedule throughout the day to avoid showing up to a party overly hungry. If the party is later than you would usually eat, a healthy snack prior might actually set you up for success. This may be something like a piece of fruit and some nuts, or some veggies with hummus. If you are someone who loves a buffet, a strategy may be to fill your plate and move away from the buffet table. If hanging around the kitchen in close proximity to calorie-dense foods leads you to overeat, be aware of how the environment is influencing your eating behavior. Some people may limit their holiday treats to eating out and avoid storing tempting foods in their home for this reason. When given decadent food gifts that do not fit in with your plan, consider taking them to work or other events to share instead of keeping them in sight.
When making choices, try to keep some balance on your plate with a quarter of the plate containing some protein (meat/beans/nuts), half the plate with vegetables, and a small amount of grains/bread/potatoes. Ideally you can use mealtimes to connect with others. This will not only build relationships, it will also help you take breaks between bites so you don’t eat too quickly. If you would like to have dessert, choose the dessert that you love and leave the others. While you may be striving for balance and achieving your goals, be aware of family and friends who are “food pushers” and will continue offering food when you are full. Have some responsesready if you think this may be an obstacle. It could be a simple response such as “No thank you” or maybe even “This was amazing, but since I am full I would be happy to take some leftovers home”.
Activity and sleep are important factors as well and can impact some of the food choices we have discussed. Getting enough quality sleep can help regulate hunger hormones and even improve dietary decision making. Sleep deprivation can interfere with these hunger and fullness cues. Being sleep deprived will increase the cravings for high-fat, high-sugar, and high- salt foods. These foods are everywhere and may contribute to side effects such as headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and weight gain among other things. Less nutritious dietary choices coupled with existing symptoms may work double- time at making you not feel well. Be aware that consuming caffeine and/or alcohol close to sleep time may have a negative impact. If you are going to drink alcohol, remember that liquid calories add up fast and will not necessarily fill you up.
Limit how much you consume to avoid a hangover and the influence it may have on your decision to overeat junk food. Be sure to eat before consuming alcohol to slow the absorption of alcohol and alternate with a glass of water. Aim to stay hydrated by consuming approximately half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim to drink 90 ounces of water per day. Even mild dehydration can resemble symptoms of hunger. During this busy time be sure to add opportunities to move/exercise to your calendar, set reminders, and maybe recruit a friend to attend a fitness class or go for a walk with you for accountability. Scheduling activity in the morning will give you some control over your schedule and get you out and about during times of natural sunlight. Another way to add some activity to the season is to schedule a family walk or stroll or some kind of activity that keeps everyone moving!
One way to stay attuned to what your body needs is to schedule some self-care practices. These should be some practical and sustainable items to help you keep your sanity and reduce stress and not add to it! This may include personal quiet time, journaling, listening to music, taking a bath, enjoying nature, or going on a short walk. These self-care items can be used to stay calm during a time of stress and schedule overload instead of using convenient calorie dense foods for comfort. Implementing a health promoting mindset and lifestyle now may actually help balance out stress hormones and allow you to relax and enjoy the season while setting the stage for the new year ahead.