It's overwhelming...

The holidays can bring about many emotions and feelings around food, both positive or negative. Can you relate? In December, my clients are sharing an increase in social gatherings, potlucks, office snacks, desserts, and more… not to mention less time for movement and stress management. Such a fun combination for wellness. 

A typical counseling session might be centered around more permission around food and less food rules, leaving clients wondering whether or not you can focus on health while also being diet free. The answer is absolutely, YES!! An anti-diet approach encourages honoring food choices AND declining food choices as needed. Here are a few additional gentle nutrition tips from an anti-diet dietitian to help you with holiday eating. 

On the day of:

1- No skipping breakfast, or fasting till the holiday meal. Did you grow up watching adults do this? I did! The problem with this behavior is that it makes regulating hunger and fullness much more difficult. If you are ravenous before a meal, it will be more challenging to eat mindfully or make a rational decision around food. You will also be more likely to overeat, and feel overly full. Cue the abdominal pain, acid reflux, or desire to nap. 

2- On a similar note, pack snacks with you. There’s nothing worse than planning for lunch at 12pm, then come to find out it will be another 2 hours before eating, so now lunch is at 2pm and you’re STARVING!!! If you have a snack on deck, you can help manage hunger until it’s time to eat. Some non perishable options include trail mix, mixed nuts, apples, or meat sticks.

3- Think about your drinks. Alcohol, sodas, and juices can pack 100-350+ calories per drink. Would you like to drink the calories or eat them? Consider a zero or low calorie option like lemon water, tea, coffee, diet soda, or sparkling waters. 

4- Add fruit and veggies to your plate. Yes, it seems a bit cliche, but these are nutrient dense, and in particular have fiber which can be so helpful in keeping you FULL. You might end up eating less of other things. Some ideas include roasted brussels or broccoli, fruit salad, ‘ulu and kalo stuffing, or sweet potato casserole. 

5- After the holidays, try returning to “normal” nutrition and exercise routines. For example, if you like eating oatmeal for breakfast, start making oatmeal again. The concern with holiday foods comes from extending the holiday meals because most foods are higher in calories, sodium and added sugars, which are delicious but not great for overall health. If you have leftovers, try adding them to nutrient dense options like fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and low fat dairy. Next holiday, aim to have leftovers for a few meals, but don’t plan for leftovers (like making double turkeys or stuffings.) 

Comment below, did you find these suggestions helpful?