Eating Well & Feeling Good Through the Holidays

Written by Yvonne Bishop

So far we have passed the first major high calorie celebration:  Halloween.  I hope that with each holiday brings a little more mindfulness to creating a healthier, less stressful environment.  Creating healthy habits that you can use throughout the year come in handy; as you know there is always something standing in your way of eating healthy and skipping your workout…right? It doesn’t have to be that way.  Wouldn’t it be nice to embrace each event with ease and confidence knowing that you will not overindulge and suffer the consequences such as weight gain, or even more importantly fuel the underlying issue causing inflammation?  A couple of tips to stay on track are to start a food journal or monitor your weight on a regular basis.  If you have to record what goes down the hatchet you are more likely to skip those high calorie choices.  It’s important to keep in mind never to let a lapse become a relapse.  Once you start beating yourself up – ‘I’m such a pig, I ate the entire box of cookies’ – there is no energy to do something good and nourishing for yourself.  You must keep away from the self-loathing.    

This kind of planning may sound a little militaristic so do what works best for you to hold yourself accountable.   Remember, if you fail to plan, plan to fail, and the season is a perfect storm for overeating.   If you live in part of the country where it’s daylight savings time you know how early it gets dark.  The darkness and the cold, feelings of depression, increased access to alcohol and food, and the tradition of using the holidays as celebrations – these all make people not want to control themselves.  This is why it’s almost inevitable that people gain weight by eating too much and not exercising over the holidays.

Why is there an assumption that it's OK to treat our bodies badly over the holidays?  In a society plagued by obesity  and diabetes, just to name a few, examining the assumptions around holiday consumption makes sense.  Reasons for over-indulgence is a good place to start; people have to start thinking about how they should prepare and react to this beforehand.  It's important to recognize that whatever positive behaviors and habits they took on in the summer - eating more fruits and vegetables, not eating junky carbs like chips and candy and pastries - can continue into the winter.  These behaviors should be non-negotiable.  If you're already facing a weight problem, drinking and eating more is not good for you, nor is it good for your sleep or cognition the next day.  You need to take an interest in your own health now and in the future and exercise some restraint.

Tip #1  Don't make food the focal point.  Focus on the importance of the gathering, being with friends and family, the ambiance.

Tip #2  Make it fun!  I have attached a recipe of the Rubik's cube I found on TheHealthyRecipes.  Take the time to prepare fun and healthy new dishes.  Hopefully the more time you take preparing for this the slower you'll eat it.

Tip #3  Consider non-food-orientated winter activities:  Host a Cancer Schmancer Party for friends and family (the gift of health truly is the best gift ever). Host a game or talent night or simply gather with others to commemorate a loved relative.

The sky's the limit to what you can do that doesn't involve food.

Thanksgiving is late this year, this means that you have two full weeks to sit in a quiet place and make an action plan on how you will get through the holidays.  I would love to hear some of your strategies!

I hope your enjoy the Rubik's  Cube Recipe

Yours in Health,

Yvonne Bishop

Click here to visit Yvonne's website for information, ideas, and products to stay healthy and to help balance your pH.

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Yvonne is the owner of Essence of Health located in Laguna Beach.  She graduated from the University of Alberta with her degree in Nutrition and Food Science.  Originally from Calgary, this Canadian brings with her over 23 years in the fitness industry working in both corporate and private arenas.  She is very passionate about health and loves sharing that passion with everyone around her. Yvonne's complimentary background in fitness AND nutrition enables her to bring the latest phenomenon's in the industry to her clients, making Essence of Health the most unique studio in Laguna.  Exercise and nutrition is a partnership and by addressing both you get the best results; KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = RESULTS.  Yvonne helps you transform your mindset, body, and life!