Mindful Eating During the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us - a time of year of parties and festive events where indulgence abounds. Celebratory feasts, Christmas baking, fancy cocktails - all of this can feel very overwhelming and lead to feelings of guilt and shame. Mindful eating can help reduce feelings of negativity surrounding food and help you enjoy the season more fully.
Mindful eating allows you to pay more attention to what, when and how you eat while tuning into your body’s hunger and fullness cues. It is based on awareness - being able to pay attention to the thoughts you have around food and how these thoughts can make you feel. Mindful eating allows you to make compassionate decisions around food, and considers the emotional attachment we develop with food.
Here are a few ways you can eat mindfully and compassionately throughout the holiday season:
Enjoy Your Food - Focus on the food on your plate without judgement or self-criticism. Use all of your senses to enjoy the food. If you notice that you are starting to feel shame or guilt in eating a certain food or about your body, breathe deeply and allow the thoughts to pass by without judgement. Imagine they are like clouds passing by. Just be aware that they exist and let them pass.
Stick to a Schedule - Treat holidays as any other day of the year. Stick to your usual eating schedule if you can. Do not skip meals to “save up” for holiday meals or desserts. You do not have to earn your food through exercise either. Make sure to have nourishing meals and snacks throughout the day to keep your blood sugar balanced and energy levels up. This is the best way to avoid over-eating :)
Stay Aware - Try to be intentional about what you choose to eat. This does not mean you should avoid certain foods (unless you have an allergy or sensitivity), but that you plan what you will eat. For example, if you are at a holiday party, you can choose to fill a small plate with your favourite foods rather than grazing at the buffet table. Check in with yourself before you start eating and after you’ve finished your plate. How does the food taste? Do you feel like you need more? How does it feel in your body? Do you feel full and satisfied? Or still hungry? Checking in with yourself helps slow things down, so you can catch you body’s signals and respond accordingly.
Aim for Balance - When eating, try to incorporate protein, fat and fibre to allow for the most balanced meals and snacks. For example, if you are having a bowl of pasta, you can add chicken and roasted veggies to add more protein and fibre. And if you are not able to make this happen at each meal, focus on getting enough nutrients at your next meal. It’s important to give your body the resources it needs to feel its best - and this can be done with meals that are healthy on average. 80/20 rule applies!
“With focus on food during the holidays, there can be a lot of comments about dieting and inaccurate nutritional information being shared among friends and family. Be sure to take care of yourself in these situations and know that eating healthfully may look different for different people.”
Courtney Rae Jones is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. She is also a Culinary Nutrition Expert having completed her certification in alternative & specialized diets through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. She specializes in digestive health and balancing women’s reproductive hormones. Check out Courtney’s website at www.crjnutrition.com.