Here’s how to have a healthy relationship with food over the holidays
It’s no secret that the festive season is linked to celebrations with food. The thing is, for those trying to lose weight or who have anxiety around food, our culture’s tendency to encourage over-catering and overeating can make the season difficult to navigate. Here are 10 tips for a good emotional relationship with food during the holidays.
1. Keep up your usual habits
Continue drinking plenty of water, eating balanced meals, moving your body regularly and getting enough sleep.
2. Try mindful eating
Breathe deeply before eating, sit down to eat, chew each mouthful slowly and take in the combination of flavours and textures. This helps us eat more slowly, notice fullness cues and curb emotional eating.
3. Don't skip meals
While this may sound like a good solution, it can affect your metabolism and end in overeating. Instead, choose light meals high in protein and fibre before a festive gathering.
4. Control what you can
Take ownership of what you can change. This may be offering to bring dessert to a potluck dinner and choosing an option that you are happy to eat.
Callan Beesley
Pharmacist TerryWhite Chemmart
Nambucca Heads, NSW
5. Rethink the menu
A traditional Christmas dinner is not very practical in much of Australia anyway; so, there’s no reason the menu can't be festive and lighter, salad-based or vegetarian.
6. Hack the science
We get a dopamine hit after overeating and drinking. This is short-lived, while the physical and emotional knock-on effects can be more serious. Knowing it’s your brain (inadvertently) subverting our efforts can help diminish the desire to eat more than we need.
7. Give yourself grace
You may well eat too much at some point. Don't beat yourself up and remember that tomorrow is another day to go back to the basics of a healthy lifestyle.
8. “No thanks” is a complete sentence
We all have the relative who shows their love through food. However, “That was delicious, but I’ve had enough, thank you,” does not need further explanation.
9. Year-round
Consider preparing some much-loved dishes throughout the year, so they’re not as tempting in December. For example, make a festive salad or side in July.
10. Your everyday counts
Overall, when it comes to weight management, what you do most days of the year has the most impact. Christmas is a short period – so can’t derail your efforts alone.