Eating Well at the Holidays

Holiday greetings, friends and foodies!

Frosty's Indulgence

I attended a holiday party last night, and as we were all gathered around the dessert table, ooohing and aahing at the delights that awaited us, I heard the following:

“It’s not what you eat from Christmas to New Year’s. It’s what you eat from New Year’s to Christmas.”

WOW! That’s great! Now that’s not to say that all responsibility and common sense goes out the window, but what my friend was speaking to was what I would call “mindfulness.” It’s simply paying attention, in a purposeful way, to the effect your choices have on you. In the case of food, it’s the effect of what you eat and how that affects your weight, your health, your energy levels, your self-esteem, and your enjoyment of social events as well.

Again, I am not a dessert pusher, but I do love sweets and I am not going to deny anyone–that’s your issue and your choice (unless it’s life-threatening like a known allergy or something). Instead, I encourage occasional, reasonable indulgence to keep a balance between head, heart, and hip size.

But let’s get back to that adage. When you make healthy choices for yourself most of the time, then relax the devil on your shoulder, release the guilt, and joyfully embrace some extra calories this holiday season from things you ordinarily would not eat all the time. The psychology of eating and the negative self-talk we put ourselves through is not self-serving in any positive way.

So, relax, enjoy, and embrace the treats and goodies of the season. And leave a couple of cookies for Santa.