Ease the Stress of Holiday Meals by Joan Kent, PhD

Visiting your family for the holidays? Worried that you’ll fall back into old eating patterns that work against you and sabotage your health?

 

Most people say their stress climbs during the holidays. The food and alcohol that are everywhere during the holidays can easily become part of the coping strategies used for dealing with the other stresses:  long lines, crowds, expenses, family conflicts and, of course, weight gain.

 

Family patterns may affect your eating behaviors during your family visits this holiday season and add to your stress. What did food patterns look like in your early family years?

 

Eating is part of any family dynamic, but in some families it’s the major part. Overeating is accepted, expected and encouraged — and overweight is simply ignored.

 

In other families, food involves power games and control issues:

• who can get whom to eat what (and how much)
• who can get whom to gain weight during a visit
• who pushes others to eat dessert just to feel better about eating it her- or himself

 

Sometimes one family member is the “food pusher.” Sometimes there’s group pressure.

 

All of this is rather crazy stuff, but it can affect us. And some folks have very few defenses against these behaviors. Here are a few strategies to help.

 

One-Meal Strategies

 

If you’re visiting for only one meal, eat healthful foods before you go. It will be easier to turn down junk and other temptations if you’re not starving, or simply not hungry.

 

Eat protein before you go. That will stabilize your brain chemistry so you can avoid temptations and stay in control with ease.

 

Work out before you go. It’s a reminder of who you are now, and another way to stay on track. Why undo the benefits of your workout by overeating unhealthful foods?

 

Bring a healthy dish with you — even if you’re not asked.  In fact, ESPECIALLY if you’re not asked. Take food you’ll feel good about having in your meal and bring plenty for everyone.

 

Organize a group walk after the meal, even if there’s initial resistance. The walk will help you, AND turning it into a family event will make it social. It needn’t involve every family member. When you return, it will be easier to make wise decisions about further eating.

 

 

Extended-Stay Strategies

If you’re visiting for a few days, bring healthful foods with you for snacks and/or part of your meals during the visit.

 

Take along reminders of your present life. Stay connected to your present life in a few ways to remind yourself that you’re no longer the child who grew up in that toxic food environment.

 

If you’re asked to help with meal preparation, excellent! It’s a perfect opportunity to make something healthy and delicious for everybody.

 

Find ways to work out while you’re there. Even a 10-minute workout helps if you use high-intensity intervals.  For more on fitting in holiday workouts:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surviving-holidays-less-nutrition-damage-part-1-joan/

 

If you decide to indulge, be sure you have decided when to do so, what you’ll eat, and how much. Have a plan — and follow it — for getting back on track, preferably right after your indulgence.

 

Why make the same resolutions this New Year’s as last year and the year before? Get out in front of things with your health intact and your weight under control, so you can make 2021 a great year right from the start. Just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Healthy Holidays Consult. Enjoy the holidays this year without damaging your health — or your peace of mind.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more on Surviving the Holidays with Less Nutrition Damage, just go here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surviving-holidays-minimal-nutrition-damage-part-2-joan/