December 2022
I encounter two kinds of people that enter the holiday season: it's the Christmas "all you can eat buffet and I will put myself into a cookie coma" or "I will stress about every bite that goes into my mouth and have obsessive conversations with all my friends and family about their food choices". (I'll confess, I was kind of the second person. Don't judge me.) The first person usually ends up disgusted by December 31, vowing to make all kinds of changes. "I will start at the first of the year". Most of us have said that without having a clear strategy on how to start.
There is a fine line between being concerned and proactive about health vs being obsessed about making good choices. Concerned and proactive is good; obsessed and spending every waking moment thinking about what you are going to eat, and other related issues is counterproductive.
If you have started your health journey with us using the Wellness Forum Health food pyramid, you have learned that it is a journey to dietary excellence, not dietary perfection! It is the totality of your dietary pattern that determines your health outcomes. A healthy eating plan, exercise, sleep, and hydration is the goal. When you know that you are on the road to dietary excellence, your mindset changes. When you are stressed and obsessed about every bite that you take, your physical response to food negatively changes, which causes overeating and weight gain. Once your optimal dietary pattern is established, eating a few cookies on the holiday is not a game changer unless it leads to binge eating. There are psychological benefits to being with your loved ones around a table of food and enjoying their company. Make family and friends your focus, not food.
Tips to navigate the holidays:
Eat a healthy and filling breakfast (oatmeal, smoothie)
Eat a salad before going to a holiday party (be mindful of hidden sugar and oil in bottled dressings)
Eat extra vegetables at meals
Don't go back for seconds
Eat fiber for gut health (fruit, veggies, potatoes, legumes)
Stay hydrated (64 oz of water daily)
Watch your alcohol consumption
Focus on enjoying people and conversation, not food
Remember that cookies are treats, not daily food
Save the date for Saturday, January 21, for our Food Over Medicine special event New Perspectives on Weight Loss. This will be free event presented by Dr. Pam Popper via live zoom. Details coming soon. You will learn:
How calorie restriction can cause weight gain
Why fitness trackers and other devices can contribute to weight gain, not weight loss
How weight loss can increase hunger
Strategies for permanent behavior change
How to have your cake and lose weight too!
Lifestyles of lean and healthy people
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas holiday!
Liz
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