You don’t have to sacrifice the routines you’ve put in place all year for the holidays or sake of social ease. There is a common belief that to cause the least disruption in tradition that we need to forego the habits we’ve worked hard to form over the year (or years!).
- Challenge the belief that you’re bringing unease or difficulty to your friends and family by doing your thing (i.e. taking care of you!). Flip the script. If your loved one felt better eating a certain way, would you be offended if they chose not to eat certain foods at the table? Don’t your loved ones deserve the best version of you, one that feels well and has the energy to be present?
- Plan ahead. The season is full of social events that can be full of temptation! It’s easy to go to each party thinking you’ll have a small bite here and there, and maybe you take a few things home or have a few leftovers that you finish through the week, until the party next weekend… and then the cycle repeats. So you can see how a couple parties can be a slippery slope to getting totally derailed from your feel-best routine. Look at your calendar for the holiday season. Make a deal with yourself to keep indulgences limited to the parties themselves. Use it as motivation to stick to your diet throughout the week leading up to the party so you don’t get caught in the “just a little here… just a little there” trap.
- Hydrate! Drink a few glasses of water before you head out for the next event. Not only will it help your skip against the dry air, but it helps keep your immune system agile and takes the edge off any cravings that might derail you when presented with a table full of temptations.
- Forgive! We are only human after all. If you find that you had more than you intended, let yourself have it! Our bodies are intelligent and really do understand what we do and don’t need. Send your body a message of love and your brain some forgiveness and move on. Remember – if you’re eating fast food every day you don’t “fix” it with one salad. Well if you eat well every day and have some brownies and chicken wings at a party you don’t “ruin” everything either! Give your smart body more credit!
- Fuel up with nutrients that will reduce cravings and support digestion. Eat extra colors (vegetables, not Skittles). This gives your body the nutrients it needs for proper digestive function and metabolism, so even if you do get exposed to some foods you didn’t intend, your body can efficiently process them out.
- Exposed to something you react to? There is help! There are digestive enzymes that can support your gut in efficiently breaking it down and processing it out. A tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar in water after a heavy meal can help you feel better quickly. If you think you were exposed to gluten or another food that triggers inflammation for you, we do offer an Exposure Kit at CNHP.