4 TIPS FOR STAYING ON TRACK DURING THE HOLIDAYS
The holiday season is in full swing! Don't let food be one of your anxiety-inducing roadblocks this year. Go into this season confident and with a plan. Courtney shares four practical nutrition tips to help you navigate overwhelm around holiday gatherings.
1. Resist the urge to restrict
If you've just overindulged from Thanksgiving weekend, Courtney encourages individuals to resist the urge to restrict calories or skip meals the day or week after. This can backfire in the long run because you tend to feel more hungry due to a build-up of ghrelin, your hunger hormone, which may lead to overeating later. Instead, learning how to listen to your body and understand your hunger/fullness cues and what they mean is more important. This also implies that you don't have to eat just because it's "time" to eat. So, the next time you overindulge, accept it, move on, and use it as a learning experience to be more prepared for the future.
2. Focus on what you can control
If you are in charge of bringing a dish to your next gathering, bring something with more fiber (plants), like sautéed green beans and onions or roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, especially if you already know there will be limited availability of fruits and vegetables on the menu. Fiber helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. There tends to be an overabundance of foods with added sugars around the holidays. Offering a dish that is higher in fiber will help you and others feel more full, satisfied, and in control of cravings.
3. Move your body
Move your body in a way that honors it, not in a way that punishes it. Instead of punishing yourself for your "bad" eating from an event or in preparation for an event with excessive, unpleasant bouts of exercise, move your body in a way that honors it. Ask yourself, "What do I enjoy doing for exercise?" If you do not enjoy running, don't go for a run on Christmas morning. You could also incorporate a walk and talk with a close friend or family member as an avenue to connect and relieve stress.
4. Protein, Fiber, and FUN
Instead of focusing on what you can't or shouldn't have this holiday season, try implementing a nutrition-by-addition strategy. If available at your gathering, focus on filling up with protein and fiber, and allow for fun. Protein (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans) and fiber (fruits, veggies, whole grains) help you feel full and satisfied. Without having protein and fiber as your foundation, it isn't easy to discern when you are full from a meal. Identify what you consider your FUN foods (typically those that are tasty, calorically dense, and lack nutrients) to be because it is important to allow for fun this holiday season. Now is not the time to start a rigorous dieting plan that makes you feel overwhelmed or like you are missing out, which could lead to overeating later.
Remember consistency is more attainable than perfection, and always give yourself grace with your food choices. You will most likely consume more added sugar, saturated fat, salt, and calories during the holiday season. However, resist the urge to fall off the wagon entirely and vow to "start over" in the new year, permit yourself to enjoy your fun foods, and speak kindly to yourself and others.
Courtney is a local dietitian in Shreveport/Bossier. With her private practice, Courtney Butts Nutrition LLC, she helps individuals through nutrition counseling with her insurance-accepted and self-pay services. To learn more about how you can work with Courtney, please visit www.courtneybuttsnutrition.com/services.
