A More Balanced Approach to the Holidays

During the holidays, a lot of us struggle with our relationship to food and it can be stressful. 

Especially since food and drink are always at the centre of any celebration.

To counteract this struggle, we often compensate by setting rules for ourselves like saving up to eat the “cheat” foods by not eating the rest of the day, swearing off sweets until after the holidays (usually unsuccessfully) or giving up entirely and vowing to start fresh in January.

Can you relate?

Most of the time, these strategies don’t work and just end up leaving us stuck in a perpetual battle with our conscience.  And here’s the problem…anytime we create rules or restrictions around food or intentionally plan to make up for eating “bad” foods, we likely end up overindulging or overeating anyway.

When we label foods as “bad”, they become even more enticing. When we’re around them, we become almost hyper-aware of their presence and focused on eating them. 

It creates this weird scarcity mindset that actually leads us to believe that because we “shouldn’t” be having these food items, we should eat larger portion sizes of them than we usually would. It becomes a feast or famine mindset.

This rationalization comes from the idea that this may be our “only opportunity” to have the food item. Or, we may tell ourselves that this is the “last time” we’re going to eat this food, so we should have a larger amount to really “make the most” of the experience.

Crazy but true, the subconscious mind really does play tricks on us and unintentionally results in overeating or overindulging during the holiday season.

So the question becomes, how can we not feel so out of control if we aren’t imposing rules or restrictions on ourselves?

Thankfully, there are a few easy strategies we can use to let go of that all or nothing mindset and actually bring balance back to the holidays.

Eat Balanced Meals During The Holidays

Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean we should give up on properly nourishing ourselves but the holidays makes it more challenging.

Making a conscious effort to keep your meals nutritionally balanced, even when dining out, will not only better help you reach your health goals, but will keep your immune system strong, your weight in check and your hormones balanced and running smoothly.

Focus on making sure you’re getting the right proportions of the key macronutrients every balanced meal should contain - protein, fat and carbohydrates.

When you think of creating a balanced meal, it’s often helpful to frame it from the perspective of setting up your plate. 

Fifty percent of your plate should come from non-starchy carbohydrates ( think green vegetables, leafy greens, carrots, peppers, mushrooms for example), thirty percent from lean protein (animal or plant based), fifteen percent from healthy fats like nuts, seeds or good quality oils, and ten percent from starchy carbohydrates like beans, rice or potatoes.

The goal is to make most of your meals contain all of these elements and build them as best you can to the portion sizes of a perfect plate. 

Once you become better able to recognize which nutrients you have on your plate and which are missing, it's easier for you to recognize how balanced or unbalanced your meals are and how you can build a more healthful plate at any festive celebration.

Understand (And Be Okay With) There Will Never Be A Perfect Balance

So what happens if you find yourself at a holiday gathering or party and there are hardly any nourishing options available? This is not uncommon.

In fact, most social gatherings tend to have a greater abundance of enticing foods than healthier, more nourishing ones so of course this can be frustrating if you’re trying to build a healthy balanced plate for yourself.

The truth is there will never be a perfect balance. Even nutritionists don’t eat perfectly 100% of the time. Squeeze in nutrients however you can and don’t agonize over the rest.

The point here is to do the best you can and make any decisions around less healthy foods conscious choices. When you consciously choose to enjoy a food, you’re less likely to go overboard eating it and will enjoy it that much more.

If You Don’t Like Something Stop Eating It

This is where old habits die hard and our conditioning starts to take over. Let’s face it, most of us were expected to finish our plates as children before we were allowed to get up from the table.

This came from a scarcity mindset when food was less readily available and carried over to when food was far more plentiful and no longer applicable. 

But instead of adjusting our portion sizes, we’ve encouraged or forced ourselves to eat beyond the point of fullness.

I’m not condoning waste here, but I’m also giving you permission to not finish something if you’re not enjoying it just for the sake of cleaning your plate.

At a holiday party, before you fill your plate, scan the table and check out everything that’s available. Only put the foods you know you enjoy on your plate.

Your taste buds matter. If something doesn’t end up tasting as good as you expected it to, it’s totally acceptable to stop eating it.

Check In With Your Body

It’s a good idea to pause and check in with your body regularly. Pause when you’re ¾ of the way through your meal or every once in a while if the event is more focused on snacks and appetizers. 

How are you feeling? Are you full? Still hungry? Perhaps you just need a glass of water?

Put your plate down and step away from the food table. If you’re lingering near the table talking to people, it’s very easy to continue to grab food and nibble. Move the conversation into another room and away from the table.

If you’re not truly full and need more to eat, always reach for veggies first then protein.

Make Intentional Choices Around Alcohol

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a few cocktails throughout the holiday season, but it can add a few extra challenges when you’re trying to practice balance. 

First of all, alcohol is going to impair your decision-making skills. That means that even when you go into an event or gathering with the best intentions, the influence of alcohol is going to make it a little bit trickier for you to check in with your hunger and fullness and stay mindful. 

Additionally, alcohol spikes your blood sugar, especially if you’re not consuming alongside a balanced meal. This can lead to cravings for more sugary and starchy foods throughout the rest of the night, making it even more challenging to reach for the nourishing options. 

So, how can you bring a little more balance into these situations and find a happy medium? 

Try asking yourself these questions and make adjustments accordingly:

• How many drinks feel like the right amount to you at holiday social gatherings and events?

• Do you feel out of your element and need a cocktail to fit in?

• Do you feel judged if you don’t have a drink in your hand?

If you do decide to drink, avoid sugary mixed drinks and specialty cocktails filled with preservatives and additives. Instead, choose clear coloured liquors like vodka or tequila and mix with soda and squeeze of lime.

Wine is okay but choose organic if possible to avoid the extra sulphates. Pinot noirs tend to have the lowest sugar content.

Ask for half glasses so if your plan was for 2 drinks, you can get up to 4 half glasses.

You can also make a cocktail using kombucha as the base instead of liquor and add fresh berries and soda water.

When you focus on practicing balance and prioritizing both eating for enjoyment and eating for nourishment, you’ll find the holiday season less challenging to navigate when it comes to sticking with your health goals and you’ll be setting yourself up for a better start in January.