Make Holiday Eating a Celebration
Emphasize Providing, not Depriving
For an empowering view about holiday eating try these tips:
Provide good quality and enjoyable food all year long. When we approach the holidays having enjoyed the pleasures of the table everyday of the year, holiday eating will not become a day to make up for a years worth of deprivation.
Eat mindfully and pay attention to your body’s internal cues. Tune in and rely on your appetite, hunger and stopping place. Use your knowledge of nutrition to support your internal regulation and eat a wide variety of foods.
Plan for meals as part of a day’s self-care. Make eating important, and build structure into your day so you know you will have enough to eat, and reliable access to good tasting high quality food. Try to feed yourself breakfast, lunch and dinner – and you might also need snacks. When it is time to eat – enjoy eating and put other tasks away. Then you will be more likely to move on to the other parts of your day without concerns about food.
Seek the highest quality of food you can provide for yourself. Give yourself permission to enjoy the foods you really like.
Trust your body to regulate your weight in response to good self-care. Trust your body to also make up for any mistakes in eating.
Move everyday in your own way. Find a way that feels right for your body. Make movement pleasure-based.
Love and respect your body all year long – say something positive to your body 365 days a year. Celebrate your body and determine to feed it well.
If you think you may be struggling with food and eating concerns contact the Counseling Center and ask for support.
