3 Tips to a Mindful Holiday Season

Late December is the time of year often filled with holiday cheer and joy. It’s a time for gathering with loved ones over food, sharing stories and time together.

Perhaps you enjoy some traditional family favorite foods or attend office holiday parties. Regardless of what, when, or with whom you celebrate the season, food is surely involved.

3 Tips for Mindful Eating During the Holidays

For some people, however, the holiday season can be a time of stress and worry. Perhaps you worry about sitting at a table overflowing with delicious smells and offerings, wondering how to navigate the event.

Listening to your body with mindfulness, intuition, and self-love is key. Here’s 4 tips to implement this week.

Eat breakfast. Many people plan to eat a lot of food at their holiday dinner and attempt to “save” their appetite by not eating anything during the day. This restriction puts your body into a mild starvation mode so when you do finally eat hours later, you’re ravenous and likely eat more than you normally would. The holidays are like any other day of the year, and as such, plan to eat your normal breakfast like you usually would.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. There’s no need to rush through your meal. Take it slow, savoring each bite. This way you can enjoy all your holiday favorites and feel good too!

Limit distractions. The holiday season is a time to connect with loved ones, which becomes even harder if there’s electronic devices in the room stealing the show. Turn off the phone, the TV, or whatever gadget you have on hand. Make conversation with those around you and live in the present.

Crafting a Balanced Meal

Perhaps you’re not only celebrating the holidays this year, but you’re hosting them! A lot of energy and planning goes into hosting any holiday. Planning the menu is an opportunity for some fun and diversity in flavors.

Food and flavor factors to consider when crafting a meal:

Fiber: Using whole-grain bread, pasta, rice, and various vegetables can add bulk to your meal. Fiber can make you feel fuller faster all the while helping to promote your gut health.

Herbs and Spices: Experiment cooking with various herbs and spices and less salt. These contain many health benefits and add flavor to your meals. Place a saltshaker on the dining table for those who feel the need to add salt.

Natural Sugar: Try adding natural sweeteners to your recipes to pump up the taste, fiber and overall nutrient content. Examples are pureed prunes, mashed banana and Medjool dates.

With these strategies in mind, you can feel confident about your ability to get through the holidays happy and healthy. Enjoy the end of the year and the end of the decade!

Your Turn to Take Action: How will you be mindful this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below!