Let's Eat and Feel Good Too
The Holidays · Some say "everything in moderation," I say, f*&% that · Allowing food and wine to be the pleasures they're meant to be in life
Let’s Eat and Feel Good Too
A few years ago I ate too much birthday cake. I can still remember how terrible it felt. There’s nothing wrong with birthday cake but when we eat so much that we feel ill, something’s not right. I recall many times through the years when I relaxed the reins on carefully monitored foods like boxes of chocolates, decadent desserts, celebratory wine, Champagne, and candies. The crackdown was always looming—tomorrow, Monday, New Years Day—and because of that, I couldn’t stop at satisfied. I had no idea what that even meant.
When you are at a holiday party, perhaps standing at a beautiful dessert table with hot cocoa with whipped cream, marshmallows and spirits, peppermint bark, Christmas cookies, festive foil-wrapped chocolates, cakes, pies, and all the goodies, listen and I’m sure you’ll hear: I can’t have that; How does she eat that and stay so slim? I’m starting keto/paleo/Weight Watchers in January; Okay, one more, ‘cuz you know, Dry January.
Poor January. It has 31 days just like December. Why do we overdo it in one month then pay penance in the next? Some people will say “everything in moderation;” to myself I say, f*&% that. Moderation is not the solution to chaotic eating. The solution must come from within.
Put it on a plate, sit down, and enjoy it
Do you want to be able to enjoy holiday foods without going overboard? Viewing certain foods as forbidden because they’re sweets, or carbs, or caloric, or fatty, or fried, is part of the problem. Let’s get real here. If you continue to view certain foods as “bad” or “wrong” they are going to continue to have power over you which takes a psychological toll, and most likely results in you overeating or worse, struggling with an eating disorder.
Years before I got certified to teach Intuitive Eating, I recognized that dieting was making me crazy so I decided to do an experiment: ditch the rules and when hungry, choose what I really wanted to eat, put it on a plate, sit down, and enjoy it. Something wonderful happened. Foods I used to have a wobbly relationship with became no big deal. I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. How I feel in my body is front and center. Rule following and rebellion are relics of my past.
Cookies actually go stale in my house now. Halloween candy is in the pantry, up high and out of sight but still, I’m not interested. Sometime when I’m watching a movie with my family I’ll go for one of those little bags of Nerd Clusters. And maybe a Twix.
My Thanksgiving Favorites
Since Thanksgiving is next week, here are a few of my go-to recipes including fresh cranberry sauce with Cognac, brandied pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, and make-ahead mashed potatoes you can keep warm in a slow cooker. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
What foods are you looking forward to over the holidays? I’m sure you enjoy them and feel good too.
Cheers and love!
Thank you, Amy! This will be my first holiday not stressing about food and beverages. My lovely husband baked GF Mexican Wedding cakes yesterday. I had two, on a plate at the dining room table. I truly enjoyed them and then went about my business. No guilt or shame or worry about what I just ate. Cheers to a lovely holiday to you and yours!
xo
Love this (and of course the recipes) — thank you Amy!!