Best Holiday Present? The Gift of Wellness!
Tis the season: for holiday get togethers, over-indulgence, stomach aches and headaches. We eat and drink a lot, give many gifts, and then wait until January to start a diet as part of our New Year’s Resolution. But what if feeling good during the holidays was the gift you give to yourself?
By staying mindful at gatherings, you can avoid feeling post- party doldrums, and can most importantly avoid the urge to start a diet after New Year’s. Diets don’t work. and every gimmick comes with a warning label- so why not avoid the gimmicks and stick to the gifts? Research shows dieting leads to extra weight gain, and for some, even an eating disorder. Perhaps you already have a goal of starting one of these “diets” in 2023:
Keto diet in January? How long can you keep up never having bread? One month? Two? Maybe even six? And then what happens when you go off the keto diet? Many people springboard into overeating carbs, and their bodies suck them up like kitchen sponges.
Plant based diet in January? There are easy ways to eat plant based the whole year through, including during the holidays. The plate method is one way: try filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. Avoiding meat or animal protein is easier if you get protein with your carbs. Try lentil or garbanzo bean pasta instead of regular pasta. Consider a Banza pasta salad for your holiday party. Try high protein (and fiber) crackers made with nuts and seeds to a party, perhaps with vegan or regular cheese.
Intermittent Fasting in January? This lifestyle or diet isn’t the best fit for everyone and can lead to binging for those prone to compulsive eating. But there are health benefits to IF, and if you want to give it a try, here’s one easy way. The adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is becoming old news in the nutrition world. If you don’t miss breakfast, then skip it! If you avoid eating late at night, then voila- you’re intermittent fasting, even during the holidays. (For example, an eating window of 11 am to 9 pm is a 14-hour intermittent fast.) I don’t recommend skipping lunch, as this leads to overeating at dinner time.
Instead of gorging during gifting, try these mindful eating techniques to avoid the urge to diet in the new year:
- Fill your plate with low carb veggies such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, dark green lettuce and cauliflower
- Eat your veggies first
- Chew each bite 25 times
- Practice mindful gratitude about the food you are receiving
- Aim for 25 grams of fiber a day, which requires all the plant-based food we can get our mouths on. (I recommend a fiber tracker app to see how you’re doing. It’s surprisingly challenging to get to 25 grams fiber per day.)
- Notice when you’re starting to feel satisfied- NOT full. Check in with your body two thirds of the way through your meal. Imagine your stomach is a Ziplock bag and when it’s two-thirds full pause, breathe and see if you might actually be finished.
- Nuts, seeds and more nuts and seeds. They’re high in fiber, have significant amounts of protein vitamins and minerals, keep us full, decrease inflammation , and contain plant based protein. A 1/4 cup serving of nuts or seeds goes a long way.
- Pair fruit with nuts or seeds as a great snack- and a portable one at that.
- Be willing to waste food when you’re satisfied- or donate leftovers to a shelter. Avoid eating due to feeling guilty about wasting food. World hunger is about lack of food distribution, not a food shortage.
- Perhaps donate to a hunger charity instead of being a member of the clean plate club.
If you never have a “Last Supper” during the holidays, then perhaps you will never have to have a “first diet” during the next year. Here’s hoping your holidays are filled with copious parties, moderate portions, gratitude and the best gift of all- Wellness!
Sheri Weitz, RDN, CDCES is a functional nutritionist, diabetes specialist and wellness coach with a private practice in Los Angeles. She is currently forming a Non-Diet Weight Management Support Group. Sheri is also co-hosting her first retreat: “Retreat into Joy” on January 29th in Temescal Canyon. Sheri@MovetoWellness.net or visit www.MovetoWellness.net.
