Tips for Guilt-free Eating this Holiday
Jersey City
December 6, 2024
Hi there,
It’s December and I’m sure your social calendar is starting to get filled with dinners, and parties and holiday events. It’s a fun and festive time of the year.
It’s also a time to enjoy cookies and cocktails. If you’ve been in my world for a bit, you know I don’t believe in feeling deprived. So, what do you do? Throw caution to the wind and just indulge in all the goodness or say, no and feel like you’re missing out?
This doesn’t have to be an all or nothing situation. You can have your cake and eat it too. Just not the whole cake!
Here are some tips to help you indulge without overindulging. People generally gain weight over the holidays. Did you know that they only lose about half of what they gained? That will not be you!
Enjoy Holiday Feasting without Feeling Guilty or Deprived
1. Don’t skip meals
This can backfire causing you to overeat because you are so hungry.
2. Eat breakfast and make sure it includes a protein.
Protein helps to curb your appetite all day.
3. Don’t start the meal with bread.
Starting the meal with carbs triggers the release of hunger-stimulating hormones.
4. Chew your food. Eat mindfully.
This helps you slow down and is good for your digestive system.
5. At gatherings, be picky. Indulge in foods that have special meaning to you and that taste fabulous. Don’t eat something just because it’s there.
6. If you like pie, eat the pie and skip the cookies, cakes and brownies.
7. Do you always have a plate of cookies sitting out? Switch those cookies for a nonfood item that is festive. Could you substitute candles, or potpourri or tea? Traditions can be altered.
8. Go nonalcoholic. There are some great options these days. Tonic water with Bitters & Lime is my favorite go to. I’ve also had a great ginger mojito. Alcohol is very high in calories. If you are drinking, cut down. You don’t need to cut it out.
This is a special time of the year. It’s about gathering family and friends and celebrating. Be mindful of your choices, celebrate good health and enjoy the festivities!
Be well,
Laura
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
And more...
· I was interviewed for the Rituals in the Pause segment of the Life in the Pause website. Check it out!
· I’m someone who reads cookbooks and not just when I’m cooking but also at 3:00 am when I can’t go to sleep. I’m so excited because the New York Times just published a list of the 25 most influential cookbooks of the last 100 years! I think a new cookbook is in my future. If you’re a cookbook aficionado check them out. These also make great gifts for the foodies on your list.
· I appreciate that food is one of life’s necessities and many people don’t have enough to eat, especially in times of conflict. Jose Andres is someone I admire because of his dedication to this cause. This is a good article about the work his organization does.