Cooking,
shopping, gathering, celebrating, programs and parties -- all can be wonderful, but holidays can also be
stressful and take us out of our regular routine and habits.
My desire with today’s blog is to help us all enjoy this joyous season
and continue to benefit from healthy decisions.
It can be done! Here are a few ideas...
Stay the course. In a cross country race, the runner encounters all kinds of
terrain; straight-a-ways, hills, valleys, wide trails and narrow pathways. In our life, we will encounter emotional hills and valleys,the course will be varied and diverse. Throughout our journey we will need to set personal parameters to our
own course. We will find peace, joy and actually freedom as we adhere to those parameters.
First step to staying the course is to establish one! Make a plan. To remain accountable. You may want to discuss your plan with a a spouse, friend, health coach, someone you trust. Then apply what you have established for your personal course. Once established, your course parameters should be considered non-negotiable
First step to staying the course is to establish one! Make a plan. To remain accountable. You may want to discuss your plan with a a spouse, friend, health coach, someone you trust. Then apply what you have established for your personal course. Once established, your course parameters should be considered non-negotiable
·
Once you have decided
what those parameters are, you are freed from having to wrangle and struggle
with every social gathering or each plate of goody that is dropped by. You have
already made the decision.
·
Review
triggers of emotional eating, circumstances, feelings, or people that pose
a challenge. Think this through rather than winging it, thinking “oh, it will
all work out”. Give it some thought,
even role play a situation. Plan ahead, and hold to it.
·
Create your “YES” list. Only two criteria for this list. One, It's healthy. Two, it really floats your boat! I mean you really enjoy eating it! I’d be happy to share ideas and
recipes. My
daughter also has a website at: www.thewholefoodsdiner.com where you will find several
fun and delicious recipes. Creating your own personal " YES" list is fun and opens a new world of possibilities. Make your list and be ready and armed to use it.
·
When taking a plate for a gathering, bring
a treat from your “YES” list. Be wise with your food choices-there is generally a ‘good- better-
best’ in any given occasion. Try to choose from “the best” category. If there
is truly nothing at the party you feel
is a healthier choice then at least you know you have your plate to choose from!
·
A lot of the foods we eat over the holidays
have traditions attached. If you have determined that you are going to allow yourself certain
treats or desserts decide before hand what those are. Then eat it! Enjoy it, and
experience it without guilt. But
remember to be true to the boundaries you have established. Moderation in all
things!
·
Little plates of goodies…large problems?… A favorite tradition of many is to take plates of
Christmas treats to friends and neighbors. Upon grateful acceptance we place the festive display
of goodies on our kitchen counter. Following
a number of strolls past the kitchen, mindlessly snatching one little piece of
fudge, popping in one chocolate covered cherry, or a harmless eency-beency snowball
cookie. Before we know it… the plate is empty and our stomachs are full. Put
them away, give them away, take them to the office. Just get rid of them! If
you choose to indulge pick a few and
set them aside to eat with mindful awareness…. remove the rest.
·
Exercise,
move your body. One of the best stress relievers of all time! Raise serotonin
levels, reduces stress and depression, and clear away the December fog. Keep
up a regular exercise routine -- very important!
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Quiet essentials: These essentials will keep balance in your life. Christmas time is wonderful, but it also has
its many stressors. Provide yourself with pockets of peace. These may include
meditation, prayer, journaling, reading, yoga. Find a spot to bask in the sun…feed your spirit. Find ways each day to fill your bucket; if we
don’t fill our bucket with these quiet
essentials, there is always a dump truck of non-essentials just waiting in the wings to fill it for us.
Okay, we are
at the holiday starting line, the course is ahead of us. We know there will be exhilarating straight-a-ways and gorgeous vistas. We also know there will be some tough
hills to climb and tense moments, but we can do it! Because we are prepared for
them. Remember to enjoy the journey….. and
I’ll see you at the finish line…
