How to stay the course while enjoying the holidays

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                                 

·         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!

·        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…