Food: 5 Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

Eating around the holidays can carry a multitude of thoughts with it. We often carry shame and guilt with us into holiday eating. What would happen this year if instead you allowed yourself to savor and enjoy the food around the holidays? At Coastal Fitness and Correction, we are committed to your whole corrective exercise experience which includes your nutrition.

Here are 5 ways we recommend practicing healthy eating habits throughout the holiday season.

1. Eat with Mindfulness:

Be attentive to each food that you place on your plate or in your mouth. Choose the foods that you know you can savor and enjoy in the moment. Be present as you fully enjoy the foods that you love. Notice how you take in the food visually, how it smells, the texture, and the taste.

2. Limit Peer Pressure and Set Boundaries:

If you know you will be pressured by family or friends to eat more or eat foods you would rather not eat, plan to politely say “no” and enjoy the presence of your friends and family. Remember you can still commit to yourself and your fitness goals, even when others are asking you to go beyond healthy boundaries you’ve set in place for yourself.

3. Cook with Care and Ask for Help:

When you cook your meal, choose whole food ingredients that are from reliable, organic, and/or local sources. Be mindful of snacking as you cook. Ask a friend or family member to help taste test. Employ them to help cook if you feel overwhelmed and unable to join the table. Find accountability in someone who will check on you in the kitchen to make sure you are being cared for as well.

4. Break Unwanted Cycles:

Recall how you have eaten at holiday events and meals in the past. How have you felt after the meals? Are there any habits you wish you would change? If so, choose one habit or cycle you don’t wish to continue and celebrate the holiday by making a small change. Take joy in a small step for yourself that you know will lead to you feeling good about your choices and not leaving your body feeling negatively.

5. Enjoy, Savor, and Smile:

Allow yourself to enjoy the moment. Recognize that this holiday season and how you eat over this time can be a joyful time for you. Replace shame and guilt with savoring and presence. Enjoy the foods you do love. Identify what you do want to enjoy and be fully present in that moment. Be with your friends and family to wholeheartedly enjoy this short, but bright, season.

We at Coastal Fitness and Correction are committed to your whole corrective exercise journey which includes commitment to your nutrition. Find ways to enjoy healthy eating over the holiday. We wish you all the very best!