Stress-Free Holidays (10 tips)

The holiday's are creeping up on us quick! I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas time and gathering with my family. I know for a lot of us, it can also be a stressful time of the year for many reasons, but one being the amount of food we're around. It's no secret that these holidays are a huge feast and include so many yummy and fun dishes that may not be the healthiest and beneficial to our bodies, but I have some tips on how to handle these family-filled holidays with ease!

The main point I want to talk about may not be a tip you were wanting or expecting, but it's super important and helpful.

1. Don't stress too much about it

These holidays are a time to gather and catch up with friends and family, not to stress about food. Give yourself some grace and enjoy your favorite delicious foods for one meal with your family and don't give it a second thought. I know for some of you its easier said than done, but I promise that stressing about what you're eating and thinking about the calories and macros will do more damage to your body than just enjoying yourself and eating those foods will.

2. Don't punish your body

It's common to want to "punish" ourselves the next day by doing an extra workout or not eating enough food, but please don't do that. That is sending a message to your brain that eating and enjoying food with your loved ones is bad and not allowed. Especially if you are struggling or recovering from a bad relationship with food, try to honor and give your body some love and grace instead of punishing it this year. Eat the amount of food your body wants and needs the next day. Also, same goes for before your get-togethers. Some people tend to workout extra hard or not eat as much food the day before holiday meals and that also does your body no good. I promise that one day of enjoying food will not ruin your progress or make you unhealthy. Just like how one day of eating "good" won't make you magically healthy.

3. Don't deprive yourself

If you have the mindset going into the holidays that you are going to make yourself not eat certain foods and restrict yourself, chances are you'll end up bingeing on those exact foods later. Trust me, I've been there. If you see your favorite dessert on the table that everyone is enjoying and you tell yourself that it's bad for you and you can't have it, I promise you will not stop thinking about it. It's going to keep lingering in your mind and you are going to keep labeling it as bad. At the end of the night, you're finally going to cave in and you'll probably end up having SO much more than you would have if you didn't deprived yourself in the first place. Trust me, I've been through the awful bingeing cycle way too many times! So instead of stressing and restricting all day, my tip is just to enjoy the foods you want! Like I've said before and will always say, stressing about food will do more damage to your body than the actual food itself. This may be hard to do, and may seem the opposite of what I normally preach about eating healthy, but it's so important to keep a good relationship with food and not stress too much about it.

4. Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated both the day of and after your big holiday feasts is really important. A lot of the times, we tend to think we are hungry and/or overeat when we are dehydrated. Making sure you are hydrated will help your body digest the food you are eating and flush out excess salt.

5. Get enough sleep

A tired body will naturally crave more carbs and sugar, so make sure you get enough sleep the night before. Try doing your bedtime routine a little earlier or taking some supplements like magnesium to help you sleep better.

6. Make your own desserts

Although there is going to be plenty of desserts already, bringing your own healthy treats is super helpful. I'm not saying you should only eat the dessert you bring, but it's nice to know that you have something more nutritious there that you can enjoy guilt-free. There are so many recipes of healthy desserts made with wholesome sugar like fruit, honey, maple syrup, etc. Making them can be easy and you just might impress your family members with a healthy delicious dessert!

7. Try not to graze/snack

I know it's super common to mindlessly snack and graze while standing around the table. I'm a major foodie, so I too want to try EVERYTHING and eat all the desserts, so I feel ya. However, try to make an effort to put the foods and snacks on plate and sit while you eat. This will help you enjoy and be present while you eat, and not mindlessly shove food in your mouth. This will also more than likely have you eat less than you would grazing around the table.

8. Slow down

Try to be more mindful when you eat and eat a little slower. Slowing down and enjoying your food while visiting with family is very helpful to remember. A lot of the times, we eat so fast and it takes a while for our bodies to process and digest the amount of food we just consumed. This is why I also suggest to wait a while before you go back in the kitchen for seconds. Your body may still think or feel like its hungry, but it may just need a few minutes to digest a little. After waiting 10-30 minutes and drinking a glass of water, you may realize that you are actually too full for seconds, or may need a little less than you were wanting.

9. Take a walk

Studies have shown that taking a quick 15 minute walk 30 minutes after a big meal helps aid in digestion and lowering blood sugar. Walking after eating is GREAT for diabetics and controlling blood sugar levels. Maybe try to get your family together after your big meal and go for a quick stroll! (if the weather is good, of course.)

10. Get back in your routine the next day

Try to just dive back in your normal eating and healthy habits the next day. Try not to have the mentality of "well I already screwed it up yesterday, might as well wait to start back up after the holidays." This will do you no good and is not true. Like I mentioned earlier, one meal/day of splurging will not harm your health and progress. Its about what you do most of the time, not sometimes!

I remember when I used to feel SO guilty for over-indulging at my family holiday get-togethers. I would get up and go to the gym before we ate and made myself "work for" the food. Looking back, It makes me so sad to realize how bad of a head space I was in when it came to food and enjoying my holidays. I am so glad that I have finally found food freedom and have a healthy relationship with food again. I really want that for all of you, so if you are struggling with that, feel free to get in touch with me so I can help!

I hope these tips help you de-stress before Thanksgiving and Christmas so you can focus on spending time with your loved ones! I hope you all have a great holidays filled with yummy meals, friends, family, happiness, and food freedom! :)