“Simple is Sustainable” A great quote from another dietitian Bob Seebahor.
Simple is Sustainable is a great way to approach nutrition and specifically the holiday season. This is not the time of year to add more stress to your life. Focusing on a few healthy behaviors versus a diet is always a more attainable approach but definitely during this time of year.
Learning how to eat not what to eat will help you much more in the long run! Some simple steps can be taken. I challenge you through the holiday season to practice mindful eating.
- Plan what you are going to eat later. The purpose of traditional meals is to have a similar menu every year so you know what is coming!
- Make a list of things you REALLY want to eat
- Pick one or two “tastes” of indulgent foods like a half piece of pumpkin pie or one spoonful of mac and cheese instead of a heaping pile
- Write it all down! You hold yourself more accountable to short term goals when you write them down.
- Take half of what you really want to take. Our eyes are almost always bigger than our stomachs especially around the holidays when everything has been cooked with love! You can always go back for more. Plus the less you consume the more leftovers = cooking less the next couple days.
- Don’t eat just because everyone else is. Holidays revolve around food, which makes it very easy for us to ignore our cues of being “full” so try occupying yourself to keep from snacking.
- Carry around your water to keep your hands out of mixed nuts and candy dishes. (dehydration can also falsely misconstrue hunger)
- Eat slowly that way you are not sitting at the table with an empty plate watching everyone else finish eating; you may be tempted to get seconds when you don’t actually want more.
- Reminder: it takes 20 minutes to register satiety.
