… that is the question.
Halloween kicks off what I call the food holiday season! From today until Valentine’s Day, there will be food EVERYWHERE. This can bring up so much…
How do I navigate the extra food?
What if I overeat?
What happens if I gain weight?
How can I stay focused on my goals? I know it is possible to enjoy holiday foods while setting appropriate boundaries and continuing to feel good. In today’s episode, I have 3 to-do’s to kickstart your empowered eating holiday season.
Empowered Eating: Created values-based, science-supported, and biofeedback-adjusted goals.
#1 ESTABLISH YOUR PRIORITIES
— To successfully navigate the holidays we have to establish our focus. I recommend creating values-based, faith-led health goals for this season. Imagine yourself on December 31st reflecting on the year 2022. What went awesome? Where did you struggle?
Now, imagine sitting there by your Christmas tree (in my case that would be one of my 5 Christmas trees) and reflecting on the most recent 2 months. As you reflect on October, November, and December of 2022… what do you see? How did you care for yourself amidst the holiday season?
How did you see yourself come together with others around food? How did you lean into faith and trust your body was divinely crafted? In what ways did you steward your energy to create a present, enjoyable, and generous holiday season? Outside of food, what did you get out of this holiday season?
Confirmation you are on the right path comes with peace. Galatians 5:22 tell us the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I use this to keep my eyes on the right path.
In Food Foundations, I have journal prompts asking students to explore their health in relation to each of their values. If you have taken Food Foundations- go back to this module and re-visit your values. What role do you want food to play in this season of the year? Joy? Energy source? Connection? Continued discipline? If you haven’t taken Food Foundations, this is a great time to sign up! Go into the holidays ready!
#2 KNOW YOUR NEEDS
—This is the nutrition science piece. Like knowing your budget, you need to know what your body needs. If you go into the holiday season swiping your credit or debit card for every little thing you want and that appeals to you… you will have a hefty bill to pay come January.
I see many parallels between money and our nutrition budget. On the one hand, we want to have a mindset of abundance and trust that we will have enough, and on the other, we have to be wise to live within our means. I believe it is the same for our nutrition budget.
If we eat, enjoy, and indulge in every little thing that is presented to us over the holiday season we will likely have a health bill to pay come January. We must operate in a mindset of abundance, trusting our bodies. And at the same time, it is imperative to live within our own biological needs.
To keep us from any surprises or unwanted bills in the New Year… let’s set our “budget” now. For nutrition, this means getting the nutrition science piece locked in and understanding what and how much food your body needs and operates well on.
#3 MAINTAIN YOUR TOP 3
— What are your top three health habits? Set a goal to maintain these over the holiday seasons. For me, this includes my exercise routine, mindful eating practices when I enjoy desserts, and one veggie-based meal per day.
For more details on how to become an empowered eater download my FREE 3-Steps To Empowered Eating guide today! Or take this journey to the next level and go into the holiday (food) season empowered with your Fuel Plan and Food Foundations e-course.
Cheers, and happy eating!
