Eat, Drink and Be Healthy

As joyful as it’s meant to be, the holiday season can be a time of stress. Everyone’s hoping to stay healthy, remain calm and be genuinely present for celebrations with friends and family. Paying attention to nutrition during the holidays can help.

Some of the most intense anxiety often comes up around food. There’s a lot of it! Many holiday meals and treats are full of sugar or refined carbohydrates. The stress of traveling, complicated relationships, less sleep and more alcohol can trigger patterns of eating related to anxiety instead of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Integrative nutritionist Trisha Cornell, CHN, offers a handful of recommendations that she finds helpful at this time of year, or any time stress threatens to overwhelm healthy eating.

One Day at a Time

Don’t choose deprivation. Most holiday celebrations involve a single meal, a few cocktail parties or the occasional brunch. If you aren’t engaged in a multi-day eating extravaganza or a marathon of food-filled parties, you’ll be okay. Enjoy a meal of delicious food, enjoy the company and everything around it. Make room for pleasure and then get back on track as soon as possible. 

Step Away From the Sugar

We know that sugar affects our whole body. It plays a pivotal role in inflammation and the related development of diseases like diabetes and cancer. Excess amounts of sugar can play havoc with our mood, energy level, cognition and focus.

Around the holidays, try to:

• Reduce the sugar you use in baking. You don’t need as much as you think.
• Skip bread, crackers and other snacks full of refined carbohydrates. Like refined sugars, they break down into glucose very quickly.
• Lean into dessert options like cheese and fruit, and appetizers like olives, nuts and deviled eggs.
• Don’t add sugar to sweet potatoes, yams, squashes or other veggies that are naturally sweet. Add a little cinnamon, perhaps some nutmeg and top with olive oil.
• Limit yourself to one small serving of an irresistible dessert. Savor it!

Have a Party Strategy

Appetizers can be the most carbohydrate-rich items on a party menu. Whether you’re hosting or visiting, make sure you aren’t hungry as the event gets underway. Once you’re there, station yourself far from the appetizer table. It’s easy to start a conversation near food and eat more than you want or need before you even notice.

Remember, there’s a main course coming. Stick to a small amount of nuts, fruit and vegetables as you await a more substantial meal. Once at the table, send the bread basket away. There are plenty of delightful options coming your way, especially if you’re the cook and you’ve prepared healthy dishes.

Choose Colorful Foods

If you’re the cook, reach for the rainbow. Make the meal pop with side dishes featuring colorful options like:

• Carrots
• Squashes
• Purple potatoes
• Pomegranate seeds
• Brussels sprouts
• Cranberries
• Persimmons

A Word About Alcohol

Even if it’s just one day or one party, a holiday celebration can last many hours. It’s important, if you drink alcohol, that you take small sips of your wine or cocktail and hydrate (with water) frequently.

It helps if mindfulness is part of the plan. Notice your mood, your stress level, your enjoyment. Are you relaxed or stressed? Are you nursing a drink or topping off your glass every chance you get? 

Seek relaxation in other ways — step outside, move to a new group of guests if the topic of conversation creates anxiety, take some deep breaths or help in the kitchen. Sip for taste and reassess if you’re gulping for comfort.

And remember, alcohol has a very high sugar content. It will raise your blood sugar, which will inevitably dip, which will leave you craving something else that’s sweet to raise your blood sugar again. Also, appoint a designated driver or have a rideshare service app at the ready.

Remember, moderation is still key during the holidays. Enjoy the delicious meals, the company, the friendships and be ready to get back on track.