Hello,
The holiday season is upon us and that means holiday parties, family gatherings, and lots of food. While this can be a stressful time of year, I don’t want food to create an added stress for you. Here are some simple wellness tips to incorporate for a healthier and calmer holiday season.
Eat mindfully.
When we eat mindfully, we pay attention to our internal hunger cues, appreciate every bite, and savor the taste and flavor of our food. While eating mindfully is often easier said than done at a holiday party, slowing down and taking a deep breath can help you stay focused. When we eat more slowly, we can recognize when we are truly full, so we tend to practice portion control and eat less. Eating mindfully also helps us to choose foods that we really enjoy instead of eating just to eat. I offer mindful eating tips here.
Eat with joy rather than guilt.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk to ourselves around food — especially during the holidays. In my Good Housekeeping interview in the December issue, I pushed back on the idea that eating “better” means eating guilt-free food swaps that strip meals of meaning and joy. Too often we swap ingredients not because it actually makes us feel better, but because we’re trying to avoid feeling bad about what’s on our plate — and that mindset just keeps the guilt cycle going. What I care about is this: enjoy the foods you love, eat mindfully, and let tradition and connection matter just as much as nutrition. Food should fuel you — not shame you.
Stick to a routine.
Sticking to a regular eating and exercise routine as much as possible can help you deal with holiday eating. While it may not always be possible, stick to a routine as often as you can during the holidays. Try to include some protein in the morning to help you feel full. Good choices include Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit or peanut butter on sprouted grain bread. Try to exercise at least a few times a week, even it means a shorter workout. I suggest aiming for a morning workout because so often we get caught up later in the day and end up skipping our exercise.
Bring a healthy dish to the party.
A great way to ensure that you have some healthy food at a holiday party is to bring a healthy dish along. Ask your host in advance how you can help out and offer up a few choices of healthy dishes you can bring along. It can be as simple as a tray of raw veggies with a healthy dip like hummus as an appetizer or a dish you cook such as roasted vegetables, cauliflower rice, your favorite bean dish, or vegetable lasagna.
Fill up on freebies.
You can enjoy an abundance of free foods—fruits and vegetables. As I write in my book Finally Full, Finally Slim. I am a huge fan of eating more of the right foods. It will help fill you up and therefore help you eat less of the wrong foods (fried food, cookies, white pasta). I promise—no one got fat from eating too many carrots or bananas. Fruits and vegetables are also super hydrating which offers up an added bonus.
Follow the 80-20 rule.
Yes, it is ok to indulge. Just not all the time. During the holiday season, I suggest you follow a healthy eating plan most of the time while allowing an occasional treat meal, drink, or dessert at a party. For example, if you are going to a holiday event, eat a healthy breakfast and lunch and allow yourself to indulge (sans guilt) in your favorite holiday treat.
Be grateful.
Health is about more than food. A good attitude helps to reduce anxiety, improve relationships, and may even contribute to good health. The more you realize that you have so much to be thankful for, the more grateful you naturally become.
Here’s to a healthy holiday season.
Warmly,
Lisa
Dr. Lisa Young
P.S. We will be on break until January 2. We look forward to engaging with you in 2026! If you have any special topics you’d like to hear about, please reply to this message.
Enjoy some of my favorite health and wellness
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