The holiday season offers numerous opportunities to attend festive gatherings, participate in traditional celebrations, socialize, and enjoy a plethora of delicious foods. You can maximize seasonal enjoyment by planning a nutritional holiday dinner and minimizing the harmful or unpleasant after-effects of overindulgence. If you feel overwhelmed by strong emotions this holiday season, reach out to Grace Counseling at 844.564.0712. We are conveniently located in both Ft. Worth and Lewisville, Texas.
5 Tips for Nutritional Holiday Dining
1. When it comes to nutrition and wellness, practice giving yourself grace while guiding your behaviors towards sustainable health.
Nutrition therapy and food counseling may be helpful if you live with overwhelming emotions related to food, especially during the holiday season. A healthy emotional body and mind maintained with nutritional therapy and wellness contribute significantly to overall physical health and an improved mood. At Grace Counseling, we’re available to support your nutritional wellness during the holidays and beyond.
Prioritize balancing things that feel good at the moment with something that your future self will appreciate. For example, at a party, you may opt to enjoy some fresh fruit along with a small sugary delight instead of diving in for all of the sugar. No time for a serious workout? No problem. Put on some jazzy music, set a timer, and dance or go for a brisk walk.
The important thing is to keep moving and keep your inner monologue kind. Importantly, try not to engage in punishing self-talk, and if you catch yourself doing so, gently redirect. You’re doing the best that you can.
2. If you’re cooking, make it a beautiful and nutritional holiday dinner by cooking the rainbow.
Implementing a variety of colorful vegetables, fruits, and legumes will not only brighten your plates with a more festive hue, but a rainbow of produce also imbues your meal with a wealth of nutritional benefits. Consider incorporating antioxidant-packed, nutrient-dense vegan and vegetarian recipes along with meaty favorites for a sensational feast.
Including a bright, immune system boosting mix of fresh, pickled, and cooked fruits and vegetables into your meal ensures that your gut biome has the most effective flora and fauna possible so that when it comes to digesting the heavy dishes at the holiday table, your body will be aptly prepared.
3. Maximize nutritional value and minimize pot-luck stress by bringing fresh fruit or veggie platters to the party.
Bringing fresh fare ensures that there are light yet flavorful options available to keep partygoers feeling nourished and energized. Once you arrive at the party, endow your plate generously with fresh items before making your way to the heavier, less nutritional cooked fare. Crunching on cruciferous veggies and enjoying succulent fruits can boost both energy and mood and help you avoid the feelings of heaviness and exhaustion that often descend after enjoying festive foods.
Similarly, if you’re bringing a drink to the party, opt for low sugar and alcohol-free options such as flavored seltzer, tea, coffee, or sparkling cider. Minimizing or skipping alcohol altogether is a very sensible choice for the nutritionally conscious partygoer.
4. Cultivate the art of saying “No” kindly.
Often during the holidays, we eat things offered to us not out of desire but rather because we feel that it’s polite. This holiday season, embrace the art of discerning true desires from obligatory bites and drinks. Practice the art of saying no and sticking with it. A few phrases to flex when you’d like to decline an invitation or request:
- I realize I have done that in the past, but it isn’t right for me at this time.
- No, thank you, I’m full.
- Thank you, that doesn’t align with my diet right now.
- Be polite, confident, and proud of your power to choose.
5. Don’t skip meals and never go out hungry.
Whether you’re heading to the mall for some last-minute gift purchases or heading to a company party, never leave the house hungry. If you arrive famished, you’re more likely to make less healthy choices. Never skip a meal as punishment for eating too much or in anticipation of a large meal later. It’s important to nourish the body with nutritionally balanced meals at regular intervals. Doing so boosts your immune system, mood, and energy.
Contact Grace Counseling for Nutritional Therapy Today
If you think that nutritional therapy and food counseling could benefit you, reach out to us at 844.564.0712 today. Our expert team is adept at customizing treatment to meet your individual needs. At Grace Counseling, we’re here to support your nutritional wellness through the holiday season and beyond!
