With the holidays upon us, many of us will be involved in parties and family gatherings which can make it difficult to stay on the path of true health. It is easy to say that I’ll just have one cookie, chicken wing, piece of pizza, or whatever is on the buffet table and enjoy, but most of us can’t stop at just one! This self-talk continues through the holiday season and you continue to find ways to rationalize your poor food choices. As a result, you feel sluggish, bloated and tired (although you blame this on the hustle and bustle of the season!) and vow to do better in the New Year. To break this cycle, there are steps you can take to avoid this pattern that seemingly happens every holiday season.
First of all, start by remembering the purpose of the holidays. Despite what the media wants us to believe, it’s not all about spending money. No matter your religious background or beliefs, we can focus on spending time with family and friends and celebrating our connection to them. We have always been social creatures. In the past, humans relied on each other for survival and today our positive relationships with others help to improve our physical and mental health. In Kelly Turner’s book, Radical Remission, she found that cancer patients who had strong social connections lived 25% longer than those who didn’t. (1) Other research has shown that receiving love and social support increases dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, and the effects of this are decreased inflammation (which lessens disease risk), increased circulation, increased white and red blood cells, and increased body’s ability to find and fight cancer cells. Looking at it from the opposite view, the lack of social connection can result in loneliness, not only during the holidays but throughout the year, and that can lead to earlier death. If you know someone who will be alone during this time of year, make the effort to get him/her to attend your gatherings. Focus on the people you are with and spend time reconnecting and strengthening those relationships.
Of course we can’t deny the fact that food will be a part of the holiday celebrations. Many people you know may not view health in the way you do and the food they contribute to the celebrations won’t be what you know to be health promoting. Therefore, you can plan ahead for these situations. If you are taking a dish to the gathering, bring something that you will eat, so this way you know that there will be at least one item for you. Especially if it’s a sit down meal, you may have to volunteer to make a couple dishes. Often there are fruit and vegetable trays available so focus on those, without mountains of the dips that usually go along with them. If it is a cocktail party or reception, socialize with your friends as far from the food as possible and with your back to the buffet. This makes it more difficult for you to fill your plate with unhealthy foods because the distance gives you time to think about what you are doing, getting more food, than if you were right next to the buffet. When we see food and are in close proximity to it, we are more likely to eat it. Through research it has been found that our friends influence how much we eat. (2) When we eat with one other person we can consume 35% more food than if we were alone, with four people it’s 75% more food and in a group of seven or more people it’s 96% more food consumed. We look to others for validation of what we are doing and if our friends are eating that gives us permission to eat as well. Plate or bowl size also influences how much you will eat. For example, a study was completed with subjects using two different sized bowls for ice cream and two different sized serving spoons. (3) Participants served themselves, and the ones using the larger bowl and serving spoon ate 57% more ice cream than the group with smaller bowls and serving spoons. When you are at a party, seek out a smaller plate, possibly a salad plate, and use that to put your food on, and if you are hosting, provide your guests smaller plate options. The more food you have the more food you will eat. However, if salad and vegetables are available without the fat containing toppings such as bacon and cheese or the creamy dips, you are free to eat as much as you want! Keeping these strategies in mind not only during the holidays, but throughout the year, will lead to them becoming habits and then you will be able to spend less time consciously thinking about making good food choices.
Being healthy through the holidays requires some advanced planning, as well as being mindful of what you are eating in social situations. Keeping the focus on social connection and the meaning of the season will allow you to feel better and experience more joy during this time.
(1) Turner, Kelly. Radical Remission. Harper Collins; 2014.
(2) de Castro JM. “Family and friends produce greater social facilitation of food intake than other companions.” PhysiolBehav 1994; 56(3):445‐55.
(3) WansinkB, Cheney MM. “Super Bowls: serving bowl size and food consumption.” JAMA 2005;293(14):1727‐8.