How to Avoid Food Guilt Over the Christmas Period
by Annie O'Brien | 15th Dec 2020
Christmas is only a few days away. A wonderful time of year filled with festivities, spending time with loved ones and enjoying delicious food!
The festive season is a time to indulge in our favourite Christmas treats but can be filled with increased temptation and overindulgence. Christmas can often bring feelings of guilt around over consuming, but there are ways to prevent overindulgence and to combat those feelings of guilt. Here is How to Avoid Food Guilt Over the Christmas Period.
How to Avoid Food Guilt Over the Christmas Period
Being Mindful:
- Make sure you sit down and take the time to enjoy your food.
- Slow down your eating and chew well. Aim for 20 – 30 bites per chew to enjoy the flavours, textures and tastes before swallowing. You will digest food better and allow your brain time to realise you are full before going back for more.
- Check in with yourself before you sit down for a second helping or another chocolate bicky, to ask yourself how hungry or full you actually are, this can really do wonders!
How to Avoid Food Guilt Over the Christmas Period
Balance is Key
- Of course, have a few chocolates and enjoy them! Keep the wrappers so as you can keep tabs on how many you have eaten. Remember that any tinned or boxed chocolate will contain anywhere between 50 -80kcal per chocolate. Bring yourself back on track if things are getting out of hand!
- Start your day off right with a good breakfast. Don’t forget it could be a long time before the main meal is served, so a healthy breakfast is a good initial source of energy and important nutrients and may help to reduce the tendency to snack while the Christmas dinner is cooking! Try to ensure your breakfast is balanced and includes some fruit/veg, healthy fats and lean proteins.
Don’t Label Food
Try not to attach “good” (healthy) or “bad” (unhealthy) labels to food as this may trigger feelings of guilt and make us feel very uneasy around food and food choices. Remember, while a typical Christmas dinner can be high in calories it can also be a source of protein, fibre and many essential vitamins and minerals- that doesn’t sound too “bad” at all!
How to Avoid Food Guilt Over the Christmas Period
Catch Up on Sleep
Sleep is so important for our mental and physical health and being well rested means you’re less likely to feel stressed over the Christmas period. Ensure you’re getting the recommended 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night. Try to avoid screens/technology and caffeine or alcohol late in the night as this may disrupt your sleeping patterns.
Relax and Enjoy!
Try not to overstress about what you are eating over the next few days and when you start feeling guilty remember that it is only one week of your year. Chances are, the amount of stress you’ll save yourself is more healthy than saving a few calories anyway! Food is fuel but it is also such a massive part of celebrating, bringing together friends and family over a hearty meal and a warming drink. So, enjoy the moment and relax, we all deserve it after the year we’ve had! You can always rebalance your diet after Christmas and don’t forget, the GourmetFuel team will be here in January to get you back on track and into a healthy eating routine!