Dietitians’ Tips To Stay on Track During the Holidays

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and — very often — indulgence. With feasting, sweet treats and alcohol everywhere, it’s easy to slip into habits that leave you sluggish and regretful come New Year’s Day. But it doesn’t have to be that way, if you follow these tips from five Orlando Health dietitians.

You Must Be Present To Win

One invaluable tip for truly enjoying a happy, healthy holiday season is to practice mindful eating. This means being fully present while you eat and really focusing on the taste, texture and aroma of your food. Listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues helps reduce overeating, crucial at a time when the spirit of excess can easily lead to crashing right through your limits.

When you slow down and savor the flavors and traditions behind holiday dishes, you’re less likely to aimlessly graze or overindulge, and you may feel satisfied with smaller portions. Being mindful helps you recognize how different foods affect you, giving you space to make choices that align with your year-round wellness goals.

Some ideas on how to get started:

• Sit down instead of eating on the go
• Start with small portions and assess your hunger before going back for seconds
• Take small bites and chew thoroughly, giving yourself time to digest and recognize fullness signals

Patients who’ve tried mindful eating during the holidays report feeling more in control around food, enjoying meals without guilt or regret and maintaining a healthy body weight throughout the season.

Everything in Moderation

Mindfulness also can make moderation easier. “Remember that special days don’t only come during the holiday season,” says Shannon O’Meara, a registered dietitian with Orlando Health’s Center for Health Improvement.

At this time of year, everyone seems to break out a special bottle of this or an exceptional box of that, rich and lavish treats nobody eats routinely. But remember that even if you took the food away, “you’d still have those lasting memories,” O’Meara says. “You don’t have to add foods to add to the specialness of the day.”

In fact it may be harder to savor any particular food when so much is competing for your attention. “Enjoy the truly special things in moderation without letting excess dilute that appreciation,” O’Meara says.

Focusing on socializing and not the food will help. “Often we find ourselves sitting in the kitchen mindlessly picking at a platter while chatting,” says Ileana Trautwein, an outpatient dietitian with Orlando Health. Instead, “try to move around and talk with different groups. Make holidays about the people and spending time together, not the food.”

What moderation does not mean is skipping or skimping on regular healthy meals that include protein, fiber, fat and fiber-filled carbohydrates. “Remember to consistently nourish your body,” says Larissa DePasqua, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Orlando Health’s Feeding Difficulties Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “It's easy to want to skip meals or ‘save calories’ for later, but that typically backfires,” DePasqua says, leading to overeating, late-night eating and cravings. 

The Three Ms

Another thing that will made mindfulness and moderation easier is the third “M:” movement.

Adding movement to your day will help balance the extra nutrients you may be eating and has other benefits as well. “Sometimes when we start eating foods we don’t normally consume, our digestive tract can change pace,” says Kelly Urbanik, a specialty dietitian at Orlando Health’s Leon Pediatric Neuroscience Center of Excellence. “Physical activity throughout the day helps keep things moving inside our bodies as well.” That could be a walk after a meal, throwing a ball with family or friends, or playing video games or board games that involve movement.

Encouraging family members to join in gives you another way to spread the holiday cheer.  “Don’t just watch football on TV, get out and play!” Trautwein says. “Go for a stroll to look at holiday lights rather than taking the car, or get down on the floor and play with pets and toddlers. You’ll make some fun memories and get started on that New Year's Resolution — why wait until January?”

The Bottom Line

The holidays are about connection and celebration. Taking time to enjoy the company of loved ones while you make memories around the table will help take the focus off food. Embrace the holiday season with mindfulness, moderation and movement, and watch how they transform your experience into one of joy, satisfaction and better health.