Enrich's Guide to Food for Fun

December is a time to celebrate, spend time with friends and family, and wind down the year. An important part of a healthy diet is the ability to truly be in the moment and enjoy food, without feelings of guilt. A true healthy diet is one that is flexible and enjoyable, knowing that food is more than just fuel. Food helps us bond and share experiences, as well as bringing comfort and stirring nostalgia. Developing a healthy and enjoyable relationship with food is vital in our wellbeing journey, so join us to explore some tips for eating mindfully in the holiday season, in a way that makes us feel satisfied and joyful during the crazy period.

Redefining what ‘healthy eating’ means

A healthy diet not only nourishes our bodies, but our minds as well. If our food choices are based on rigid rules, telling us that certain foods are good and others are bad, it can lead to feelings of fear, guilt or shame around our choices. Especially around the holiday period, people fall into bad eating habits, but it is important to keep them consistent and try to honour your hunger ques. Try not to skip meals. Rather than skipping meals and saving calories because you know you have a big meal coming up later in the day, try to keep eating regularly and overall, you will probably eat less. Its key to also focus on what you can add to your meals, not takeaway. Instead of restriction, add in fruit, veggies, healthy fats where you can and not completely remove certain foods groups. We eat for many reasons, not just for our physical health, and that is perfectly okay. A truly healthy diet is one that is peaceful, nourishing and enjoyable.

Remember that one meal or even one week of meals will not dramatically change your health

Our overall dietary pattern has much more of an influence on our health than a short-term period. If most of our food is based on fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, proteins and healthy fats, we have built a solid foundation of health. One reminder you should always be thinking about is that you should never feel guilty for eating – it is never wrong to eat. Even if you have overeaten, intentional or not, it is not the end of the world. You haven’t failed or fallen off the wagon, just accept its happened and move on. There is no need to make up for it by eating nothing the next day. There is no way to fail at eating, we can just reconnect with ourselves and move on.

Don’t fall into an ‘all or nothing’ mindset

When our way of eating is flexible and incorporates all foods, we can relieve ourselves of the pressure to eat perfectly. A good tip is to remove morality with foods, there are no good or bad foods, or you aren’t good or bad for eating them. Labelling foods as ‘naughty or sinful’ can create a damaging image and this can develop feelings of guilt and shame when these foods are consumed. To try and combat this, we suggest planning your favourite foods around Christmas. It is easy to structure your favourite (maybe unhealthier) foods into the day without going overboard or restriction.

Remember that food is more than fuel, it is connection and joy and celebration

Particularly at this time of year, we are meeting with people we love and celebrating over food and drink. This is an important ritual and allows us to feel connected to the people around us. We are creating precious memories, which should not be overshadowed by guilt about our food choices.

Embrace curiosity and be kind, not judgemental

When we slow down and connect to how our bodies feel, it can really help to develop this flexible relationship with food. Instead of beating ourselves up for eating certain foods, get curious about how they make us feel. Building our connection to feelings of hunger, fullness and pleasure can make our food relationship much more enjoyable. It’s important to know that it is okay to say yes to certain foods. If your body would like a mince pie after dinner, don’t punish yourself for it, sit back, relax and enjoy! But know that it is okay to say no to food too, saying no because you don’t want it is a valid reason.  

‘I feel like I should because its Christmas’

Beware of the scarcity mindset. It makes us feel like we need to eat food when it’s there when in fact, we don’t need to eat when we don’t really want to.

Don’t forget the basics

Eat some food, get enough sleep, drink some water, spend time with loved ones, enjoy the festivities and practise mindful breathing techniques in moments of stress and chaos. These small actions might not seem like much, but they really add up and help us to feel grounded in busy times.