A Very Merry Mindful Christmas
Diets boom after Christmas and with determination and willpower at an all-time high we set out to lose weight and with the New Year transform into the ‘new and improved’. They’re tempting with promises however, diets push unrealistic results and inevitably you will be let down by the process as science shows that diets simply do not work. The resolution can only be maintained for so long and often weight is regained with the possibility of ending up heavier than when you started.
Willpower works in the short term however, eating and drinking is a life time thing and the rules and restrictions dictated by diets can not be sustained. Therefore, this season I call to abolish the annual angst of food and weight gain and instead, one of the greatest gifts you could give to yourself this Christmas and New Year is mindfulness and a resolution to ditch the diets.
Whilst it might seem simpler to take a food plan and execute the rules, it’s cheating yourself out of the opportunity to create a healthy relationship with food and your body. Life throws us curve balls, to challenge us, and the message is not to set out to ‘master mindfulness’ but rather add it to your tool belt to help you navigate through these challenges and move away from guilt and anxiety around food and body weight.
5 Merry Mindful Tips this Christmas and New Year;
1. You are free to eat all foods
Over the season you will see lists of foods that are ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’ and whilst some foods are more nutritious than others, there are no good and bad foods. Food is just food and you are free to eat what you please. You do not need external permission to eat what you feel like and feel no guilt for your choices. All food is equal.
2.Be in the moment
Whilst giving yourself permission to eat all foods, also allow yourself the time to savour and enjoy the experience. When we eat, it can be easy to fall into autopilot and inhale the food without paying too much attention to our sensations. Take a moment before eating to appreciate the delicious food your about to experience and take in the smell and even how it looks. Eat slowly, enjoy every bite and recognise how you’re feeling throughout the process.
3. Listen to your body
Backing on from being in the moment, check in with yourself before, during and after the meal to see how you are feeling; you may notice that you didn’t enjoy it, or you may notice that you are now more satisfied than you thought. Getting in tune with our hunger and fullness can take some time because as a child we were told to eat everything on our plate (diminishing our sense of fullness) and through diets we are taught to go without eating (diminishing our sense of hunger). Whilst these signals have been put on mute, they are still there and something we can bring back. Through this we can learn to eat the right amount of food for us, regardless of our body size.
Being in touch with our hunger and fullness can help curb the amount of ‘non-hungry eating’ we do. This is when we eat, but rather than eating in response to hunger, we are eating for other reasons. It’s ok to do ‘non-hungry’ eating but often we do it more than we would like. Take the time to reflect and if hunger is not the drive, what is? You might learn of other underlying reasons and you can look to new ways of addressing these cues.
4. Eat food that will satisfy you
If you know you’ve been craving pavlova for weeks; eat the pavlova. If you push this want aside and opt for the fruit salad for example but underneath still really want the pavlova it’s possible that next time you get the chance you will over-eat it. Allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy it in the first place and by doing so avoid angst and the internal food war with yourself.
Whilst taking the time to eat the food you really want, also take the time to reflect on how it made you feel. Did it make you feel fresh, energetic and happy or did it make you feel bloated, yuck and just want to curl up in a ball and nap? Through noticing these feelings post meals, you can start to guide your choices, based on foods that make you feel good and this an underlying tool which you can last you a life time (unlike diets).
5. Its OK to say no
When you look back on the Christmas past, whilst there is vision of delicious food, there are also those foods that you wish you never took a mouthful off. The fruit cake with hard as rock royal icing, the roses chocolates (left in the bottom of the box which you know you don’t like, but eat anyway) or even that extra glass of bubbly that just didn’t sit right. Often, we say yes to that serving before we have had time to process our thoughts and it’s ok to take a second, pause, think and if we don’t want it … say ‘no thanks’ to the food.
Together these principles form the underlying concepts of mindfulness and intuitive eating. As you dance around the Christmas tree this year, start to dance around all five of these ideas and begin to see how they work hand in hand. It can be a crazy time of year but it’s a great opportunity to take time for you and whilst it may seem more challenging than the ‘quick fix’ these underlying concepts will build the foundation for a merry and bright future. A future free from food guilt, worry and diet culture.
For more information refer to an Accredited Practicing Dietitian specialised in intuitive eating, mindfulness and the non-diet approach via www.daa.asn.au.
