The end of the year is a time to gather with loved ones, celebrate, and enjoy rich and delicious food. But for many people, these special diets come with feelings of anxiety and guilt. In a recent survey by Orlando Health, 39 percent of U.S. respondents said they were worried about how much they would eat during the holidays. A quarter also agreed that people should skip meals before feasts such as Thanksgiving dinner to “save” calories.
Sarah Ream, a registered dietitian at Orlando Health, points out that the messages we absorb about health and vacation, especially dieting and weight loss, are often misguided. Reem guides clients through a six-week lifestyle program to further their health goals. She sees firsthand how our go-to ideas about health and weight loss can backfire, especially during the holidays. She is passionate about helping people develop more effective and healthy ways to cope with being surrounded by delicious food that may not be the best way to nourish the body this time of year. spending time.
“You don’t necessarily have to limit or eliminate all of these foods,” she says. “It creates a balance between enjoying the holidays and taking care of your health.”
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scientific american We spoke to Reem to learn more about how certain myths about dieting can harm us, what tips to help you get through the holidays, and what to do when it’s time for New Year’s resolutions. It has expanded.
(An edited transcript of the conversation follows:)
Why are so many people worried about what to eat on vacation?
I think many people are feeling anxious and nervous because their vacations in the past have often involved luxuries. I have many clients who are trying to learn how to improve their health, but when a special occasion like this comes along, they don’t really know how to handle it because it’s a unique situation. And especially, it’s a situation where you’re almost encouraged to overdo it or overindulge. It’s a time when many people feel like they’ve lost control. But personally, I love starting a dialogue with clients during this time. Because you can teach your clients and guide them through this holiday season in real time.
Why is focusing on and worrying about holiday meals so counterproductive?
Stress can definitely contribute to weight gain on its own. Prolonged periods of high levels of cortisol (the stress response hormone) in the body, such as during the holiday season, can definitely lead to weight gain. So from a weight management perspective, it can be counterproductive to what we’re trying to achieve.
Additionally, focusing too much on food can have a negative impact on your mental health. There are so many other things to experience and think about during the holiday season. Essentially, the holidays are supposed to be a joyful and celebratory time to gather with loved ones, give thanks, give gifts, and celebrate. I try to emphasize to my clients what they want to prioritize during the holiday season. “What actually matters to you at this time?”
What if your health goals are one of the important things?
I recommend relying on the vegetables on the table to create a balanced plate. There’s often some kind of salad, roasted vegetables, or even green bean casserole. These are some of the more nutritious foods we can consume. They nourish our bodies, but at the same time leave room for other delicious foods that we like to eat. Trust me, I still make room on my plate for mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. But I’m also thinking about how best to nourish my body in this situation.
Another way to reach your health goals is to get a little bit more active. I’m not necessarily encouraging families to go to the gym or do the Turkey Trot. However, studies have shown that even just a 2-5 minute walk right after a meal can improve insulin sensitivity, which can be very beneficial for people managing insulin resistance.
We also recommend that you think about what you want to eat first. For me, I know macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes are available year-round, but my grandmother only makes Derby pie for the major holidays. So, I know you’re trying to stay focused on certain health goals, so you might cut back on the macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes to make a little extra space for Derby pie. And that’s how we still create that balance.
If it’s important to me not only to develop healthy eating habits, but also to enjoy Grandma’s pie, how can I make sure these “special occasions” don’t hinder my progress? Is it ok?
It’s all very individual. It depends on where you are in your health journey. Ideally, you’ve established a baseline of healthy habits so eating one pie or cookie won’t change much. But without that baseline, it’s very difficult to get back to that baseline. I encourage my clients to engage in a “Plan, Act, Reflect” cycle. When visiting this holiday season, try to plan for the unexpected as much as possible. Look back at what worked and what didn’t over the past few years. If you’ve overindulged in the past and found yourself feeling unwell or having high test scores, it’s time to start planning how you’ll spend the upcoming holiday season. can. “What can I do differently this time?” Then you can build on that plan and do the best you can for next year.
Continuing this cycle of “plan, act, reflect” will prevent less-than-ideal situations and decisions from “relapsing,” for lack of a better word, completely reverting to old habits. . In my work with clients, I’ve found this to be one of the most powerful strategies. This allows you to let go of some of your suboptimal decisions and still move forward in a positive and productive way.
Many people believe that they should skip a meal to “save calories” before the big holiday dinner. Why don’t you recommend it?
Restricting foods in this way can be counterproductive to your health goals. very It’s hard to make healthy decisions when you’re hungry. It’s going to be difficult to make the balanced decisions I talked about earlier. Additionally, restricting can also lead to bulimia. How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you get a little too hungry, eat a little too much, then don’t eat for a while and the cycle repeats? We get stuck in a cycle of restricting and overeating, and for certain people it can become a very serious problem.
So I don’t recommend it. That’s not healthy. It is not a way to balance nutrition. What I recommend is to have small meals and snacks throughout the day before your main meal. Leave room for your favorite foods during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday meals. But don’t starve to death, okay? Don’t set yourself up for failure when trying to maintain these health goals.
The survey found that one in three respondents believed they needed a “detox” or “cleanse” after the holidays. Would you recommend this?
The best way to move forward is if you feel like you’ve overindulged, made a suboptimal decision, or made a decision you don’t like, admit it, reflect on the factors that led to it, and plan your next move. It is to stand up. Wait a while before proceeding. That’s my biggest advice. Don’t overthink it. Compensatory behaviors such as cleansing with juice, overexercising, and even vomiting and purging with laxatives are very closely related to disordered eating behavior. If you find yourself engaging in any aspect of that behavior, be very honest with yourself and perhaps seek support. Evaluate why you feel the need to do these things, as these behaviors can become dangerous types if they continue.
But you also need to realize that you don’t have to do it all. Enjoy the meal on this special day once a year and continue on with the rest of your journey. As I’ve said many times before, just as one healthy meal won’t change your life, neither will one unhealthy or “not-so-good” meal. So please release me. That’s my biggest advice. Acknowledge it and let it go. Just as people say “new year, new me,” they break it down further to say “new day, new me,” or even “new diet, new me.” Try to understand why you made that decision (and why you’re unhappy) so that something similar doesn’t happen again in the future, then move on.
How do you help people rebuild their relationship with food so that it is less hostile and punitive and more accepting and flexible?
To be honest, I don’t think I can answer this succinctly because I’ve spent over 6 weeks counseling people about this. It’s heavy, isn’t it? It’s the relationship between people and food. That’s the psychology behind nutrition. (Essentially) It is a food culture that places the highest value on weight loss. If you break this down and think about why we think of food in moral terms like good, bad, clean, dirty, cheating, it’s because of food culture. As a society, we have been conditioned to think that way. As someone who is in the same position, I strive every day to dismantle it. Because that’s too untrue. I desperately try to get my clients to think about food in a neutral way, giving them freedom and taking power away from food. Because at the end of the day, it’s just food. It’s just a way to nourish the body.
One of the concepts I like to teach is the nutritional spectrum. I try to help children think of food as something they eat “all the time,” something they eat “sometimes,” and something they eat “rarely.” The things we “rarely” eat are the things we eat as snacks. It’s probably high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. We know these inflammation-causing nutrients are bad for our health and may be linked to some of the cardiometabolic diseases we’re trying to avoid. And in the middle is “sometimes” food. Perhaps they do not carry any health risks, but they are also not the best way to nourish our bodies. Most of our food would fall into that category. And the foods that are “always” the most nutritious are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and vegetable proteins such as beans, peas, and lentils. Something so nutritious is something you want to eat all the time.
If we can lean toward the “sometimes” and “always” side of the spectrum as often as possible, we’ll be fine. So when you think about Thanksgiving and the holidays, think about where your foods fit on your spectrum and try to lean more into those foods from time to time, and always. And since today is a holiday and it happens very rarely, you can rarely eat food.
One last very important question. What is Derby Pie?
Oh, let’s talk about that. Derby pie is a Kentucky specialty made by my grandmother from Louisville. It’s basically a pecan pie, but with chocolate and bourbon. It’s luxurious with plenty of corn syrup. It’s so delicious, but she only makes it twice a year: Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s my thing that I always make space for.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please contact us at: National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders Call us at (888) 375-7767.