While the holidays evoke joy in some and dread in others, we all know how the holiday food cycle goes – overstuffing ourselves on foods we don’t normally eat, too many sweets, often too much alcohol, and deciding we’ll just go ahead and indulge ourselves until the New Year (is it any wonder that the top two New Year’s resolutions are exercise more and lose weight?)
I propose a different way of entering the holiday eating season that will allow you to enjoy great food without ending up bloated, overstuffed, and feeling guilty.
First, learn and use the 4-7-8 Breath regularly – it is highly effective for the stress and anxiety that often accompany the holidays. Do a cycle of four 4-7-8 Breaths before you sit down to a holiday (or any) meal to signal your body to “rest and digest”.
Second, chew your food! Eating (especially during the holidays) is a social activity, so most of us don’t pay attention to our chewing and our food doesn’t get broken down properly from the start. Chewing mixes your food with your enzyme-rich saliva. Practice before holiday dinners start – take some time to count how many times you need to chew each bite of different foods you eat to break them down so thoroughly that there is almost nothing left of them in your mouth. An added benefit of chewing properly is that it slows down your eating. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to signal that you are full, so when we bolt down our food, it’s easy to overeat before that signal hits.
Third, here are some delicious and gluten free holiday recipes to make and take to gatherings, so you know you’ll always have something more nourishing than the usual fare to eat!
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Liz Kerby, Certified Health Coach & Live Blood Microscopist
To schedule an appointment with Liz, visit our website or call (702)258-7860