How to Eat Smart during the Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year ― unless you’re on a diet and have set impossible standards for eating during the holidays. There’s nothing wrong with taking an “everything in moderation” approach at the dinner table, but other “rules” we establish for ourselves around the holidays can actually hinder rather than help our overall health.  Think “I’ll work out extra hard so I can ‘earn’ my holiday meal,” or “I want to eat ‘clean’ this holiday, so I’ll skip the pie.”

Anyway, if you’re stressing about holiday weight gain, you’re probably doing so needlessly. Research shows that holiday weight gain does happen, but generally only to a minor degree. One study on college-aged adults found that holiday eating only contributed to between half a pound and two pounds of actual weight gain. You may not even gain anything at all. In any case, there should be no moral value assigned to weight loss or weight gain: Demonizing food at the holidays (or any other time) can have a negative effect on your mental health.

If your goal is to “eat smart” this season ― and into the new year ― you may want to give intuitive eating a shot. It’s the idea that no dieting is the very best diet of all. Instead of falling into the trap of tiresome food “rules,” intuitive eaters listen to their bodies and give themselves permission to eat what they want. They rely on their internal hunger and fullness cues to tell them when, what and how much to eat.

Given how ineffective diets can be ― 95% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it within five years ― many dietitians and nutritionists are starting to sing the praises of intuitive eating. “I think as the holidays approach, it’s wise to consider exploring the non-diet approach, which allows for a peaceful relationship with food by allowing permission to eat pleasurable, satisfying foods year-round,” says Kathleen Meehan, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles.

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