Having struggled with an eating disorder myself, there is no doubt that the festive season can be one of the most stressful times of the year. The holiday season is supposed to be a time for relaxation and fun. But, it seems like the whole festive season revolves almost entirely around food and eating. When you are already struggling with anxiety around food and eating, it can seem like the worst time of the year. But, though it doesnt necessarily help, you arent alone. In fact, some research suggests that one-third of all holiday stress derives from food-based overindulgence. Below is a combination of research and personal experience which I can only hope will help if you are in a similar position. This isnt medical advice and I still recommend seeing a professional who can help you in the long term and deal with your specific difficulties.Try to stop viewing food as good and bad
For me, this has been one of the most difficult things to do. To be totally honest, I still struggle with it. Seeing food as neutral rather than good or bad means letting go of all those toxic things youve been taught.
Abby Langer R.D. explained in an article for Self that going into the holiday season with the intention of restricting calories and strict plans usually ends in disaster. This all-or-nothing mentality can lead to even more negative feelings around eating and your body. Usually, these super restrictive rules lead to slip-ups. Once youve broken your rules, it can be easy to end up bingeing and ultimately, making yourself feel worse.
As difficult as it is when you begin to see food as neutral and simply eat what you feel like, at the time, it takes a weight off your mind. Ive found that focusing on listening to what my body wants has resulted in me eating less sugary snacks and more healthy foods that are nutritious and, generally good.
Its also important to realize that the low-calorie option isnt always the best option nutrition-wise. Eating a balanced and healthy diet is ultimately going to be better for you. That can include protein, salad, vegetables,and some sweet holiday snacks.
Its easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and end up buying all the sweets and chocolates available. I have an awful tendency to fall for the pretty packaging and can end up buying things that, without that pretty container, I wouldnt usually buy. Making a list before you go shopping can be hugely beneficial for this and can help you to avoid falling into this trap.
It will also help you to eat better in the time surrounding the holidayswhen youre still cooking for yourself. Maintaining a normal way of eating as much as possible is of huge benefit and can make you feel that youre more in control.
Its also worth saying here that, if you dont have it, you cant eat it. If you are looking to avoid unhealthy snacks and foods, making sure you keep them to a minimum will inevitably help you to avoid them, at least when youre in your own house.
Planning to have healthy snacks on hand can also be of huge benefit to those last-minute invitations. You can bring something from home that you are comfortable eating, which means that youll have a safe option to rely on.
Unfortunately, there seems to be at least one in every family. It might be that random uncle whocomments on your body or weight that you can usually avoid.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
However, over the holiday season, you are forced to interact with him. Its definitely not great but, unfortunately, it can be unavoidable. When you are forced into interactions with those types of people, try to set boundaries with them right up front.
For instance, Langer suggests telling them that you wont discuss your body or your diet. She also suggests the thats none of your business angle might work. However, it could also cause issues so what I try to do is stay away from those types of people as much as I possibly can.
Alternatively, if you really cannot manage to avoid them, try to immediately re-direct the conversation when you start to feel triggered. Remember that you always have the right to take some time away from everybody to breathe and regain control of the situation. If you really struggle, try to chat to a friend about being on hand for a text if you need emotional support.
Remember that you are human and that things can affect your emotions differently even on a day-to-day basis. Trying to take some personal time away from people during the holiday season, as I find this can really be helpful in maintaining a more balanced perspective. Taking care of yourself and accepting the way you feel is also hugely helpful when it comes to dealing with food and the holidays.
As much as you can, try to actually enjoy the food itself and become more focused on the enjoyment than the calories or carbs. It can be a difficult time when it comes to food, forgive yourself when you are unable to cope, and really take time to analyze how you feel. Itll likely help you in the future.
https://www.self.com/story/holidays-food-anxiety
See the original post:
Food Anxiety and The Festive Season - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE
- Morning Medical Update: Gut bacteria and longevity; People with ... - Medical Economics - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Artificial Intelligence and the Aging Process: A Match Made for ... - Down to Game - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Saint Bernard Lifespan: How Long Do Saint Bernards Live? - AZ Animals - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- 'Human Resources' Was Poised to Be Netflix's Longest-Running ... - PRIMETIMER - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Early Life Adversity Doesn't Affect Gorillas Like Other Species - The Good Men Project - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Wellness luminaries, experts to meet in KK - The Borneo Post - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- I grew up with hazardous smoke from forest fires in Asia. Here's what ... - Morningstar - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Workplace Networks Are More Important than Promotions to Engage ... - GlobeNewswire - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Accenture staff working at Google training AI move to unionise - The Australian Financial Review - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Hair Wigs and Extension Market Size to Grow by USD 5.26 billion from 2021 to 2026, Growth Driven by Technologi - Black Enterprise - April 10th, 2023 [April 10th, 2023]
- Want to age like a fine wine? Here are some tips for longevity and feeling younger - The Indian Express - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Human body | Organs, Systems, Structure, Diagram, & Facts - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Human | Avatar Wiki | Fandom - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Calorie Restriction and Fasting Diets: What Do We Know? - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Emma Thompson On Longevity Of Holiday Fave Love Actually But It Is SEX Actually That Is Earning Her Awards Buzz In Leo Grande - Deadline - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Heads or tails: What statistical models tell us about the probability of living beyond 110 - The Conversation - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- LinkedIn founder and VC Reid Hoffman says human amplification via A.I. will revolutionize large enterprises in the next five years - Fortune - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Human hibernation is possible and could boost longevity | New Scientist - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- Home - Human Longevity Institute - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity - Mayo Clinic - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Life expectancy - Wikipedia - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Life Expectancy - Our World in Data - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Longevity Investors Conference Gstaad brought together longevity experts and deep-pocketed investors - Cointelegraph - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Search for a Pill That Can Help Dogsand HumansLive Longer - WIRED - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aging of the Heart Correlates With a Poor Gut Microbiome - Lifespan.io News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aditxt, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTX) Announces Development and Publication of a Mathematical Model for Predicting Longevity and Variations of Immune Response... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- FOXO Technologies Announces First Distribution Partner and Begins Product Rollout in California; Expands Executive Team With Insurance Industry Talent... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- A conversation with Holocaust scholar Dr. Irving Berkowitz - South Florida Sun Sentinel - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Nine postdoctoral fellowships in aging research awarded by the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR - EurekAlert - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The 5 Wellness Habits That Slow Down Aging, Science Reveals Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Winning Federal Contracts on the Top 20 Contract Vehicles - Bloomberg Government - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Lawrence Austin promoted to rank of colonel - Winona Times - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The longevity dividend: Work in an era of 100-year lives - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Retirement Savings Calculator - Northwestern Mutual - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Clues to Human Longevity Unearthed in Largescale Mouse Genetic Study - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Can we find ways to live beyond 100? Millionaires are betting on it. - MIT Technology Review - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Restrict Calories to Boost Immune Function - The Epoch Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Black Progress Index: Examining the social factors that influence Black well-being - Brookings Institution - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Kevin Williamson on Scream 6 and Franchise Longevity - Bleeding Cool News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 507-Year-Old Clam May Be the World's Oldest Living Being - History of Yesterday - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- I should look forward to early retirement, but I think I'm dreading it - CBC.ca - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- International Coffee Day 2022: How The Beloved Brew Helps Fight Cancer, Kidney Disease And Depression - ABP Live - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Corey Feldman And Jamison Newlander Talk The Lost Boys And The Birth Of The Two Coreys - Forbes - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Proven Levels of Human Longevity | NextBigFuture.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Prolonging healthspan by delaying ageing -- NUHS opens Singapore's first Centre for Healthy Longevity to increase healthy lifespan of Singapore... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What is the Secret to Longevity in Real Estate? - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Jeff Stukey & Jay Olshansky, Ph.D with Wealthspan Advisors, Interviewed on the Influential Entrepreneurs Podcast Discussing How Aging Science... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- The Queen of the World - The Atlantic - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- THR Icon: At 100, Norman Lear Looks Back (And Ahead) at Whats Changed Since the Maude Abortion Episode - Hollywood Reporter - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- TIFF 2022: The Colour of Ink Review - ThatShelf.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Should Age Be on the Ballot? - Next Avenue - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Was The Spring Water At Balmoral Castle The Secret To Elizabeth II's Longevity? - Nation World News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- A complete guide to the health benefits of nuts europeantimes.news - The European Times - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Debut Launches its Bio2Consumer Platform to Become the Leader in Vertically Integrated Synthetic Biology - PR Web - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Rapamycin Drug Used in Cancer Therapy Found to Increase Human Lifespan [Study] - Nature World News - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Eating Healthy: Why Eating Grapes Would Increase Lifespan | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News Guardian Life The Guardian Nigeria... - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Beauty Bets on Longevity WWD - WWD - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Analysis of the impact of success on three dimensions of sustainability in 173 countries | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- You might have glowing skin in no time by making few easy changes to your skincare routine - TDPel Media - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - Business Wire - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Daily AI Roundup: Biggest Machine Learning, Robotic And Automation Updates - AiThority - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Prolonged and intense heatwave affecting parts of western and northern Europe breaks temperature records; globally, July 2022 was one of three warmest... - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- YLEM: Augmenting sustainable futures through material exploration and testing - STIRworld - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Do you want to live forever? Big Tech and the quest for eternal youth - The New Statesman - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting - MIT Technology Review - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Renewal Bio Acquires Breakthrough Stem Cell Technology With Applications in Infertility and Longevity - Benzinga - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Get married or get a degree to live longer says study, debunking theories of womens longevity over men - Times Now - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - StreetInsider.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Some species are immortal but dying of old age is humanity's secret weapon - The Telegraph - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Opinion: Changing When and How Much We Eat May Extend Health Span - The Scientist - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Vieroots uses genome testing to win over a growing tribe of wellness enthusiasts - YourStory - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Herbs radiate and give you youthful skin - The Hans India - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Pop Culture, Politics, Science, and Business Got So Old - The Atlantic - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- John Hood: How to read this column | Columnists | journalnow.com - Winston-Salem Journal - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Long Is The Human Lifespan? Here's What Studies Have Found | mindbodygreen - mindbodygreen - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Employees are livingand workinglonger. CEOs are introducing initiatives like phased retirements to harness the longevity economy - Fortune - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Why Do We Get Old, and Can Aging Be Reversed? - Quanta Magazine - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- The Secret to Longevity? Here Are 7 Health Tech Gadgets That Can Help - The Recursive - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Four Fitness Facts to Fuel Your Workout - The New York Times - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Chris Reed: Has the Fountain of Youth been found just west of Interstate 5? - The San Diego Union-Tribune - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]