Social Restriction does not equal Food Restriction

The holidays really are the most wonderful times of the year, filled with friends, family bonding time, and lots of delicious food. The heavenly scent of gingerbread cookies baking in the oven, roasted chicken, and of course-pumpkin pie. It's Christmas time! Especially since dealing with Covid for the past year, we've been limited to social separation and distancing. Food is almost an essential part of celebrating the holidays, bringing us warmth and reminding us of family traditions. However, this can be frustrating for some of us with certain health goals in mind, leading to feelings of food guilt and exercise compulsion. Anxious thoughts may load up in our mind, thinking that we "shouldn't have eaten that much" or feeling like you've failed all your hardworking progress throughout the year. Even worse, going on social media and seeing fitness gurus telling you exactly what you should do to "bounce back on track!" unleashes an enormous amount of pressure to 'burn off' the calories that we've consumed. Framing exercise solely as a way to 'undo' what we ate dismisses all the mental and healthful benefits of fitness. In reality, we all deserve to spend the holidays enjoying our meals(guilt-free!) with our loved ones. How can we achieve this?

1. Stop with the food labels

We may be strictly labeling foods in 'good' or 'bad' categories. Its common to automatically assume that foods like broccoli, tomatoes, and salmon are 'good foods'-while potatoes, chocolate, and pasta are 'bad'. This sets the potential risk of mentally associating what we're eating with who we are, and lead to increased feelings of guilt or anxiety around food. Indulging in your favorite sweets and treats does not make you 'good', just like how eating a big bowl of salad doesn't make you 'good'. We've all occasionally heard the little voice in the back of our mind asking "should you be eating this?". In reality, all foods fit, as long as there is balance. There is no good or bad food, only foods that are more or less nutritious.

1. No more calorie counting!

I can't stress this enough. Yes, calorie counting can help you achieve aesthetic-related goals, but it's highly risky for your mentality about food. Tracking your calories obsessively can cause you to restrict your food intake and eat less than your body needs. Food is fuel, and is what allows our bodies to perform at its optimum. All our foods are composed of three components, also known as "macronutrients", including carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids/fats. These three components of nutrition are what allows our body to function and provides us with energy. Lastly, the "micronutrients", the most overlooked factor, include essential vitamins and minerals that our body needs. Now back to holiday meals. A typical Christmas dinner may be high in calories, but provide lots of essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals that will leave us feeling full and nourished.

1. Be mindful of your eating habits

Another damaging risk of eating is the "all or nothing" mentality. This brings us back to the 'good' and 'bad' food associations. We may get too caught up in ensuring that we're being 'good' with our food choices every day, and develop strict food orders and rules. But when the holiday temptations arise, we can't help but give in to them. However, because we've associated them with being "bad", we may deal with food guilt and anxious feelings. This can lead us to feel like we've already 'failed', and overeat more-making us feel even worse about ourselves. Therefore, it's extremely important to keep your mind clear during meals and enjoy the moment as much as possible. Eat the foods that you genuinely enjoy freely, and focus on the ways that they make you feel. Remember it’s only a meal! Contrary to the media's beliefs, you are not failing all the progress you've made throughout the year. You are not going to suddenly gain 10 pounds. It's all in your head.

The joyous experiences that you spend with your family and friends during the holidays are far more unique and important than the foods that you are eating: whether it’s in that day, week, or even several weeks. It's crucial to focus on happiness, memories, and connection, especially in a year that has been severely lacking in these categories. By being grateful for what you have and our bodies just for maintaining its health, we can learn to accept ourselves for who we are. It's time to unleash our restrictions(hopefully our social ones too) and step into the new year with food freedom.