De-stressing the Holidays

It’s November and the holiday season is upon us.  I was shocked today to see store clerks stocking Christmas cards, candy, and decorations on their shelves.  Wow.  I enjoy the decorations, but much prefer them only after Thanksgiving.  Oh well!  I half-jokingly thought how funny it would be to send out Christmas cards in early November.  Talk about beating the rush!  

For many people, the November and December holiday parties equal anxiety, over-eating, boring chit-chat, and/or boozing it up to deal with it all.  Sound familiar?  You’re not alone: 29 percent of Americans found the holiday season to be more stressful than enjoyable, according to a 1997 Gallup poll.  Here are five tips to help you find your way through the parties and obligations if you tend to sample every dish in sight.  

Eat before the party
If you tend to graze your way past the salads and straight to the desserts, you’ll be wise to arrive with less of an appetite by eating ahead of time.  Don’t arrive hungry to a buffet – you’re guaranteed to overeat!   

Set a game plan
Decide ahead of time what you are hungry for and how much you want to eat, and stick to it.  That way, if your goal is to not eat too much, you will be less tempted by the other dishes.  Plan to avoid prepackaged or processed foods, whose empty calories of refined flour, white sugar, and vegetable oils will leave you full of calories but void of nutrients, reassuring that you will be hungry later when your body wants some nutrients.  Want some nutrients?  Seek out the protein like meats and nuts, vegetables, and definitely include fats.  Why fats?  They slow the digestion of sugars which you know you’ll be eating, help you utilize the nutrients in the food, and fats are healthy for you, regardless of what the low-fat craze of the1990s told you. Plus, our bodies naturally crave fat for nourishment and warmth especially during the winter months.   

Experiment with plate and portion size
Resolve to change your habits around a buffet.  Do you typically return to the table for 3rds or (gasp) 4ths?  Are you the type to want to sample every dessert? Decide to limit yourself to only one or two trips.  Another idea is to grab the smallest plate you can find and keep yourself to that.  This will ensure that you choose only those things you really want to eat.  Ask a few people who already were munching what their favorite dishes were.  

Slow down
Enjoy the event.  Take your time observing the beauty of the food presentation, the colors and smells of the food.  Chew slowly.  Put your plate down and seek out friends and positive people at the party.  Avoid those who drain your energy.  

Take care of yourself
By this I mean know your limits.  At the start of the holiday season, choose which parties you want to attend, decide what dishes you’d enjoy cooking to share at them, and don’t be afraid to say no.  The holidays are about giving, and that includes honoring yourself and being aware of your stress levels.  Continue (or start!) to eat well, get your sleep, exercise, and spend time doing activities you enjoy.  Consider doing your Christmas shopping sooner rather than later.  Who knows, it could be a good thing that stores have their holiday merchandise out in early November.  It may inspire you to shop early, allowing yourself the time to relax and enjoy the spirit of the season!