As much as we want to enjoy the holidays, stress can overshadow the joy. We may try to cope by eating the many sweet treats around us. Eating when you are stressed is considered emotional eating.
It is an attempt to fill an emotional need rather than a physical one. The surge of dopamine after a sweet treat brings temporary relief but doesn’t last. The stress will return and may be compounded by regret.
Let’s take a look at emotional eating and how to handle it throughout the holiday season.
Building Awareness
Self-awareness is the first step to breaking the cycle of emotional eating. It is a skill to be able to identify when you are really hungry and when you are trying to meet an emotional need.
Ask yourself if you are stressed, sad, lonely, angry, or bored before you grab a bite to eat. If you are experiencing a difficult emotion, ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are trying to meet an emotional need.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell. The Mayo Clinic has identified some clues you can look for to determine if you are really hungry.
For instance...
- physical hunger generally builds gradually after not eating, while emotional hunger can come on suddenly even if you have recently eaten.
- physical hunger is felt in the stomach, while emotional hunger is felt in the mind.
- physical hunger builds gradually and there is patience felt in meeting that need, while emotional hunger tends to demand an immediate response.
- emotional hunger often feels like it can only be satisfied with a specific type of food, while physical hunger can be satisfied with many different options.
- emotional eating often makes you feel ashamed, while physical hunger simply leaves you satisfied.
An Intentional Choice
Once you recognize what is driving you to reach for food, you can intentionally choose a response. You may still choose to eat the treat even if you are not truly hungry. If so, enjoy every bite without guilt. Making your decision consciously is a great practice to develop.
If you decide to skip the treat for now, here are some things that can help you stick to your choice in the moment...
- distract yourself for a time (watch a show, read a book, etc.)
- remove yourself from the situation (go for a walk, take a drive, leave the room, etc.)
- reach out to a friend (make a phone call, send a text message, etc.)
- lean into the difficult emotion (let it wash over you knowing it is temporary.)
- comfort yourself through self-care (journal, create something, do something artistic, etc.)
- rest or take a nap if you are tired (lay down for a nap, stare out the window, etc.)
- exercise (even gentle movement can be beneficial.)
- practice, meditation, mindfulness, or self-compassion exercises.
Enjoy the season. It’s okay to treat yourself to foods you might not otherwise eat. Make these choices intentionally, so you can truly enjoy them without regret!
Dr. Jamie
It’s been quite the week for store associates and holiday shoppers across the country. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the busiest shopping days of the year, but what if the best gifts don’t come in a box?
In our family, some of the most cherished gifts are things you can’t wrap under the tree. Most of us don’t need more material goods, so giving experiences can be a great way to express your love and make memories that last!
One of my favorite gifts from my parents was a family membership to the Naperville Children's Museum. We used the gift throughout the year and thought of them every time we went.
Let’s look at some ideas for experiences your loved ones may enjoy!
Children
Most children have over seventy toys but only play with about ten of them. That’s why experiences are so great. They will have the memory far longer than they will enjoy a toy. Think about getting them a/an…
- membership to the Zoo (Brookfield Zoo and Cosley Zoo are both great)
- gift card to the movie theater (with money for popcorn of course)
- membership to the DuPage Children's Museum
- kid's manicure/pedicure
- ride on the Metra (into the city or to Toot Toot’s restaurant in Glen Ellyn)
- horse riding lesson
- outing to a sporting event
- pass to Fox Bowl
- ticket to a children’s show
- series of swim lessons
Teenagers
Teens have outgrown most toys, but money feels so impersonal. A great solution is to give them an experience they would love! Perhaps they would like a/an…
- gift card to the movie theater (with money for snacks)
- manicure/pedicure
- ticket to a show at a local theater
- outing to a sporting event
- Spotify gift card
- craft class (pottery, macramé, etc.)
- horseback riding lesson
- music class
- escape room experience
Adults
Many of us have more things than we know what to do with. Organizing all of them can be overwhelming. That’s why experiences are so valuable. Some ideas for adults include a/an…
- ticket to a sporting event
- manicure/pedicure
- foot, back, or full-body massage
- ticket to a show at a local theater
- Spotify gift card
- store membership (Costo, Sam's Club, etc.)
- escape room experience
- ax throwing experience
- coupon for watching their kids
- coupon for making them dinner
- weekend away
- cooking class
- sip and paint night
- craft class (pottery, macramé, etc.)
- trip away through extra airline miles
- membership to the Morton Arboretum
Giving experiential gifts is meaningful and keeps things simple. I’d love to hear if you use any of these ideas or come up with others on your own!
Dr. Jamie
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through the links.
This year the list of things my girls are thankful for includes mom, dad, sisters, friends, string cheese, cookies, candy, rainbows, and unicorns!
Focusing on gratitude this season is lovely, but expressing genuine gratitude can be a healing practice all year round. So, let’s use this holiday to set the tone for the rest of the year by creating a gratitude practice.
A gratitude practice is different from having an "attitude of gratitude" or "looking on the bright side of things." It is more intentional than just being optimistic or thankful from time to time and requires a decision to set aside time for gratitude each day.
It’s a simple thing that will benefit your physical, psychological, and social well-being. Since it's free, does not take much time, and can be done in the privacy of your own home anyone can do it.
Let's explore some of these benefits and consider how to incorporate a gratitude practice into our lives.
The Benefits of Gratitude
Feeling gratitude is good for our brains activating the hypothalamus and flooding our brains with the feel-good hormone dopamine. Some studies have found it decreased the prominent stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure while increasing heart rate variability.
Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, found that people who consistently practice gratitude report many physical, psychological, and social benefits such as:
Physical
- Stronger immune systems
- Less bothered by aches and pains
- Lower blood pressure
- Exercise more
- Take better care of their health
- Sleep longer
- Feel more refreshed upon waking
Psychological
- Higher levels of positive emotions
- More alert, alive, and awake
- More joy and pleasure
- More optimism and happiness
Social
- More helpful, generous, and compassionate
- More forgiving
- More outgoing
- Feel less lonely and isolated
How to Cultivate a Gratitude Practice
A gratitude practice is simply forming habits that help you focus on something you are thankful for on a regular basis. It could be an object, person, or experience. You may be thankful for your health or a quality you see in yourself. Anything is fair game!
You must be genuine to get the benefits of this practice, so be completely honest with yourselves. More benefit will come from focusing on small things you are truly thankful for than from pretending you are grateful for larger things that you think you should be thankful for.
It’s important to keep your gratitude practice fresh. If you start to feel like you are doing your gratitude practice to check it off your to-do list, it may be time to try something new. With so many ways to explore gratitude, there is no reason to get stuck in a rut.
- Create a gratitude journal.
- Write thank you cards or letters of affirmation to people in your life.
- Think about qualities you are thankful for in yourself.
- Meditate on things you are grateful for each morning for 5 minutes.
- Help someone who doesn’t have all the advantages that you do.
- Find something to look forward to each week.
- Think about someone who has influenced your life and write them a letter.
- Pray to express thankfulness for the good things in your life.
- Write down one word that brings up feelings of gratitude and think about it throughout the day (hope, life, family, friends, health, etc.).
- Listen to a song you enjoy and take time to really appreciate it.
- Practice mindful eating to appreciate the gift of food.
- Check out 40 Simple Ways To Practice Gratitude for more ideas.
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Thanksgiving dinner may be the biggest meal of the year! In fact, it is thought that most people eat more in this one meal than a twenty-year-old, six-foot-tall, 270 lb., active man would need to eat in an entire day.
With turkey, a bunch of sides, and dinner rolls there is something for everyone. Many times drinks and desserts follow the meal with a second dinner of leftovers later in the day. No wonder we feel so tired and our pants feel tight.
I’m not a big fan of counting calories, but I do think we would feel better if we were more intentional about our choices. If you are cooking this year, consider using recipes that contain real, unprocessed, nourishing ingredients.
Here are some recipes to help you make the season's traditional dishes in a healthier way. You will be inspired to try more of these recipes when you see how good they taste and how good you feel!
Appetizers:
Easy Whole30 Paleo Snack Board | Kimbrough Daniels
Bacon-Wrapped Butternut Squash Recipe | Paleo Leap
The Best Paleo Meatballs - Whole30 Friendly! - Fresh Water Peaches
Sweet and Tangy Lil' Smokies | Plaid & Paleo (plaidandpaleo.com)
The Bird
Easy Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Butterflied Turkey Recipe
Stuffing
Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Paleo Comfort Food Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Paleo Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato & Squash
Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Mash
Butternut Squash Risotto
Cranberries
3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
"Mashed Potatoes"
Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"
Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Beautiful Brussels Sprouts with Onion & Squash
Desserts
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Crisp
Nonalcoholic Drinks
How To Make Virgin Piña Coladas - Strength and Sunshine
Watermelon + Cucumber Cooler - the Whole Smiths
Non-Alcoholic Paleo Strawberry Mojito - Paleo Grubs
You can enjoy a beautiful meal that will leave you feeling good! Let me know if you try any of these recipes and send me a picture of the ones you liked the most!
Dr. Jamie Thomure and Joelle Kurczodyna
This blog was originally put together by my sister Joelle Kurczodyna. She has a certification in Nutritional Therapy (NTP), is a mom of three kids, and has a homestead with two cows, more than twenty chickens, and a bunch of vegetables! To learn more about the awesome things she is up to, follow her on Instagram at
@fromscratchfarmstead.
Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It is what allows you to bounce back from challenges. There is no way to prevent all hardship, but we can build resilience so when trouble comes we can recover in the best way possible.
We see this principle in nature all the time. In the animal kingdom, diversity keeps the different populations in check and protects our ecosystems. Rotating crops protects the soil from becoming depleted.
In order to build resilience, we need to establish diversity in our lives. It makes us more resilient physically and mentally. This helps our bodies heal more fully and makes us more capable of moving through trials in a healthy way.
Let’s explore some areas in our lives that would benefit from diversity.
Diversity in our Diets
We need to eat a variety of foods to ensure we get the right combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Even if you are eating healthy food you need diversity; it’s not enough to eat chicken and broccoli all day.
A diet consisting of an assortment of healthy food supports the different types of gut bacteria. It is necessary for each microbial species to be taken care of in order to have a balanced microbiome. Imbalances in the gut can lead to health problems throughout the body.
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
- eat the rainbow - have fruits and vegetables of every color throughout the week.
- eat a variety of protein - chicken, beef, eggs, fish, and shellfish.
- eat different parts of the animal - organ meat is the most nutritious part of the animal; liver is like nature's multivitamin.
- drink bone broth - it has a different amino profile than muscle meat and is incredibly nourishing to your gut lining, skin, hair, nails, and joints!
Diversity in our Movement
It is best to use a variety of full-body movements. Repetitive movements will make you prone to injury while limiting the mobility and strength that you would likely gain through more diversified movements.
Katy Bowman, the author of Move Your DNA, believes we need a variety of movements. She equates diversity in movement to getting movement "nutrients."
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
- go barefoot outside on irregular surfaces - those tiny foot bones will get some movement instead of being trapped in a shoe on flat grounds.
- get out in nature- hike off the beaten path or climb a hill.
- ditch the couch - sitting on the floor will engage your core.
- play like a child - incorporate movements you did as a child (running, chasing, climbing, or swinging).
- participate in sports - most sports will give you much more variety of movement than simply going for a run, a walk, or working out on an Elliptical.
- mix up exercise routines - some days lift heavy things focusing on body weight movements. Do mobility work on other days. Remember to use your whole body.
Listen to your body, and take breaks when necessary. Remember, movement doesn't just count when you are exercising. All your movement counts.
Diversity Emotionally
It is normal and natural to feel all different kinds of emotions. It shows that you are in touch with your inner world. People who aren’t able to feel a full spectrum of emotions are often stuffing their difficult ones. This can lead to depression, anxiety, resentment, as well as a host of physical problems.
Allowing a variety of emotions to be experienced can help you move through the difficult ones more effectively. This creates emotional resilience that you can’t get if you only allow yourself to feel “good” emotions.
Step outside of your comfort zone and try to…
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