Holidays can be a wonderful time as our families come together to celebrate the festivities. Yet many use the holidays as an excuse to abandon their daily diets and eating plans. There are a few common reasons for this, one being that they might not want to cause any inconvenience to their families, while another reason is having the fear of being “that” person who is fussy about food or does not cooperate on special occasions. Sometimes, rather than addressing the issue, they will instead begin to complain about how their bodies and minds feel out of place at the end of the holidays.
To avoid all of this, I suggest you start to plan for the holidays right now. Decide what you are going to eat, drink, and whom you are going to be around. It may help you to write this down so that you can have a viable option for the holidays. To make this a tad easier, it may help to sit down and have a conversation with your family. Ask them questions like what parts of the holiday traditions are important to them? Is it the food or is it simply about everybody getting together? Talk to them about your dietary needs and the general need to eat healthy but tasty food. Inquire whether there is a single recipe that they hold dear and whether it can be modified in any way to be more healthy. For example, if the recipe includes corn, you can use organic corn rather than roundup-based products.
The modified recipes might be new and cook differently the first time, so I suggest you experiment with them a couple of times before the holidays. With time, it will get better! Many times now I just bring dishes, never mention anything about them, and have found these dishes have become family favorites! The bottom line is to decide what part of the holiday is most special for you, keep that tradition, and just make it a healthier version that doesn’t leave you hurting or in a fog mentally.
Also, don’t be afraid to do something radically different – I have shifted from cooking and having turkey every Thanksgiving to an organic tamale dinner, which is just as delicious. I love it. My family loves it, and we have a great time celebrating the holidays without worrying about tearing up our tummies with unhealthy ingredients and food. So sit with your family and decide how to make the holiday time healthy for you and your family.
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