Enjoying Your Food this Holiday Season

Thanksgiving should be a celebration of what we’re thankful for, but also a celebration of culinary traditions in our family units and respective American cultural lenses. The other winter holidays (like Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, and the like) also usually involve traditional dishes, and I’m here to tell you one thing this holiday season— enjoy your food, and enjoy it fully.

Food is about making memories, celebrating our cultural and culinary traditions, and fueling our bodies. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared (though this can be difficult for some, like myself, who suffer from body image issues), and I want all of you to know this season that you aren’t alone if you find it hard to enjoy yourself fully when you eat “indulgent” foods, but here are some tips that have helped me stop fearing food and enjoying it more fully in the moment (without “food guilt”, which should never be a factor when it comes to eating):

Enjoying your food fully this holiday season (without guilt, fear, or any other negative feelings)

If you’ve suffered from disordered eating or food guilt in the past, it can be hard to allow ourselves to eat what we want any time, but especially during more food-focused times like the holidays. But guess what? We should allow ourselves to eat what we want and enjoy food fully, any time. Period.

Next time you start to feel “guilty” about food (which you never should, by the way!) try these tips to help yourself enjoy your food more fully:

• Think about the enjoyment this is giving you. Is the food you’re eating absolutely delicious? GOOD! That’s awesome, and should be savored and enjoyed fully without any nagging, negative feelings. If you want one of your grandma’s awesome Christmas cookies (because it tastes good), have one! And ENJOY it. Life is short, eat the cookie that makes you feel happy. Period.

• Think about the wonderful memories you’re making, and the experiences you’re sharing in while sharing a meal. You’re not only eating to stay alive, you’re sharing in a meal, a moment, and a memory centered around culinary traditions and warm, fuzzy feelings with family and friends. Food is such an incredible shared sensory experience and it should be enjoyed always, but especially when shared with people you love!

• Remember there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” food. Food is just food. Some foods have different nutritional purposes than others, but that doesn’t make any foods “bad” or “good”. Food is just food, and intuitive eating is all about making choices that bring us joy while nourishing our bodies (and indulging when we want to, because food is GOOD and it’s worth it)!

So, how do you practice food neutrality and intuitive eating, especially over the holidays? Remember, fear of food will not free you— but eating and enjoying your food fully will, and it will enhance your enjoyment of life and sharing in precious moments with others beyond what you could ever imagine.

Xoxo, MM.