Conquer Overeating During the Holidays*
'Tis the season when the child you used to be comes out to play. Give her a hug, a cookie — and lots of adult supervision. By Geneen Roth
A friend of mine once asked a 6-year-old girl what she wanted to be when she grew up. "A person with really long arms," the child answered. "Why?" my friend asked. "So I can reach across the table and eat all the chocolate chip cookies before my brother gets any."
"So, when you are 25, do you think you will still want all the chocolate chip cookies?" "Yes," the girl said. "Do you think that adults want the same things they did when they were children?" "Absolutely."
When I heard this story, I thought about my friend Minnie who, when I started teaching her to eat intuitively, bought six packages of Sara Lee brownies and ate them all, even though she didn't really like brownies. Why, I then asked, did she choose to gorge on something that didn't even thrill her?
"Because," she said, "I wasn't allowed to eat them when I was a kid, and now that I can eat what I want, I'm making up for lost time." Makes sense. But only if you believe that you are still that same kid.
Only if you believe that you can make up for deprivation in the past by eating everything you want now.
Which brings us to the holiday season, when the child you used to be is in full command, ordering you to give her all the things she wasn't allowed to eat — fruitcake or Sara Lee brownies or sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles or anything else she wants. And while we are eating, we will feel free, which we never truly felt as children because the big people were lording it over us, telling us what to do.
The truth that we didn't want to admit back then is that kids do need adults to set limits, to say, "No, honey, you'll be sick if you eat the whole plate of cookies and then drink three glasses of eggnog." During the holidays, if we make decisions about what to eat based on the desires of the children we were, we get lost and dazed and fatter. It's as if we are possessed by so many desires, memories, and needs from the past that we can't figure out what the adult in us truly wants right then.
Mention the word Christmas or Hanukkah and a panoply of childhood images floods your mind: the food, the family gatherings, the beliefs about what needs to happen to make this a successful holiday. And then of course, there is the current stress — the hours of shopping, cooking, traveling — as you try to make this holiday fit your picture of the perfect celebration. But because nothing in the present moment can actually be perfect, you collapse on the bed exhausted and turn to butter cookies with colored sprinkles for comfort.
Although I realize I am treading on sacred ground here — no one wants to admit that they don't love the holidays as much as they are supposed to — I'd like to express two thoughts that could make you feel less calorically uncomfortable this season.
The first is that if you remember past holidays as perfect and glorious, most likely your brain has chosen to retain the Disney version of events rather than the truth of what really happened. Which is this: During the holidays, someone's feelings always get hurt, someone ends up with a cheap necklace instead of a beautiful amethyst ring, someone walks out in a huff. There is no such thing as an all-good season. We're imperfect beings and mistakes are made.
Don't try for perfection. Do the best you can within your limits and let the rest take care of itself. Despite the voice that tells you otherwise, you are not in control of the immediate universe. And since you can't achieve world domination, maybe you should try to control what you can control, which is what you eat.
My second thought is that you might ask yourself what you want now. If the answer is that you want long arms so that you can grab all the cookies or that you want to hide the plum pudding in your bedroom so you can eat it all before bed tonight, you know that the child in you is directing the show. That child is opening your mouth, putting the food in, grabbing for more.
Take a moment, take 15 moments, and write down some notes about your ideal holiday. Mention people's names and particular things you want to give (and what you'd like to receive). Name the foods you want to have. Now, read over your words and notice where you got those ideas. Are they the longings of a lonely child or of a satisfied adult? Do they resemble feelings you had the year your mother died or the year you got divorced or had your first child?
Notice if what you want now, from this holiday, has to do with this year, or does it relate to a holiday celebration that happened — or that you wish had happened — 20 years ago. Ask yourself if this vision is relevant to your life and desires now. Allow yourself to hear the child in your longing, if she is there. And if your longing is really a child's longing, be tender with that child. But don't confuse her with your adult self.
If, for instance, you find yourself alone one day of the holidays, it doesn't have to mean you are unlovable. A child might equate being alone with being lonely, but you don't have to see it that way. You can be alone and still be aware of the love that is around and in you.
If you are surrounded by people on the holiday, notice their faces, their laughter, their idiosyncrasies, but then also be conscious that you, the adult, may need to take care of yourself in ways that you normally don't when guests are around. You might need to take a walk or a nap. Or push away the last piece of cake. Or not automatically give that last piece away if you really want it.
Holidays can be illuminated, tender, horrible, painful, fragile, glorious times because they exaggerate our longings, our love, our generosity, and our selfishness — and they evoke dreamy dreams of angels and peace and miracles. But if we are aware that the holidays, like life, are often more messy than magical, and if we can combine our childlike longings with the tenderness and power of our adult selves, then we are more likely to ride through this season with a measure of grace in our lives and ease in our bodies. And that's what I call a mini miracle.
Geneen Roth is an international teacher, speaker, and writer of best-selling books on emotional eating. You can visit her at geneenroth.com.
*http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/advice/overeating-holidays
Prayers for Healthy Eating*
Blessings to Change Eating Habits and Good Health by Melissa Roberts
Choose a Healthy Diet with Prayer
Adopting healthy eating habits can be time-consuming, expensive, and scary. Old, fatty foods are tasty and familiar, while fresh fruits, whole grains, and low-fat meats can be an acquired taste.
Whether one wants to eat healthy to improve health or to lose weight, prayer can ease the transition of a Christian and his/her family as they chose a healthy diet. The following prayers — prayer for trying new foods, prayer for choosing healthy foods, blessing to change eating habits, and thanksgiving for healthy eating — can provide great support for religious individuals who are seeking to eat healthy.
Blessing to Change Eating Habits
As a religious individual or family begins to adopt a healthy diet, they may seek God's guidance throughout this change. The following blessing invites God to strengthen and protect those struggling to eat a healthier diet:
“God, You know I’m changing my diet because of [insert reason for eating healthy such as "poor health," "feeling tired," or other reasons] Please guide me and my family as we make healthy choices, be patient with us when food tastes new and different, and grant us discipline to stick to this new routine. Bless us and our new food choices, to the honor of Your name. Amen.”
The individual may offer this prayer with a supportive friend as he/she begins a healthy eating program. The family changing eating habits may also offer this prayer as a family before beginning healthy eating.
Prayer for Trying New Foods
Getting the self or family to try a new healthy dish or vegetable can be a challenge. The following prayer may be offered over the new food to bless it and encourage those at the table to eat:
“God, this [insert new food], whether I like it or not, is a part of Your creation. Help me to appreciate it as it nourishes my body. Amen.”
One might also repeat this prayer between bites if having trouble adjusting to the taste of the dish. Of course, if the healthy food is unpleasant, no amount of prayer can make it delicious, but it can help the individual get through the meal.
The prayer for trying new foods may be particularly useful for children, who have trouble trying new foods as it is. One can change the pronouns and pray it for the whole family at dinner, so that the kids know that the parents, too, struggle sometimes to eat healthy foods.
Prayer for Choosing Healthy Foods
Fighting food cravings will always be a struggle, no matter how healthy a person's diet may be. With every craving, one must make the choice- choose the unhealthy food or a healthy substitute. The following prayer asks God to guide one to choose a healthy food for a craving:
“God, rather than this [insert healthy food,] I’d rather have this [insert unhealthy food being craved.] I offer my craving to You and ask that You be with me as I make a healthy choice, to glorify one of Your many gifts to me- my health. Amen." Immediately after this prayer, a religious individual might enjoy the healthy food and then give God thanks for that decision.
Thanksgiving for Healthy Eating
The following is a simple prayer that one can offer God thanks after choosing a healthy food and healthy lifestyle with food:
“God, thank you for the gift of life. [Insert person’s name] wants to stay alive as long as possible. Thank you for foods that keep him/her healthy [insert healthy foods, if desired.] Please continue to bless [insert name] and his/her family, that they may continue to eat well and stay healthy, in the power of Your name. Amen.”
Eating healthy and maintaining one's body is truly a reason to celebrate. One may share this prayer for oneself, for a family changing their eating habits, or for a friend or family member who has made progress making healthy food choices.
Learning to eat healthy takes patience, practice, and disciple. With prayer, a religious person or family can invite God into this transition and celebrate the progress.
* http://www.suite101.com/content/prayers-for-healthy-eating-a155564
Stepping Out With a Pedometer*
Studies show that people who wear pedometers walk more. Try one and see if you can log 10,000 steps a day! by: Carole Carson | from: AARP | July 2010
Electronic gadgets are constantly worming their way into my daily life, and that can feel overwhelming. A 220-page manual accompanied my new digital camera. After hours of study, I learned a few basic functions.
Two weeks later, however, I’d forgotten everything and had to reread the manual. Upgrading my cell phone, finding a wireless connection for a laptop computer when traveling, using the remote control in a motel room — all of these tasks challenge my technological intelligence.
But I have found one gadget I love — my $25 pedometer. It’s a simple, two-inch device that attaches to my waistband. After calibrating the measurements to the length of my step, I can touch a button and see how many steps I’ve taken, how many calories I’ve burned or how many miles I’ve walked.
My goal is 10,000 steps a day. To reach it on days when I am not playing tennis, I have to look for opportunities to walk. If I’m short of my 10,000-step goal, I’ll park at the far edge of the grocery store parking lot or I’ll suggest a “walk and talk” lunch with a friend.
I’m delighted at the pedometer’s impact on my habits. Wearing the pedometer makes me more conscious of how much exercise I am getting, and I find myself willing to make a special effort to reach my daily goal. Researchers have confirmed that people walk more when they wear a pedometer and lose modest amounts of weight without changing eating habits.
Because it is easy to overestimate the amount of exercise I get, especially if I am tired, the pedometer also keeps me in touch with reality. Why not get everyone in your family to wear a pedometer and keep track of their steps? Or maybe get a “steps” competition started at work?
According to experts, the benefits of walking are numerous, from burning calories to building muscles to strengthening bones. Walking also improves outlook, reduces stress and helps us sleep better. And as exercise goes, walking is relatively inexpensive. All you need is a good pair of shoes.
If you want to learn more, visit 10,000 Steps a Day. This website provides useful advice about how to get started safely. For example, if you are sedentary (typically walking 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day), add 500 steps a day for a week or two. Ultimately, you want to keep adding steps until you reach your goal of 10,000 a day.
Speaking of motivation, I have to turn off the computer and get moving!
*http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-07-2010/Why_Use_A_Pedometer.html
Low Fat Spinach Dip
By Fiona Haynes, About.com Guide
This low fat spinach dip makes a terrific appetizer. Serve with a platter of fresh vegetables or with some baked chips or breadsticks. Use frozen chopped spinach if you prefer. You can spice it up a little by adding a dash of hot sauce.
Ingredients:
• 10 ounces fresh baby spinach, steamed until wilted
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt, drained of excess water
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
Place wilted spinach in a colander and squeeze out excess water. Chop finely and place in a medium bowl. Stir yogurt and cream cheese together until smooth. Add to spinach. Stir in remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 2 cups.
Per serving (1/4 cup): Calories 55, Calories from Fat 11, Total Fat 1.3g (sat 0.7g), Cholesterol 3mg, Sodium 186mg, Carbohydrate 4.7g, Fiber 1.1g, Protein 6.2g
PHOTO:emibear.onsugar.com
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