Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Seasons and Solstice Greetings to All!

This quarters newsletter is my gift to all of you who are bound to be found indulging in the culinary bounty of the season , regardless of what conventional health wisdom dictates. Eggnog, cookies, chocolates and fine wines abound. Many of you may have even begun sampling and may want to put this letter down until sometime later. Possibly much later. Understandable. Food is a major part of any holiday in any culture, and I admit I spend most of my time during the rest of the seasons trying to wean people off of the exact same treats that are an integral part of the celebration. But there are exceptions to every rule, and that is what this season’s writing is all about.

 

So let’s forget for the moment all the details of the “evil” stuffs that go in into these holiday confections and focus instead on just what happens if you do not allow yourself a little indulgence from time to time. Most of us have been there. You invariably feel stressed: frustrated, denied, wanting, cheated. If everyone else can eat or drink it and have a good time, why can’t I? Moreover, when everyone else is indulging and you, by a great act of will, refrain, you begin to feel separate from the community of your fellow celebrants and party guests. This can make you quite cranky and lead to feelings of sadness, resentment and loneliness; some of the known potential hazards of the season. Or, suppose you act in a manner that is counter to what you consider you “should”, and eat some of these seasonal confections. Then there’s even more crankiness, plus the ensuing guilt to deal with; plus the certainty that you just undid the fruits of weeks or months of saintly behavior. Feeling torn or what? The inner conflict is crippling, and all of it adds up to just more of what we read about every holiday season: Holiday stress. And stress does, as the commercial says, stink in oh so many ways. How many? Let’s review just a few:

 

* It decreases nutrient absorbtion and generates auto toxicity.

* Causes us to excrete calcium and other nutrients.

* Decreases respiration (shallow breathing) which leads to insufficient oxygen which, in turn lessens your ability to burn calories.

* Increases homocysteine and triglyceride levels.

* Increases cortisol production, thus encouraging fatty deposits around the middle.

* Increases insulin resistance, again encouraging fat to be deposited.

* Encourages premature aging and inflammation.

* Reduces energy; generates fatigue.

 

All of this over a cookie? Hardly seems worth it. In fact, unless you’re certain that you have an allergy that would, predictably, produce an even worse response, I’d say it definitely is not worth it. Go ahead and enjoy the cookie. Or cake, or chocolate, or whatever it is that’s apparently posing a problem. You see,

“Eating healthy food is only half of the story of good nutrition. Being in the ideal state to digest and assimilate is the other half. ” (Marc David, The Slow Down Diet).

 

So now the question is, after years of training in “good food” versus “bad food” thought processes, how do you relax into the season without that nagging guilt you’ve learned to torture yourself with in the quest for better health? Well, my suggestion is to expand your viewpoint and learn to eat

“mindfully”.

 

Removing, to some degree, the restraints you’ve developed over the years is only part of it. Remember, compulsive eating and overeating also generate stress. When you decide to give yourself the green light on holiday celebrating it is important that you really pay attention to what you’re eating and thoroughly enjoy it. If you’re going to eat that brownie, really eat it. Taste it, feel the texture, chew slowly and savor it. That way you know you’ve eaten it; it has registered in your brain and the rest of your existence and you won’t be needing to repeat the activity often. You can really appreciate the treat, enjoy it, and move on. When you do this, your whole body and mind respond favorably. You breathe deeply, your digestion is turned on and doing its job, your brain chemistry is happy. Sounds more like the

“holiday spirit” to me.

 

And there is nothing to say that you have to be eating foods made with poor quality ingredients. There are cookies and then there are cookies. Using organic butter, flour, sugar,etc., whole and unprocessed where it can work, may also help with any residual considerations you may have about enjoying these treats of the season. If you’re looking for some chocolate indulgence, try some of the darker chocolates with a lower sugar content.

 

Many of these products are also a means of giving to a worthy cause, such supporting a developing countries industry or helping to save threatened wildlife. Such

“feel good” aspects are metabolized as surely as the food itself and contribute to a better body chemistry.

 

Just as an aside: If you’re looking for a way to reduce your gift giving stress levels, as well as enhance your own well being, how about making donations to groups and causes meaningful to the person you’re buying for? Where appropriate, this can be a very satisfying solution which leaves all concerned feeling good and in the spirit of the season.

 

If you’d like to know more about how stress and the western lifestyle affect our digestion, health and well being, I highly recommend the book previously mentioned, The Slow Down Diet, by Marc David. It’s information that is applicable all year round, but particularly, I think, at the holiday season. Taking into consideration all the other dynamics of life aside from nutrition is vital for success in a truly holistic lifestyle. Excessive stress of any kind has its metabolic consequences. What I like about this book is how he ties it together with nutrition and thus emphasizes a part of the holistic equation that is usually ignored. Even if you don’t read the book, it’s a good concept to keep in mind.

 

I wish you all a “mindful” holiday season. No matter what your ethnicity or belief systems, it is hard to argue with the concepts of “Joy” and “Peace on Earth”, or the artful way in which these ideas are presented at this time of year. Enjoy the music, the sights, the sounds the snow. And the food.

 

Be Well,

Jean Franklin PhD