If you’ve spent a long weekend with a belly full of food and regret, you are not alone. Indulgences are often integral components long weekends, holidays, special occasions and celebrations.
But why do we always overdo it? Holiday celebrations are often seen as a ‘write offs’, where we can eat as much as we want of anything we want. For some, this can lead to a binge on typically high calorie, fat and sugar foods which leaves us feeling unfulfilled, tired and with a nasty ‘food coma’. Nevertheless, these foods play an important role in our social agendas and we should be able to enjoy them from time to time without the attached feelings of guilt.
Read on and learn how to indulge sensibly!
- Less deprivation, more moderation. If you are constantly depriving yourself of your coveted treat foods, you are only going to crave them more! If you really feel like eating a piece of chocolate cake, then eat it and ENJOY IT! But do it mindfully and take the time to really taste it, not gulp it. As long as you aren’t craving cake for every meal or every day of the week, believe it or not it can be included in a healthy diet.
- Listen to your body! We say it time and time again but learning to interpret your body’s appetite sensations will help you to eat more intuitively – that is, you’ll be able to know when you should start eating, when you should stop, and which foods truly satisfy your body. Take time out while eating and try to minimise distractions like TV or work, as these can cause you to ignore hunger and fullness signals. Eating regular meals, every 4 hours or so, can help you become more aware of these signals and leaves less room in your diet for those calorie-dense additions.
- Accept taste changes. Once you’re able to do this, you’ll probably find that your body naturally craves a variety of foods (yes, including vegetables and fruit!) and you won’t always feel the urge to binge on less nutritious foods.
- Prepare Plan and Prosper. If you do find yourself struggling with your food choices at an event or social gathering, try to fill up on nutrition-packed options first like fibre-rich vegetable sticks and low fat dip, and only eat a small serve of your favourite treat.
- Last but not least, drop the guilt altogether! Whilst some foods do provide less nutrition than others, food is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ and being able to truly enjoy food for all of its qualities – taste, smell, appearance as well as its nutrition content is key in having a positive relationship with food and your body.
So ditch the binge-guilt cycle and instead enjoy nourishing your body with the foods that you love.
Enjoy the change…
Want more information?
You can see one of our Dietitians from 360me Nutrition! For more information and advice tailored to your needs by calling us on 08 8373 5655, or booking online here.