Eat + Enjoy + Restore
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The holiday season is upon us! And odds are, you’re going to find yourself hitting the road at some point to visit family or friends.
Traveling doesn’t have to disrupt your healthy eating routine. In fact, traveling can be a PERFECT time to implement mindful eating habits and take them back home with you!
Here are our top 5 tips on how to mindfully eat while traveling:
Think about it… you wouldn’t pull into a gas station to fill up without first checking how much gas you have in your car, right? This can be similar to tuning into our hunger cues periodically while on vacation. How often do you eat just because it’s there? Periodically ask yourself, “Am I hungry?” You might be shocked to discover how frequently you feel like eating simply because you’re bored, tired out, or stressed.
Be prepared to honor that hunger when it comes to having healthy snacks on hand! Whether your flight gets delayed, you’re having a busy day, or you need a bedtime snack at a hotel, it’s always a good idea to bring snacks. Some snack ideas include: (These work great for kids too!)
Once you’ve decided on a restaurant to eat at, check out the restaurant’s menu online ahead of time for nutrition and ingredient information so you can plan your order. This will help you make more balanced eating decisions rather than relying on an impulse.
And for those with food sensitivities or allergies, looking ahead at restaurant menus can help take away some of the stress of eating out and help you come up with a better idea of what and how you need to modify certain menu items to make it work for you.
Remember: All foods can fit into a healthy diet. Having a food craving while traveling? Honor it! Those that honor their cravings enjoy their food more, feel more satisfied, and even tend to pursue healthier foods for the rest of their meals. What usually happens when individuals don’t honor their cravings is that they look to other foods to give them this satisfaction their looking for. This leads to them actually eating more calories than if you just gave in to your craving in the first place.
Having the opportunity to try foods you wouldn’t often have access to is one of the best things about traveling! Try out the local cuisine if you’re visiting a place with a unique cuisine and take time to appreciate the aromas, appearance, and flavors of the meal by minimizing distractions.
Traveling, especially around the holidays, offers many new opportunities to practice mindful eating. Practicing these tips while traveling takes some extra effort, thought, and awareness but is SO worth it!
Safe travels!
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but it can also be the most stressful.
The Holidays can be especially tricky when you’re trying to heal your relationship with food and your body because we often see family members who, despite their best intentions, may make comments about the food we eat or the way our bodies appear, encourage us to eat more or finish our plates, or make remarks when we want a second helping.
Relatives might comment on how their body or your body has changed since the last time they saw you and friends might be eager to talk about a new diet they’ve been on “in preparation” for the holidays or to start in the new year.
Regardless, comments from family and friends can be triggering, especially if you have a history of an eating disorder or disordered eating.
In light of this, we’d like to share with you some advice for setting boundaries, making choices that respect your health, and avoiding the diet mayhem:
Set Boundaries
If you’re going to a holiday gathering, it can be helpful to set some boundaries around food and body talk beforehand. You have every right to inform your family that you are working on your relationship with food and your body and that hearing negative body talk or diet comments is really unhelpful for you. The truth is these boundaries will actually benefit everyone, not just you!
Here are some subjects that you can tell them are off-limits:
Change the Subject
When someone brings up diet or body comments, redirecting the conversation by changing the subject can help. This can open up the discussion to new (and better) things to talk about. Let’s look at this scenario for example:
Your aunt says to you: “I’m going to be starting a new diet in the new year…you should diet with me!”
You reply: “Oh, speaking of January, my friend and I are taking pottery classes in the new year. What stuff do you think I should make?”
Excuse Yourself
Sometimes the best thing to do is to excuse yourself and walk away from a difficult conversation, and that’s OK. If you need to, take a step back, find a quiet place, and take a breather. Excuse yourself for as much time as needed. Know that there is nothing wrong with removing yourself from a situation that you feel is not helpful for your mental health.
Reminder: The comments people make about you is a reflection of THEM, not you.
If a family member keeps commenting on your body and the food you eat, this could be them projecting. That family member may be struggling with their own body image issues and might be very insecure. So chances are, it’s about them. Not to mention, we live in a society that praises thinness and fad diets so unfortunately a lot of people define their worth based on their weight.
Common remarks & potential responses:
Question: “Are you sure you should be eating that? I thought you wanted to lose weight?”
Answer: “Thank you for your concern, but that is for me and my doctor/dietitian to talk about.”
Question: “You’re having ANOTHER slice?”
Answer: “Yeah, it’s delicious! Should I grab you one too?”
Question: “You’re too skinny; you should eat more.”
Answer: “I’m happy with what’s on my plate right now — all the food looks great! I’ll get more food if I feel hungry later.”‘
Question: “Have you heard of the Keto diet? I think that could really help you lose weight.”
Answer: “You know, I used to diet, but I realized that it only led to food obsession. I’m trying to eat more mindfully and learn what foods make me feel good and work for my life. This journey has actually made me feel much better.”
I hope these tips are helpful for you this holiday season and if you need some extra support, feel free to apply to work with me here.
Happy Holidays!
Jenny
