Staying Mindful During the Holidays: A Personal Trainer's Guide to Eating and Nutrition

As we enter the holiday season, we acknowledge that this year brings many unknowns and circumstances beyond our control. Familiar feelings of cheer and plans to see family and friends may be conflicted or replaced by stress and sadness. The end of this year will look very different from others, but we encourage all of our readers to reach for small or big joys, to find space for relaxation and connection (even if it’s virtual!) and to lean in to any opportunity for reflection and mindfulness. As the external world continues on a path beyond our total control, we find greater potential for personal grounding and inward focus. One area of our lives that we can practice mindfulness and play with adjustments is our diet and nutrition. Historically, the holidays can be a time when people find themselves practicing “mindless”, or even “out of control” eating. This year may be different for some of us, but we wanted to ask an expert about her approach to holiday nutrition, in case this is a topic that helps our readers reflect and introspect. Food is a tricky topic; for some, unfettered indulgence is just the big joy we need this year, but for others, having a plan and structure around eating can bring us peace in the long run.

So, below we have a short guide from Zamia Cohen, a Los Angeles based personal trainer and nutrition coach. She offers a simple set of tips for consideration during holiday meals:

Holidays! Food! Holidays and their foods! “Yay!” And sometimes also “ugh!” 

Food is forever a hot topic because we all need to eat and often do so multiple times a day. But, as many of us try to make healthy changes, maneuvering through the world of food and nutrition can be so overwhelming that we avoid it all together. And now it’s that time of year with a string of holidays filled with gatherings, traditions, memories, extravagant meals and sometimes increased stress.

You’re not alone I’d like to step in with an assist: my top 8 tips to support you this holiday season and beyond. 

Hint: The best tip for you (or combination of tips) will feel the easiest for you to do.

1.     Start your day with a good meal (whatever time that means for you, this could be breakfast or lunch) and some exercise to set the day up with two healthy practices. We tend to make better choices the rest of the day and feel better mentally, emotionally and physically when both of these happen first thing. I ALWAYS support and encourage those feels! 

2.     Let’s be honest, most of us are probably going to consume more carbs, sweets or both (I LOVE pumpkin pie!). Pulling non-vegetable carbs (bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, potatoes, grains, etc.) out of other meals can be helpful both mentally and physically as you PLAN for that upcoming celebratory/holiday spread.

3.     Be mindful of grazing and snacking. A bite here and scoop there can easily consume an entire day. Before you know it, 200-500 calories or even more are added to your day.

4.     One serving of everything; servings are the recommended serving size (see tip 5), not the heaping scoop of mash potatoes we might want. Enjoy some of all of the dishes you like. Yes, that also means refrain from seconds. You guessed it, that’s what leftovers are for! Seconds and large servings can push us from happily satisfied to uncomfortably stuffed (even with an elastic waistband).  

5.     Recommended serving sizes; all you need is your hand. Check out my easy guide here.

6.     Start your meal eating proteins and veggies. These foods provide more satiety so you may be less inclined to overeat the others. 

7.     Eat to 80% full. This is also about eating slowly. Put down utensils between bites and chew food well; enjoy each bite and let your brain catch up to this glorious event. It takes the brain around 20-minutes to register what the body just ate, making it very easy to suddenly feel stuffed/consume way more than we intended.

8.     If you enjoy an adult beverage, selection and/or quantity is another great place for tweaks. Fun fact, a serving of good quality red wine or tequila can have some health benefits. A few lower calorie options include gin, vodka, whisky, tequila, prosecco, dry wines and light beer. Keep in mind, mixers can negate a lower calorie choice. Soda water or club soda with fresh squeezed lime are a great alternative to tonic water. Enjoy a glass of water between drinks as well.

Tips 1-8 help plan for your holiday meals – own them and enjoy - NO GUILT! 

The next day is back on track, and yes, that can definitely include leftovers.  

For those wondering if your workout negates the calories you consume; sadly no, it does not, but it absolutely helps. Working out provides metabolic support and benefits your overall health. Consider an activity bonus with a postprandial (post-meal) walk. Nothing hard core, just a nice casual walk. Even 10 minutes makes a difference. A few additional benefits of a postprandial walk are decreased stress, improved digestion, blood sugar regulation and heart health as well as weight loss. Why not make this a new tradition?

These tips hopefully help you plan for holiday meals and balance holiday food temptations. They support calorie/consumption management and help remove any guilt, shame or regret that can accompany holiday eating choices. Pick the one(s) that help you best navigate these special events, while allowing room for more love, laughter, happiness, gratitude and appreciation.

Whether you follow these tips, or follow your own intuition this holiday season, here at Mana we’re wishing all of you wholehearted joy. We encourage all of you to make space for mindfulness and reflection, wherever it serves you.

Zamia Cohen is a Los Angeles based personal trainer and nutrition coach, practicing for 18 years since completing her M.S. in Physiology. In 2017, she founded Good Human Fitness focusing on whole life wellness with her clients. Zamia works closely with in-person and online clients designing customized training and nutrition programs. Zamia’s approach is to guide, simplify and support clients with sustainable plans to optimize their lives and achieve their goals.