Mindful Eating
Socializing is so much a part of us as Humans, it’s essential for every aspect of our health. Research shows that maintaining a strong social network can reduce depression, and healthy self-esteem and helps ease stress. The most difficult scenarios for people when it comes to mindful eating are during social events and travel.
Socializing during work events, and parties, where you may not know a lot of people, can be stressful enough. We may have the tendency to overdrink or overeat as a way to cope with social anxiety or feel like we are doing something.
Traveling holds its own set of challenges. You don’t have your usual healthy options, or you are tight with time between fun activities while other times there are not many options outside of fried, rich or heavy foods.
So how can you manage these situations? In this blog, I will share with you some tips to set you up for success.
Social Events
Plan ahead: If you are going to a restaurant, look at the menu ahead of time to plan what you’ll order. Take a snack with you to eat on the way.
Eat ahead: Eat before your gathering. Get your dose of veggies and protein, this way you won’t be lacking nutrients, you won’t be starving and you’ll have a better grip of what you eat and drink at the event. Arriving incredibly hungry usually leads to overeating.
Reach for healthier choices first. Surrounding the heavy, rich foods is usually a side salad, veggie sides, and water. You don’t need to only eat the healthy food options but look at the bigger picture. The goal is to maintain a healthy diet while enjoying smaller portions of treats.
Indulge in small bites. I’m not here to tell you to never again eat your favorite cookies, cake or whatever your desired food. However, you don’t need a ton of servings to satisfy a craving. Enjoy yourself, simply do it mindfully.
Ask yourself if you’re actually hungry. A lot of times we eat for more reasons than being hungry. We could be feeling anxious, stressed, sad, nervous, bored and the list goes on. Before going for your third serving, ask yourself “Am I actually hungry,” “What am I feeling right now,” “Can I wait a little longer for more food.”?
Traveling & Eating
It’s not always the easiest to stick to your healthy choices when in the sky or in a foreign country but it’s not impossible. Here are some tips that will help you stay one step ahead.
Once again, Plan ahead. Once you know where you will be staying, take some time to do research on restaurants and healthier options in the area. Create a list of easy quick stops for snacks and save them to your Google maps for easy access.
Buy groceries. Make it one of your first stops. Buy snacks, water, and foods that make the busy morning a little easier for a light breakfast. Snacks like nuts and fruit are great to carry in your backpack for the 2-hour drive for the waterfall adventure.
Lunch is your big meal! As you are out enjoying your vacation plans, lunch is the perfect meal to enjoy a little more. There is usually a lot of walking on trips and a great way to burn off a big meal.
Know what you’re drinking. Drinks have a sneaky way of adding way more calories and sugar than we think. If consuming alcohol, alternate between a glass of water. Keep your drinks to a minimum and choose nonsugary drinks.
Live Guilt-free! As much as I stand by all these tips, I also believe you should enjoy your life guilt-free. Whether you overindulge in desserts or food, stay confident knowing you will come back to your routine. Enjoy your life and travel.