In part one of this blog series which you can read here I talked about Emotional Struggles and Holiday Eating and this week I wanted to talk more about how overindulging during the holidays can impact your health through the Christmas season.
You may be someone who is SO booked with parties and Christmas prep that, despite your best attempts, this triggers you to eat and drink more than you’d like and you just feel blah. You’re up 5 to 10 lbs by New Years. Worse yet, you always seem to get sick at this time of the year. So you may actually spend the holidays in the hospital or at home sick in bed.
When you overbook your schedule, don’t get enough sleep, drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of refined foods and/or sugar, you do suppress your immune system. This stress easily makes catching a flu or cold bug happen.
On the other hand, perhaps you aren’t catching a cold or flu bug, but overindulging because of stress and overwhelm leaves you feeling bloated, gassy, crampy and inflamed. Perhaps you feel so puffy your rings won’t fit on your fingers or you have to go up a clothing size by the time New Year’s hits. This can have you feeling devastated because you can’t fit into your New Year’s outfit. This can trigger the “what’s the point mentality” and trigger more indulgence.
You may notice your pains and aches get worse when you overindulge because of the inflammation that is being created. Perhaps you have food sensitivities but you decide who cares and eat them anyways and end up in pain, tired, just wanting to crawl into bed and stay there. Maybe you find that eating too many refined foods fuels your cravings for more, which triggers overindulging and feeling sick.
Ringing in the New Year feeling this way is not a fulfilling way to start the year, trust me, I know. I always regretted how much I over-did it. You have to take a moment to think, if you are experiencing all of these symptoms, why would your body be happy? How can your body possibly be happy with this level of sabotage? Some people get used to having so many symptoms that it can feel like their norm, and I am here to help empower you to want a different norm. To not settle for suffering, but to support your greatest good, your health, your beautiful body, and the gift of life you have been given to live.
I’ve had clients who work with me and the following Christmas they for the first time in years aren’t getting sick because their immune system is being supported. Also they changed their habits, set healthy boundaries with their schedule which helps their immune system stay stronger. And they also build a healthy relationship with food.
Is what I’m sharing resonating with you? If you are ready to boost your immune health, build confidence and practice mindful indulgence with food versus the binge mentally click here to book your 30 minute complimentary Body Freedom consultation to talk more about your health goals, struggles and where you are seeking support to build food and body freedom.