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A Mindful Passover

What comes to your mind when you think of the holidays?

For most people, the first thought is food. The second thought is “oh, no I am going to gain so much weight”.

Passover is just two days away and if you celebrate this holiday, you probably understand when I say that preparing for Passover is exhausting. Cleaning the house, planning the holiday menus, writing your shopping lists and finally “turning over the kitchen” so you can begin cooking even before the holiday begins can really take a toll on your energy level.

For those reading this who might not understand what “turning over the kitchen” means, let me take a moment to explain. It is required on Passover to use different dishes, silverware and pots than you use all year round. One has to clean out the refrigerator, oven, stovetop and microwave of all leavened bread and crumbs before using it for Passover food and cooking. So when someone says “I am turning over my kitchen tonight”, that means from that night forward until the end of Passover, only Passover dishes, pots and foods are in the kitchen.

Needless to say, this is a lot of work! And, cooking for the 8 days of Passover is a lot of cooking. Many of my clients tell me that by the time Passover begins, they are exhausted and they don’t make healthful food choices. Exhaustion is definitely a feeling/emotion for many people that triggers poor food choices.

But for the chronic dieter, this goes even deeper.

I see one of several scenarios in the chronic dieter and how they handle Passover. Here are just two that come to mind now:

Scenario #1:

She arrives at the Passover Seder exhausted and over hungry, having not eaten all day due to Passover preparation. She overeats on the appetizer and then says “I blew it already, so forget it. I’ll start again after Passover”.

Scenario #2:

She enters into the holiday with the mindset of “I am not going to eat anything I am not supposed to”. She says no to her favorite traditional holiday foods for the first 4 days of Passover, and then BAM, she can’t do it anymore. On day 5 she says: “I just want to taste a sliver”, which leads to a second sliver, a third sliver and so on until she says “Forget it, I’ll start again after Passover”.

So, what’s the best way to stay mindful and intuitive over the Passover holiday?

Banish the rules. Be rid of the “I won’t eat anything I’m not supposed to mentality”. That is a dieters thought and will keep you struggling.

Remember to eat! I know this sounds funny, but it is very important to be sure you are eating meals on Friday so that you don’t arrive at the Seder starving.

Take it slow. There is no need to rush the meal. Take your time and savor each bite of food, really exploring the taste and texture so you can have great pleasure in your meals. You will be less likely to be on the prowl looking for snacks later in the evening.

Forget about deprivation. If you have a favorite Passover food, enjoy it. Deprivation leads to overeating, keep that in mind. If you are interested in exploring traditional Passover foods with a healthy twist, check out my cookbook Passover the Healthy Way!

Your turn to take action: Which scenario above do you resonate with, or share a different scenario you have found yourself in. And, how will you stay mindful this Passover? Let me know in the comments below.

Simple Solutions to Stop Stress Eating in its Tracks!

Thanksgiving is only one week away. Yikes!

Cleaning, shopping, cooking, preparing the house….there is so much to do!

Does all the stress and overwhelm of the holidays cause you to go into a tailspin? How will you accomplish all that you need to do? And, of course, you still need to go to work, tend to your usual house chores, take care of the kids etc.

What happens when you get stressed and overwhelmed?

For many, they cope by turning to food to “ease the stress”. Ahh, that piece of chocolate melting in your mouth is melting away all the stress too. That is, until you try on your favorite holiday pants and they don’t button.

Sound familiar?

Listen, I know you want to overcome stress eating. The holidays that are upon us are just one time when you might find yourself coping with food. But what about all year round? Is life hectic with little time for yourself?

Deep down in your heart and soul, you wish there was a way for you to learn how to manage the stress and overwhelm without eating. Actually, you wish you could better handle all that life throws your way so you aren’t overwhelmed.

There is a way!

I am excited to bring to you a brand new program called Stress Less EAT LESS™.

Read all the way to the end to learn about the Holiday Special I am offering you.

In this program you will discover:

How to develop a calm mindset by better managing your time and priorities so you can be more mindful in how you handle kid stress, job stress, life’s stresses.
What changes you need to make in your daily health and nutrition habits so you feel physically and mentally ready to deal with a stressful situation without caving to the ice cream and cake.
The two most important steps that you need to take when you are in the midst of overwhelm and it seems easier to turn to food to numb.
The ONE practice you MUST learn to stop stress eating in its tracks and turn you away from the cookie jar and drive-through.

I originally created this program as a “Do it Yourself” program. But I realize that you could probably use some extra support during the holidays, so for this time only, I am offering this program with LIVE group calls a private Facebook group and more!

Click here for all the details and to sign up.

There are lots of bonuses for you once you sign up. The sooner you sign up, the more bonuses you get.

Oh, and share it with your friends and loved ones who could use Simple Strategies to Stop Stress Eating in its Tracks.

Here’s to a STRESS FREE Holiday!

Family and Food…Roadblocks to Success?

It is a time of year for family. While that should mean love and gratefulness to be with loved ones during the holidays, family time can often bring about a lot of stress. Along with the stress come plates, upon platters, upon trays of traditional holiday foods that are served. Between these two things, it can make the mindful eater want to hop a ride to the North Pole and wait out the food and stress storm until New Year’s Day.

First I want to address the food traditions that come with the holidays. You made it through Thanksgiving with flying colors, and you are still here working on moving forward on your intuitive eating journey. Please take a moment to take pride in that and tell yourself “good job”.

I know you don’t want to fear the holidays and the “once a year” foods it may bring. Remember to exercise your ability to enjoy the flavors you wait for all year, and savor each bite. Most of the foods surrounding you during the holidays can be associated with a memory. Let that memory have its moment as you practice your mindful eating techniques. It will both warm your heart and tingle your taste buds.

We all know that family, on a normal day, can be a difficult roadblock on your healthy eating path, but during the holidays, the number of family members critiquing your body and your food choices seem to multiply. You don’t want to let that stress get the better of you and lead you into making choices that you don’t want to make. I’ve mentioned before, while support is a wonderful thing, this is your journey, not anyone else’s. Perhaps take this opportunity to educate them on how this lifestyle has helped you. Who knows, they might want to know more about it so they can begin their own journey!

An obstacle you might face is a family member or host making you feel bad if you don’t partake in enough of the food they made. This might be your grandmother who worked hours cooking and baking and doesn’t understand why you don’t want a bigger slice of her famous pie. Or, another family member telling you to, “Eat more! It’s the holidays!”

Remember, how much food you eat and what you choose to eat does not equate to the love you feel for your family or the person who prepared the food. Explain to them that you love them, and you love their food, but that is all you want to eat. Having this confidence and ability to stay true to your decisions about food empowers you and will be another victory on your road to a body you love.

This is a great time of year and it does not have to throw you off because of the stress that family can bring. At the end of the day, your family truly wants to see you happy. If you are confident in yourself and what you have accomplished so far, you are sure to have an awesome 2014.

Your turn to take action: What is a family food stress you typically encounter during the holiday season?

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