The holiday season is coming up on us quickly and I know, you are considering just giving in for the holidays so you can eat what you want aren’t you? I know, cause I’ve been there, my clients have been there. We are human, we all cheat because it is soooo very hard just committing to what is needed for our health. We fall off the wagon, climb back on and fall off again. Sadly. But don’t give up now!!!! Not yet!!
This week I am hoping to motivate you to hold the course, stay on the wagon, don’t lose your resolve and take 20 steps backwards. Are you feeling bad for yourself?
I know, me too.
But then I remember how shitty I feel every time I cheat. But more than that, your body will pay the price. Let me explain.
If you are here, you are likely struggling with something. Chronic illness, autoimmune, unknown symptoms. And if you are a client of mine, you are on the dreaded Autoimmune Protocol. It has helped everyone of my clients feel better because it reduces inflammation in the body, helps to turn down the fire of the immune system and this allows the body to begin the process of healing. Nutrients end up in the cells, energy increases, sleep gets better, constipation starts to improve, digestive pains start to go away, skin clears up, and maybe even some weight loss.
And for all of those amazingly positive things that this eating protocol provides, we still struggle with it. Giving up our beloved foods that absolutely doesn’t serve us in anyway shape or form is the hardest damn thing to do and the holidays are the worst.
Absolutely the worst.
I hate that I love dressing. I love it cold and I love eating it for days after the big day. I love cold turkey sandwiches with Miracle Whip and lettuce and pepper or hot turkey sandwiches with gravy and pepper. I don’t know why I need pepper; I just need it. Its part of the experience. And I love butter fried mashed potatoes with pepper. Haha. I know pepper is a thing. And I love pumpkin pie. I love the smell of it. I love the taste of it. And I love whipped cream, big spoonsful of whipped cream on my pie.
And I hate this love of these foods every holiday season because I will never ever get them back in the way that I enjoyed them, ever again.
Ever, ever, ever.
I had pity parties over this food that I will never get again. And it makes me dislike the holiday season because not only can I not eat this food, I have to sit around watching other people eat it when we have holiday meals out. And even better than that, in my home, everyone else has to eat it the way I have to eat because there is no more gluten or corn in my house. Ever.
That is a lot of Evers.
And, you might be able to tell that I am writing from a very raw emotional place. Yes, I am. It still bothers me because I have not yet wrapped my head around the fact that my body tells me, every single time, that when I eat a meal that is good for me, it loves it. It isn’t my body that hates, it loves the good food. It is my mental and emotional state that hates it. It just can’t seem to let go of the pleasure of the gathering and the association with the food. That every memory that I love about family or my kids during the holidays happened around the dinner table and the eating of the food. Food that I love.
So, is the love misplaced.
Is it that I love the food because of the memories and the comfort they bring? Sure, my tastebuds think they remember loving the food. However, I also know that my tastebuds don’t mind the new meals that are an amazing replacement.
Hmmm. We now have Chicken Christopher which is a modified Morton’s Steakhouse recipe to make it healthier. And we did forgo the rolls but my daughter reminds everyone every year that it is better for me so no complaining. We have gluten free dressing, and if you watch the water content, it is quite good. And we could make a turkey if we wanted, we just decided we wanted something different and we like it.
So, is it the food?
No. It isn’t. It is the memory in my head that I can’t seem to let go of. It is the difficulty I’m having getting my head to meet my body in the love of the new way of eating. And I think that is truly the goal.
A good question to ask is why would I want to hurt myself by eating things that I know are bad for me?
How do I know my body loves the food? I wake up with a flat tummy. No bloating. No inflammation. I wake up awake and full of energy. I don’t ache. I don’t feel sick. I don’t have a headache.
Why wouldn’t I want to eat things that my body clearly loves?
I think it is about change and somehow the resistance of change. Holding onto the past and the comfort of the memories and also allowing the present and future to be something different, even better and embracing it as a gift of health with new memories and loving the way you feel. And I wouldn’t have gotten here without the wonderful Marisa Wandeler who brings clarity to my rants because she is also a sister that shares the need to be healthy.
Ok, I get it. Are you with me? Do you think you can do it too? I think so.
Have a wonderful week.
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