Sugar is everywhere, especially during the holidays. Everyone is baking goodies loaded with sugar, and candy and cookies of all different shapes and colored sprinkles abound. It seems that avoiding sugar at holiday time is impossible, but is it?
Here are some quick, simple suggestions for sidestepping the sugar trap this season.
- De-food de holiday
People typically give gifts of food and alcohol during the holidays but that’s not your only option. Think outside the box and give something different like a small box of greeting cards, a holiday ornament, or a few cooking utensils wrapped in holiday ribbon from Bed, Bath and Beyond? Your gift will stand out and people will be so relieved to receive something that doesn’t make them feel guilty later.
- Take a baking sabbatical
If you don’t bake this holiday season, you’ll be OK (better than OK) and so will your family. As an alternative, have family and friends bring their favorite baked goods to the party. Watch them enjoy others’ cooking and be grateful that you didn’t have to taste everything during a day of baking. Feel the freedom of doing things differently this year…and avoiding the extra pounds on account of it.
- Meet my friend Stevia
I truly believe that Stevia is God’s gift to emotional eaters. I’ve had a sweet tooth all my life and for years I had the body to show for it! But over the past several years I’ve been able to enjoy a touch of sweetness in my yogurt, cereal, tea and even chocolate at times, on account of this simple plant-based sweetener. You may not appreciate the natural sweetness of Stevia while you are still eating sugar, but the more sugar-free you become, the more you will love this sugar alternative. Buy a bottle of the liquid, alcohol-free form from Whole Foods and use it in many of the ways you’d normally use sugar. Be sure to thank God for this sweet gift when you do!
Holiday time is usually filled with plenty of traditions, so it will be tempting to keep your food traditions the same. But as they say, “if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”. It’s OK to change things up…to start a new tradition (it’s actually very healthy to break out of old patterns). Tradition is wonderful but so is turning over a new leaf.
Tricia Nelson is the host of the Heal Your Hunger podcast and founder of Heal Your Hunger Inc., which helps people get to the heart of why they overeat and how to stop. Get more of Tricia’s free holiday tips at www.Thriveintheholidays.com
