Next week will be December, and the season of meals, dinners, snacks, parties and endless possibilities to not take care of ourselves, to eat more and worse than we want will begin.
I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love being with family and friends, but at this time of year I have to be even more mindful of my diet so I can feel good and wake up full of energy every day.
For me, the solution to so many parties isn't staying home with herbal tea and wanting to dance, nor is it accepting the pain and bloating I feel when I neglect my diet, but rather controlling everything I can and prioritizing what matters most to me, which at this point in my life is having energy.
These are some of the things I've learned in recent years that have worked well for me.
1- If I'm eating at a restaurant: If possible, I choose the restaurant myself. If not, I study the menu before going and call ahead if necessary to determine the best options for me. I need my food to be gluten-free, and I prefer it to be as simple as possible, without sauces or ultra-processed ingredients. Having this control helps me avoid feeling anxious about an unfamiliar menu and making a hasty decision that could lead to bloating and pain later.
2- If I'm hosting: I try to make a homemade menu that suits the needs and tastes of my guests, but also my own. I always include a salad and a dish of sautéed vegetables—Brussels sprouts are a star dish—and dessert at my house is always homemade and gluten-free.
3- If I'm invited to someone's house: I let them know I need to avoid gluten and offer to bring something so the hosts don't have to worry. I also bring a snack or dessert that I can eat, but something meant to be shared so I don't feel awkward or like I'm eating differently from everyone else.
4- When you meet up for drinks: Since I don't drink and my friends know this, they don't usually invite me to these kinds of plans, but if they do, to include me in the group, I can either drink no alcohol at all and order sparkling mineral water with lemon, or if I want to have something with alcohol, it would be a glass of quality wine if there is one (if not, we go back to sparkling water).
What I've learned is that some people can be very pushy, asking if you want something to drink - my answer is always polite but direct: "I don't feel like it, thank you" - but over time, and if you keep saying no, they stop and don't usually make a big deal out of it.
They might stop inviting you to these plans too; it doesn't affect me much, although it's true that you can sometimes feel left out. If you want to go out for drinks but don't want to drink alcohol, talk to your friends so they keep including you.
5- When sugar surrounds you and calls to you: For me, this is perhaps the most difficult, since I love baking, however I take two things into account:
The first point is that industrially produced pastries are not the same as artisanal ones, and I'm not missing out on anything by not eating a cake that was made months ago in a machine and has been packaged in plastic until now. So, if what surrounds me is industrially produced pastries—even if they are gluten-free—it's easy for me to have an herbal tea or a coffee and forget about the sugar around me. And why is it easy?
Because (and this is the second point) when I'm in a place where the pastries are artisanal or homemade, and made with quality ingredients, I do have what I want and enjoy it—as long as it's gluten-free, of course. For me, this isn't about neglecting my health, but rather about indulging in a moment of pleasure without feeling like I'm missing out on anything else.
This has a drawback: there's always someone who says, "You talk so much about eating healthy, and now look what you're eating," or something like that. You can respond in many ways, not all of them kind, but you can also explain that everyday food is one thing, and food for special occasions is another, or show them that a homemade cake has very little to do with a store-bought one.
I hope this helps you during the upcoming holidays.
Do you find it difficult to eat healthily during the holidays? How do you manage to eat well during this time? I'd love to hear how others handle these situations.