Stress-Free Holiday Eating Ep 74

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All right, y'all. Welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast holiday edition. And I am here with one of our other dietitians, Marissa. So thanks for being here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm glad to be here.

So we put together a couple of tips for folks as we head into the holiday season. And so we're going to kind of elaborate on those. And before we got started, we were talking about, you know, so what would you eat and all these types of things. We were like, you know what, let's just start recording because it's always good to come to a room with two dietitians and what do they talk about? What do they eat? Also, by the way, Marissa, are we the food police?

Oh, God. You know what my least favorite thing is, is when I go to a social gathering and everyone's like, oh my God, don't look at my plate. I'm like, I don't care.

Yes, exactly.

I don't care. I'm like, you're not paying me.

No, not at all. And also when they say that, I'm like, well, I wasn't, but now I'm going to look. But also I don't have any context to you.

Yeah.

What's on your plate?

You're my third cousin twice removed. You know, like, who are you?

Yeah. Like, I don't know what you do for activity. I don't know what your goals are. Like, and I don't know what your nutritional diagnosis is or what your intervention is. And It doesn't really matter.

So when, when we go to gatherings too, I feel like everyone's judging our plate and like, God forbid I get like a mac and cheese and a slice of pie, you know, like they're like, oh my God, you can eat that? It's like, yes, I'm living my life and enjoying things.

Yes, absolutely. Yeah, for sure. So we're not the food police. And also there is no perfect in nutrition.

So don't be staring at us going like, I always tell my clients, I say, hey, I don't expect perfection ever, and you should never expect perfection either.

Like, there actually is— that is a diagnosis called orthorexia.

It is.

So it— like obsession with healthy eating.

And isn't that— oh, orthorexia.

Yeah, orthorexia.

Sorry. Yeah, I spoke very quickly.

Yes. Yes. I thought you meant there's an eating disorder about perfectionism, and you called it— I thought you called it perfectionexia. Yeah, perfectionexia.

We have made up our own new diagnoses.

Yes.

But yes, orthorexia, which is the obsession with healthy eating. And the tricky part about nutrition is that we don't know enough and everybody is so different. So not everybody should be taking one type of supplement or eating X type of food or— No, sorry, guys.

Everyone is a snowflake. And since we're going into the holiday season, I can say that now.

You still can. That was amazing, Marissa.

That's what I tell all my clients. Like, everyone's a snowflake and not the offensive, like, in the offensive way. No, just in like everyone's different.

Yes, it's so true. It's so true. So now that we're headed into, you know, so many gatherings and parties and all this type of things, And I know people really struggle with, you know, now there's a bunch of like new foods, like we only have this type of Christmas cookie at Christmas. Like, I get that, right? You're surrounded by all these different types of options and people and all kinds of stuff. So what are some strategies to help us out at gatherings? So this was one that we were talking about right before we got on. And like I said, I was like, let's hit record. Tip number 1, don't go to a gathering starving. So tell us, First of all, what should we do instead? And should we just not eat the entire Thanksgiving Day, for example, or whatever holiday it is, you know, party that you're going to— should you just starve yourself all day because you know that you're going to eat this massive meal or whatever? So I've opened the door wide open for you, Marissa.

And so I think a lot of people's mindset around social gatherings around the holiday time is like, "Oh, okay, I'm not going to eat all day so I can just eat whatever I want at night." And then they eat so much or they overindulge that they then feel even worse, even though they didn't even eat that much during the day. And I think that just opens the door for you to overindulge and eat more, um, of the foods that you didn't necessarily want to eat that much of. So I usually tell most of my athletes or my clients like, eat normal throughout the day. Like have a good breakfast, have a good lunch, and then when you get closer to the time that you're going to go to this gathering or have people over for dinner, have like a quick high-protein snack beforehand so you don't go to this meal starving. Because I don't know about you guys, but like, if I ever go to a restaurant starving or the grocery store starving, like, I'm always going to order like 3 more appetizers than I would have ordered because, you know, my stomach is bigger— or my eyes are bigger than my stomach in that time. Or like, I'll go to the grocery store and be like, oh, that sounds good, and just buy random things I'm never gonna actually eat. But it's just like, it truly is a different like mindset. So like, if you go into this meal and you've, you know, had a pretty good, you know, a lot of color, a lot of veggies, a lot of protein throughout the day, ate consistently, maybe even got some movement in, because that's really helpful too, um, having a quick protein snack beforehand. So that could be like a smoothie with maybe some berries, milk, and protein powder, or a Greek yogurt, beef jerky, a turkey sandwich, you know, some cottage cheese, something like that before you're gonna go to this meal. And then you're not gonna feel that, that feeling that you get when you go to a restaurant starving and you're like, oh my God, like, I'm gonna have 30 13 things before dinner, and by the time dinner gets here, you're not even hungry, right? So I think that's the biggest thing. I think that's definitely a mindset most people have. And sometimes I'll even be honest with my clients. I'll be like, "Hey," like, because I use a lot of portion sizes for my clients. Like, let's say, for example, for breakfast, they can have 2 servings of a grain. I'm like, "If you want to move those, you know, 2 servings of a grain to dinner so that way you have more option to eat at dinner, then move them over and then just have a really good breakfast without those grains, and then, you know, you can still have those grains at dinner. So it's kind of like a puzzle piece that can move around. So if you normally have like a cup of oatmeal, 2 eggs, and some berries, maybe do a half a cup of oatmeal, 2 eggs, and some berries, and then save that other portion for dinner. So, you know, you have a little bit more to kind of wiggle around with. Hopefully that makes all sense. But, um, that's kind of what— how I usually navigate it with my, my clients. That, that way they also go in there And another really good thing, and we can get into this in a minute, is maybe find out what they have to offer before you go so that way you can kind of figure out what you already want to eat before you even get there. That kind of helps you with your mindset as well, especially with people who deal with like social anxiety or food anxiety around others. I know some people kind of don't like to eat in front of other people, um, fear of judgment, whatever it may be. So if you can maybe find out what they have to offer, that might help you also navigate that as well.

Yeah, no, I agree. And that kind of ties into one of our tips, which is like, you know, making or bringing your own dish if it's something maybe that you know you won't like or that you'll like too much or want to eat too much of or something along those lines. Also good and helpful if you have like allergies or celiac disease or something that you know. I've had clients who their families are just not generally supportive of the things that— of some of the restrictions that they have, whether it be Yeah, you know, some sort of food sensitivity or whatever. And they're like, or, you know, a vegetarian. They're like, nope, we're going to have all things meats. Like, well, thanks, friends and family. So everybody's situation is unique, but we all kind of have something funky. So, you know, if you have your own dish that you know you like and is healthy and gives you a good option, that at least helps things. And then, yeah. And then to your point, like not going in starving, I usually am like kind of strategic if I know I'm going to eat a little bit more. I'll do like a hard workout or a long bike ride or something. And it's like, do movement.

That way you also just kind of feel like, you know, if you're just sitting around all day not eating, then you go to a giant, you know, a meal and eat everything, like, you're not gonna feel— it's gonna feel like you're a lead balloon, you know?

Yeah. And then there's the guilt and the shame that go with it. And then the next day you go into that cycle of like, well, maybe I shouldn't eat again. And it's this kind of disaster of—

I do want to clarify, you don't need to work out to eat.

Correct.

Yes. I think that's not what we mean. We just mean that getting movement, getting steps throughout the day, it kind of helps you get hungry. It also helps you want to eat. It helps you just feel a little bit lighter and better. It's not necessarily for you to earn your food. It's just for you to kind of feel a little bit— I don't know. I always feel better when I get some steps in, some sunshine, some workout in. And generally when I work with athletes too, And that's kind of what we'll get into as far as like how to build a balanced plate. But you could always base your plate on your activity for that, for that day as well. So you can kind of help navigate what you need to have just to kind of help recovery from exercise and repairing your muscles.

Yeah, no, I think I'm glad you clarified that, that it is not essential for you to exercise in order to earn your food. There is, there's a bad way of manipulating your metabolism. We'll call it there. We'll call it that. But, um, I think you mentioned eating, making a well-balanced plate. So like when you get to said parties or gatherings or whatnot, I like— if it's a, um, if it's a sit-down meal, that's one thing. And another thing is like more of a stand-up kind of party. If it's like an appetizer type of party, I will always assess the situation. So in other words, like, go and, like, peruse. Don't just, like, hop in the line and be like, "Oh, I'm just going to— Oh, I see this. I'm just going to load up on that. And then, oh, that looks good. I'll take that too." Kind of, you know, see what all your options are first and sort of pick out like, "Ooh, that one looks really good," and just start small. Like, you might think something looks really good, you take one bite and be like, "That's a hard pass." And now you have a ton of it on your plate, which is a tip that goes along with it of like, if you are going to eat something, don't just grab it off of the like communal plate, put it on a plate first, right? So that your brain kind of like registers. But if we're at a sit-down meal, what are some of the main things that we're looking for in terms of what goes on our plate? Yeah.

So again, if you are someone who's more of an athlete, I think there's two different ways, you know, depending on whoever's listening right now. If we're just, you know, regular person who exercises, I think the best thing you can do when you're building your plate is to definitely make sure you stock up on protein. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. The macronutrients are carbs, fats, and proteins. Protein is what keeps us the, gets us the fullest. Quickest and the longest. So definitely wanna make sure you load up on that. And then you definitely wanna incorporate some sort of color or roughage because generally when it comes to veggies and color, you can have a higher volume with not a crazy amount of high calorie. If you're trying to maybe eat more food and not feel necessarily you're eating too much, the roughage kind of allows you to have a higher volume without necessarily eating overindulging on higher calorie, higher calorie dense foods. And then I say the rest of the plate, have fun, you know, like leave leave a quarter of the plate for, you know, that mac and cheese, the cornbread, whatever. And so pie— well, that's, that's the second plate.

That's not the first.

Sorry, that's second plate. That's—

this is—

we're talking first plate. And then when you build that plate, definitely eat the protein first, or try to eat as much of the protein as you can first, because that, like I said, that's going to get you full. So if you are someone that struggles with hunger cues, which we'll get here in a second as well, if you're someone who struggles with knowing when you're full or eating past fullness just for the sake of it tasting good, then I would recommend the protein first because that'll kind of help your body give it enough time to be like, "Oh, okay, we're eating satiating food. We're getting full. Like, I'm not going to want to eat as much as the other stuff because I'm feeling full already." So I definitely would incorporate— or I definitely would insist on eating your protein first, getting in that roughage, and then, you know, obviously having all the fun stuff as well. But to circle back to the hunger cues, and this is for Anytime. Not even just for social gatherings, but anytime. I do hunger cues on two different scales, the hunger scale and the fullness scale. I know some people do hunger-fullness as one scale. I like to do it on two. But hunger scale, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being like you're going to eat someone's face, you're so hungry. Generally, I would like you at like a 6 or a 7, where it's like you're not like, oh my God, ravenous, but you could eat, like you're hungry. You definitely don't want to go into a meal at a 2, right? But you definitely want to feel hunger but That's why we had said eat a protein, you know, high protein snack beforehand. And then you never wanna leave a meal on a scale of 1 to 10 on the fullness scale, 10 being like, I'm gonna vomit, I feel so full. The same thing, I want you at like a 6 or a 7 where you can have a couple more bites, but you're content. I, you know, you can say 6 or 7 outta 10 or like 80% full, right? So I would definitely recommend kind of staying in that 6 or 7 range before and after to kind of allow you also to have time and for your second stomach, your dessert stomach, because it is proven science that there are two stomachs.

Marissa, did you know me when I was a kid? Be like, this is my dessert hole. Exactly.

You have a second stomach and it's your dessert stomach. Proven science. That's right. But if you go to a 6 to 7 on the fullness scale for your meal, that at least allows you, given an hour after the meal to dessert, to have some ability to also, you know, indulge in a healthy way on other things as well. So yeah, definitely answered all your questions there.

Yeah, no, and, and the indulging part, always remember that the first best— the, sorry, the first bite is the best. So like, just, you know, like, this is me making the noise of like savoring, you know, taking that bite and just being like, ah, be like, be in the moment.

Like, I know it sounds silly. I know one of my undergrad classes, our teacher made us eat a Hershey Kiss. And as you're eating, she was like, it was very ASMR-like. It was like, slowly bite it, you know, think of the texture, think of the flavor, like really being in the moment with your food. And I think a lot of people mindlessly eat, especially at social gatherings when you're talking and you're around.

For sure.

Like, so if you're going to have that dessert, you want your brain and your gut to be on the same page. Um, so when you eat, you want to make sure that you are also acknowledging that you're eating, right? And noticing that. So like when you say the first bite's the best, it's peak. And then really take note of the flavors, you know, like really think about it versus like biting it and then going and talking to someone else. And I understand social gatherings, sometimes it is what it is, but you know, definitely try your best to, to really, I don't know the best way to say it.

Just savor it.

Yeah. Sounds silly, but like be in the moment with your food.

Yeah, to totally. Totally. And which I think ties in nicely to one of the tips I had, which was address the stress. So many people, like you had mentioned, social anxiety. There might be some social anxiety, or maybe there are certain gatherings that perhaps make them feel a little bit uncomfortable. So it might be stressful going into it anyway. So doing the things like Marissa had mentioned, you know, if it makes you feel good to go get some exercise or be outside, like do those things addressing the stress before you go in. Because, you know, we tend to either undereat when we're stressed or overeat when we're stressed. And of course, that's why so many people tend to gain weight during the holidays is because they're overstressed. And now we have so many different options for food. And we haven't addressed the stress going into things like this, then it just causes us to overeat. And then it just— the cycle perpetuates itself with the shame and guilt and overexercising or over-limiting foods later on. And it can just be— so therapy is a wonderful thing. A warm bath, a good book.

Yeah, I mean, I talk to a bunch of my clients who either have some sort of disorder eating or social anxiety or eating around family or judgment or whatever it may be, where we sit down a week or two before and we're like, hey, let's go over— let's pretend like we're there. Let's think of preparing for that moment. How is that going to go? How would you address it? Kind of doing it before it even happens so that way when you get there, it's kind of like you've been through it already, you already know, and you feel comfortable and confident. Another thing that I think a lot of people do, but maybe not, or maybe it's just my family, but I know for Thanksgiving, especially if you're with family, set a tradition to after dinner, go on a walk or go play football. I used to— every time after dinner, we would always take a lap around the neighborhood or play football with the kids and stuff. So set a tradition of doing some movement after because that'll help you with digestion and not feeling like you're— again, a lead balloon or anything like that. And again, and it gives you some more ability to have your second stomach ready to go for dessert. But you'll feel good getting some movement after you eat. Like, even like now, not even with social gatherings, generally after a lunch I'll do like a lap around the neighborhood or something like that just to help digestion and feel better. Especially if you're also someone who suffers from like GERD or IBS, like all these things, which I feel like everyone and their mom has some some form of it, especially stress. Stress is a huge trigger for that kind of stuff. So, yeah, move.

That vagus nerve is connected, brain to gut. And when you're stressed, yeah. And then everybody's like, oh, I spent the next day on the potty. I was like, well, maybe that's partly food and partly stress.

Well, I got a question for you, Chris. How do you think our clients or whoever's listening should navigate alcohol?

Oh yeah, that's a great question. I'm so glad you asked. Yeah. Um, in fact, I was just talking to somebody else about this in terms of— so we were looking at her genetic results in terms of mood behavior, uh, category, which are related to like stress and, you know, dopamine receptors, GABA receptors, things like that. So certain genetic, um, there are certain genetic SNPs that do better or worse with alcohol. So I think it's really knowing yourself and setting sort of an intention of what would you like to do in terms of alcohol. So like, I'm going to have 2 glasses of wine or 1 drink or no drinks, or, you know, kind of setting an intention before you go into whatever gathering, because, man, it can get away from you real quick. Really fast. And I know for me, as much as I enjoy a glass of wine or like a fun beer, if it's very late, like if it's past my bedtime, it's not like I pretty much have to kiss the next day goodbye. Like, I will be worthless. Not everybody is like— but literally, I will sit the whole day on the couch and not be able to function. Yeah. And, and then it kind of stinks because it's like, well, I really want to get out and get some exercise, but I am so zapped. Or, you know, I really need to do this chore or whatever, and I'm like, I'm—

I'm—

so it is becoming less and less worth it for me because of the aftereffects. But, you know, to each their own, you know. I mean, at the end of the day, as much as I hate to say it, uh, but it's just Science is how we process alcohol.

We basically turn it into poison and then we have to get rid of it.

I mean, at the end of the day, alcohol is trash.

It really is.

It really is the worst thing.

It is. And I know that it's such the basis of so many different social gatherings, which is a whole nother ball of wax and could be like multiple podcasts because there is a pretty hefty wave of people who are foregoing alcohol. And it's very hard with some of the— or can be very hard with some of the language that we have around alcohol or people who may not be drinking. Like, you know what I mean? Like, so if you're sitting down and everybody's drinking but you are not, you might get some— and whether people intend to do this or not, you're probably going to get some questions or some pushback, some sort of social or peer pressure because I'll say it's funny you say that because I don't drink ever, like at all.

And I go out with my friends who are all drinking. I've been to bachelorettes, I've been to weddings.

I know you're in Kentucky, like right in the midst of—

I'm around bourbon all day. Yeah. And I don't drink. I don't like how it makes me feel. I don't respond well to it. I really feel like I'm allergic to it because I get wasted off of like half a seltzer. It's just not worth it to me. But what I've been doing, which I feel great about, is I've been making like these really fun mocktails while everyone else drinks. And it just makes me feel fun and cute. And I know it sounds stupid.

No, it doesn't. Like, you want to—

I love it.

That's how we are as social creatures. Like, we want to be part of the crowd.

Yes.

Period. End of story.

And the amount of questions I get, oh, why aren't you drinking? Like you said, it happens. And I remember even in college, I've never been a big drinker. Even in college, when we'll be out at clubs or bars or whatever, I'll have those random guys that come up to you like, why aren't you smiling? Why aren't you drinking? Who are you? Why are you asking me this? And I think generally at these social gatherings or Thanksgivings where you're with family, most of those people know you and won't question you. So that's the first thing. Or let them know beforehand so you don't feel like there's pressure. But have a fun mocktail, make some cute stuff, get a cute glass. That way you feel like you're still involved. Or what I generally do if I'm out with friends, I'll get like a Diet Sprite and a lime so it looks like I'm drinking and they don't question.

Yeah, there you go. And then you don't have to deal with those questions anyway. I think that's great.

But if you are going to drink, I do think it's important to be mindful of what you put in your drinks because sometimes like all the added extra sugar and all the added extra stuff in the drinks is actually what causes the worst hangover than the alcohol itself.

Yes, for sure.

So try to stick to like— I usually tell people like a tequila soda lime is usually a really good one that doesn't really hit you too hard. Obviously don't have like tequila from like a box, but you know, like some good tequila. Or like, you know, stick to just having, like you said, 1 or 2 glasses of wine. Another way that I help people when it comes to alcohol, same thing with like moving around their portions of their foods. I usually tell 1 serving of alcohol, which is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Essentially, 1 drink is equal to a serving of a grain and a fat. So I usually tell people like, hey, like if you have a grain for breakfast and a fat for lunch, and you want to have a drink that night, then just move those to dinner and then that's your drink. So then you feel at least better knowing, like, okay, like, I'm sticking to what I need to do. Obviously alcohol is not better than a grain and a fat, but you at least know that you're not overindulging too much. So that's another way to kind of go about it if you do have kind of like a meal plan like that. Obviously not everyone has that. So that's where, like you said, I think you brought up a really good point. You know your body best, so you know how it responds. If you want to feel like trash the next day, then sure. But if you don't, be mindful. Yeah.

You know, in fairness, we as humans, we don't plan well. We don't think of our future selves very well. We are very much in the now. We respond to motivation in the moment. And, you know, it's very hard to think of, well, what is future me going to think?

Um, maybe I'm different because that's all I think of.

Yeah. And like, you know, like both of us said, I'm like, it ain't worth it. And it's getting more and more difficult to clear.

After 25, man, it's downhill with alcohol. Like, I, I can't drink the way I used to, I'm telling you. Another thing is you can have a drink and then switch to a glass of water, and then that way it kind of spaces it out better for you and also hydrates you because alcohol is a diuretic. So we want to make sure that we're also staying hydrated. So that could be something else that you can do to kind of— because I know some people, especially if you're social, you just want to like chug your drinks and just like kind of keep something in your hand because it's kind of like you're like, safety net, right?

It's your baba.

Yeah. Like, it's your little baby.

Your binky.

Yeah. So, like, just switch to a water and then go back and forth, and that might be helpful too. Or honestly, drink a Pedialyte before you go. Yeah.

A little bit of making sure you've got your electrolytes and fluid. But there is no— I've been asked this multiple times, like, can you suggest a supplement that will help me not have a hangover? It doesn't exist, y'all. Sorry.

We should make that. If we did, we'd be billionaires.

More than billionaires. Holy smokes. Yeah, but no, it's not a thing. It's just time and everybody's liver is a little bit different. And then you've got all the other confounding factors that go along with it. So yeah, good point there. And I'm glad that you mentioned mocktails because for anybody who's listening to this, if you head to our website, theenduranceedge.com/freebies.

Oh, look out.

Oh, I love how you love a freebie.

I love a freebie. I don't even know about this.

Yes, I know. So we, we like took all of our— I did this for Carly, who's doing our social media stuff. She's like, everything in one place. Like, is that a hard ask? I'm like, I got you. So we put it all in one place, thenurseedge.com/freebies. If you download the Healthy High Performance Eating Guide, it's free. So it goes through like how you should stay hydrated and good quality proteins and all the things that we were talking about today. If you download that, you will also get some free holiday recipes and it includes some mocktails. Oh, fun. Yes, my favorite, like, um, one of my favorite cranberry sauces, like what to do with your leftover turkey. So some recipes with pictures and nutrition facts and all that stuff. So that will only be there while the holidays are going on, and then it will go away. So if you want it, better get it, better get it, better get it.

I will say another really good mocktail is using tart cherry juice because—

yes, I will add that. Tart cherry juice is like some ginger beer and like a little bit of Yes, and it will go with that hard workout that I just did beforehand.

Exactly.

Love it. We're so good, Marissa.

Right, for pageants.

All right, y'all, well, have a wonderful holiday. Thank you for listening. Marissa, thanks for, uh, being my, uh, partner in crime today.

Of course, and honor and privilege.

Yeah, don't forget theenduranceedge.com/freebies, and we will talk On the next one.

Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge podcast. If you like what you heard, don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. And if you're interested in learning more about our endurance coaching, sports and wellness nutrition, metabolic and sweat testing, triathlon training team, or our triathlon training library, be sure to check us out at theenduranceedge.com. And don't forget to follow us on social media at The Endurance Edge. Thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.