We announced that we are taking a break. We are, I promise… yet here I am, creating another post.
This blog keeps me accountable in many aspects of my life. (Everything our blog is about: Zero Waste, Mental and Physical Health, Farming and Gardening, and Do-It-Yourselfing). Lately it’s really been keeping me accountable with my eating habits. Do I eat perfectly all the time? No. Did I fuck up and go to McDonald’s again even though I promised myself I wouldn’t? You betcha. Eww. But…I am trying, and that’s what matters most to me right now.
It’s usually a pretty big challenge for me during the Holidays. I like to fill my plate as much as I can and shove as much good Holiday food down my throat as possible. Then, I go into a food coma and rarely come out of it until..oh… February. It’s a really rough time coming out. Self-control has never really been my strong suite, but last year I proved that I could control myself. Especially because I was strictly on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diet. Which meant that I didn’t get to eat anything fun. No POTATOES (precious), NO gluten, NO, NO, NO!
Because I can do it, I’m determined to keep it up this year. I’m not strictly on AIP because I don’t need to be. I know what bothers me and I know what foods to avoid. So, I’ll be doing that. I’ll also let myself live a little. What’s the point of living if we are so strict all the time? Being on AIP and then finding out what foods bother me really taught me that I AM allowed to live. I’m allowed to fuck up. It’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. My blood pressure is the best it’s ever been. I know how to keep my sugars down. I know what to do to maintain my body the way it needs. I’m also more active with Yoga that I have EVER been, and I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Yoga has strengthened my body in ways that I never thought could be possible.
With that being said, here’s my list for keeping my health on track during the Holidays:
- Self- Control
THAT IT! Just have self-control. I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself. Having love enough for myself and MY health will be enough. I’m not driving myself mad with the things I can’t have- and I’m not going to go crazy on all the food I can have. BALANCE is always key.
The Holidays aren’t just about food, though. There’s a lot of important mental health triggers that I will have to be aware of. There is a lot of advice out there about how to deal with family during the Holidays: No politics, no talks about religion, etc. I heard on the radio that after about three hours and fifty-four minutes we will be needing a break from family during the Holidays. That makes me sad..I don’t get to see my family as much as I want to. So, here’s a list of what I’m gonna do:
- Love
- Care
- Shine Light
- Take Nothing Personally
- Let Other’s Opinions be Heard
- Stay Grounded
- Give Lots of Hugs
- Speak My Truth Without Hurting Others
- Bring Home Turkey for Lucky, because poor buddy won’t be able to join us.
I think, more than anything, it’s really important to let the people in our lives (or the people we don’t get to see as often) know that we love and appreciate their presence on this Earth. Love has the power to transform and to heal. Especially when we don’t get to see the family we love so much very often, we don’t always know what’s truly going on in their lives. So, its important to spread love during the Holiday season and, of course, on a regular basis.
I pray your love for others heals and transforms.
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
<3 Jamma
*Featured Image by Simon Matzinger from Pexels