Ok, so this time of year is going to be indulgent isn't it? More so than normal.
Nights are long, it's cold outside, Christmas is round the corner, it is the season of giving, so it makes sense to sit inside, get cosy and eat all the "treats" we can find right?
Well, so many of us give into this temptation and over eat then beat ourselves up, feel rubbish and back to square one by the time January 1st arrives.
I was talking to a client recently about how a simple mindshift can massively change the way we see these "treats" making it much easier for us to avoid this cycle of over-eating, feeling rubbish and starting from scratch every single year.
What is it?
If we think about a plate full of real nutritious food; food that provides a balance of macro and micro nutrients and minerals; a plate of food that every cell in our body is rejoicing at receiving; a plate of food that is going to benefit us in every single way; a plate of nutrients that we would be proud to feed a little baby, that is a treat.
We can make ourselves nutritious food and know that it is the biggest treat we can give ourselves. That salad, that fruit platter, that home cooked meal, that food that comes from the earth, that is a treat.
Have you ever picked a piece of fruit straight from the bush or tree? Doesn't it taste incredible? Nature has provided that treat for us and we know it because that fresh deliciousness is difficult to beat.
Now let's look at the more common items that we deem as "treats" - chocolate bars, sweets, cakes, biscuits etc. Unless it is made by nature, at home by you or someone you know, it is likely to have been made by a large company where financial profit is their main objective and concern. An obscene amount of money has gone into making these items as addictive and easy to produce as possible. Therefore these items are packed with chemicals, not food, to make it last longer, to make it cheap to manufacture, to hijack the reward centres in our brains and keep us coming back. Many of these chemicals can be found in things like cleaning products or even paint!
Is that really a treat?
It is anything but a treat! It is poison that has disguised itself as a treat - no wonder we feel pretty rubbish after we've eaten a load of the stuff!
Re-framing the way we look at these common "treats" may be the final puzzle piece in your health journey that keeps you "on track" over this festive period and feeling good on the inside and out.
Let me know what you think!