11: How to Manage Holiday Food and Alcohol

Are you trying to manage your weight, and other perimenopause symptoms...but you're worried about falling off track over the holidays? (Or worse yet, thinking about "restarting" in the new year?!) Don't let the upcoming season throw you off course!

Grab a notebook and a pen, because you're going to want to take notes! In this episode of The Family Fork we're looking at how holiday traditions around food and alcohol can derail your health and wellness goals.

Plus, you get very specific strategies for maintaining anti-inflammatory eating throughout the holidays...without feeling deprived...without saying goodbye to holiday food traditions.

And we definitely cover how to manage alcohol, not drinking, and how to get into the mindset of being ok with that.

Links mentioned, and ways to get in touch:

• Savor the Season Holiday Cookbook
• Prime Protein (my top fav protein!)
• Vegan Chocolate Protein (creamy like hot cocoa!) **Use code ASHLEYS1NOV15 for 15% off!
• Swig tumblers as conversation starters
• More anti-inflammatory resources here

Ashley Malik is a women's health and wellness coach, helping women lose weight in perimenopause. You can learn more, and discover how to work with Ashley, by clicking here.

*** Ready to lose 15 lbs in 10 weeks? The Method gives you all the tools to make it happen! We start April 2nd. To learn more about The Method, click here!

Transcript

Ashley Malik (00:06)
Yay, I am so excited that the holiday season is here. I absolutely love, love November and December. I don't know about you, but I tend to be more intentional about getting together with them. I don't know about you, but I tend to be more intentional about getting together with friends and family during this time of year. And I don't know, people, they're just usually feeling extra kind or caring it feels like.

and there's tons of yummy food and lots of traditions that revolve around food. So what's not to love, right? But with the food, this might be where things sort of hit a wrinkle for you. If you are trying to manage your weight and other perimenopause related symptoms, all that holiday food and alcohol can really derail even the most detailed plan. And then you have to factor in family traditions that

typically revolve around food. I mean, you don't want to disappoint your kids when you don't have the classic breakfast casserole on Christmas morning, right?

Believe it or not, there are a ton of different things you can do to manage food and alcohol this holiday season. And because I love the holiday season, you can be sure that these strategies that we're gonna talk about will leave you feeling those same cozy feelings as with holidays past, but you won't have to deal with the sugar or the alcohol hangovers or the bloating where you have to unbutton your pants.

after the first round at the buffet table. But what I want you to understand is that the goal here is to feel good or better yet, I want you to feel amazing during the holidays. You want energy to have entertaining and party. You want to have energy for entertaining, excitement about shopping without feeling overwhelmed. You need that energy for special events with your family, like going to the ballet or a day on the tubing hill.

And if you are currently working on losing weight, the holidays should not undo all of the hard work that you have already put in. So the strategies here are not about deprivation. I promise you that. They're about being proactive instead of reactive so that you can feel amazing, energetic, and clear minded through the entire holiday season. So let's get into it.

Now I've broken this episode into two different parts, food and alcohol. For each topic, we're going to talk a little bit about what you can do before a holiday party or event, and then we'll take a look at what you can do while you're at the party. So let's start with food, because I see this as having the biggest impact on how you feel over the holidays. So go with me for a minute. I want you to close your eyes.

And I want you to think about the holiday season. What kind of images come to mind for you? For me, it's snow, twinkling Christmas lights, especially on the tree, and my mom's cherry cheese coffee cake.

When I was growing up, my mom would spend an entire week prepping these amazing cherry cheese coffee cakes. I mean, I remember her making like 20 or 30 coffee cakes every year. She would make the filling from scratch and then she would make the dough from scratch. I remember, I don't know, I was probably six or seven years old coming into the kitchen one morning and there were these little bowls and loaf pans all over the place so that the dough could start rising.

So if you fast forward to today, since I eat an anti-inflammatory diet, I actually choose not to have any of mom's cherry cheese coffee cakes. But I know that there are options that will let me enjoy the holidays, but without feeling that physical pain of eating things that are filled with inflammatory ingredients. There are choices that you can make all day and all week long.

that will actually make it easier to enjoy the food at a holiday event or party. So let's look at four different strategies that I use every year when it comes to these parties and events that typically revolve around food and drinks.

Number one, I really want you to start your day with a savory breakfast bowl. If you have listened to any of my previous episodes, you will see that this is sort of becoming a theme. A savory breakfast bowl filled with protein, veggies, and carbs is absolutely the best way to start your day, whether it's the holidays or not. Eating this way allows you to stabilize your blood sugar after a night of fasting.

And this is also going to set you up for an entire day of really well regulated blood sugar. Having regulated blood sugar means fewer cravings, needing to, you you're not going to want to like give into things that aren't necessarily on your nutrition plan.

My favorite breakfast bowl is roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes or brown rice, and grilled chicken. And I usually use a big drizzle of my favorite bitchin' sauce. Now, if this sounds crazy, like way too crazy in other box for you, consider having last night's dinner for your breakfast.

Our dinner is typically more balanced than traditional breakfast foods, so you'll probably get that well-rounded assortment of protein, veggies, and carbs. Now, when you get invited to an event, I want you to offer to bring a side dish or two or an appetizer that you can share. The reason for this is that you can control the ingredients and you can make it anti-inflammatory. And this also ensures that when you are there at that party,

there will definitely be something that you can eat. Now, if you want some fun recipe ideas, I want you to check out Savor the Season, which is my holiday cookbook with anti-inflammatory recipes for appetizers, side dishes, desserts. There's even a great gravy recipe. I've put a link in the show notes so you can grab that cookbook because honestly, it's going to be handy for you this entire holiday season.

Alright, number three, I want you to eat before you go to the holiday party. I want you to fill up on anti-inflammatory foods.

Alright, number three, I want you to eat before you go to the holiday party. When you fill up on anti-inflammatory foods at home, it means you'll get to the party and you'll be less tempted to sort of nosh on those cocktail sausages or the puff pastries, things that are filled with inflammatory ingredients. But remember, the idea is for you to have control over what you eat, because having control over your food choices will determine how you

feel. So make a festive plate for yourself at home and this will ensure that you're really in control of your food and how you feel afterwards. Number four, this one is an absolute non-negotiable for me. I do it every single time. Drink a protein filled smoothie before you go to a party. Sure, you can make yourself a plate

But definitely having a hefty dose of protein is gonna help you feel fuller for longer. And when you use a clean protein powder, you're gonna be able to get in the protein and the nourishment without all of the added junk. I linked to a few of my favorites in the show notes in case you need a couple of ideas. And really make your smoothie something amazing. Opt for, opt.

Opt for something delicious like a chocolate cherry smoothie or a pumpkin pie smoothie. You can even add a dollop of coconut whipped cream. This way you feel like you are really getting something decadent, but you don't need to have all of the sugar and empty calories to get that flavor and that taste.

All right, now, what can you do once you get to the party or the event? Remember, you offered to bring a side dish or an appetizer to share, so be sure to add whatever that is to your own plate. Since you have made the dish, you will know exactly what's in it. And you will, since you've made the dish, you'll know exactly what's in it.

and you'll know that it won't make you feel bloated or gross. But as for the other foods that are offered, make sure and fill up on fruits and veggies and proteins from the appetizer table.

Watch out and be cautious for the dips, the spreads, the cheeses. Those aren't anti-inflammatory. If you really have to, hard cheese is typically going to be a better choice because I know it can be hard to turn down cheese altogether. Trust me, I get it. It took me eight years to go dairy-free completely, so I totally get this one. Also, you're going to want to choose gluten and sugar-free options whenever possible.

Remember that gluten and sugar are super inflammatory. So pick anything else that's available to you. Charcuterie boards are so popular right now and they tend to be a great choice for you. They have lots of options with nuts and meats, dried fruits, veggies. So definitely check your charcuterie board.

Finally, I really want you to stick to my three bite rule, especially when it comes to dessert. So what you do here is you kind of scan the dessert table and you decide on the one dessert that really looks the most delicious for you. Then you get to give yourself three bites. Because one bite, it's just never going to feel like enough. You're always going to want more.

Two bites feels like, I kind of got a good taste, but it just, leaves you wanting a little bit more. But when you have three bites, it feels indulgent and you really get satisfied, but you don't have to go overboard for it. So it's such a smart tactic to really enjoy every single bite of your dessert without giving you a total sugar crash or without kicking off a pattern of cravings that typically comes with eating sugar.

Now, before we move on to alcohol, I want to talk a little bit about family expectations around food. So remember my mom's cherry cheese coffee cakes? Well, one year she decided not to make them. And the family, I don't know, I would say we were outraged, not really, but we didn't know what to do with ourselves. It was just this expectation that we had for years. Like what in the world was Christmas morning without cherry cheese coffee cake?

It's really okay to adjust expectations for yourself during the holidays and to ask your family to do the same. Without realizing it, when you change your own expectations for the holidays, like maybe you decide to make a healthier version of your green bean casserole, your brain and your nervous system worries that you're actually going to create a problem. I mean, will your family even eat the healthier version or will they tease you about your

quote unquote health food, which might leave you kind of feeling badly over the holidays.

The trick here is to reassure your brain, your nervous system, that these changes are helping you to feel better overall. Because really, the inflammatory versions just make you feel like garbage. It's just not worth it to eat them anymore. And don't worry, your family, they will still love you. And while there may be some teasing, you get to be the winner of it all. Because you will feel amazing and energetic after making all of those great

choices around holiday food. And remember, the Savor of Season Cookbook has lots of traditional family favorite recipes just with an anti-inflammatory twist. So you can still meet those family expectations. So don't forget to check it out in the show notes.

Okay, let's move on to alcohol. How in the world do you manage the wine, the whiskey, and the mixed drinks over the holidays? Again, as with food, the alcohol piece really starts with mindset. You need to remind yourself that alcohol truly makes you feel like garbage. And it doesn't just take, you know, a little bit of time to get over that hangover. It takes like two or three days.

You know, when you were in your 20s, you could drink multiple nights in a row. It's just not like that anymore. Truly, you just don't owe anyone an explanation as to why you're not drinking.

There used to be this really funny Jerry Seinfeld skit where he would talk about being at a party and not drinking. And when someone comes up to you, they say, why aren't you drinking? Are you addicted? And then what if we like turned around and said the same thing about mayonnaise? Ooh, why aren't you eating mayonnaise? Are you addicted? I just, I love this skit.

because it's really a great reminder that it's just not anybody else's business why you're not drinking, even though everybody seems to want to know. More often than not, we actually need to work on our own mindset as to why we're not drinking.

So when I stopped drinking, I actually really struggled in social settings because I used to be the fun friend. People would always ask me to make them an Ashley cocktail because I could make a drink that tasted really good, but also really packed a punch. So when I wasn't drinking, I didn't really know how to fit in anymore. I just didn't even know what my role was. It took some time to figure out, but now my role in our social group is,

She's the one who's really fit and healthy. Thank you. I will gladly take that role any day. So for you, in the meantime, while you are redefining who you are without drinking, try some of these techniques. I mentioned this before, but drinking a protein smoothie before you go to the party is always a great option. You're going to feel satisfied and you'll feel a lot less likely to grab for a sugary or high alcohol cocktail when you get there.

Another option is to bring some fizzy water and fresh lime with you, but bring it in a really festive travel cup. I have some of these great tumblers from the company Swig. I'll link to them down below. And when I bring my drinks in these, people are always curious about my cup. So it makes a really good conversation starter. And we don't even have to talk about what's in my tumbler. Now, you can also

bring or order mocktails, canned mocktails. I see a lot of those these days and they're really popular. But I really want you to watch the sugar content because it's usually pretty high. They add sugar so that it tastes good because you're missing out on some of the alcohol. But remember, that sugar is going to bring on the inflammation and it will not leave you feeling great. So just be careful with those mocktails.

Finally, I want you to plan a snappy response or two when someone asks why you're not drinking. One of my favorites, and it's usually true, is, you know what? I have a really big workout in the morning that I'm super excited about, and I don't want to be hung over for it. Again, it sort of catches people off guard, but it becomes a great conversation starter, and you can move the conversation away from alcohol. Another one that, if I'm just feeling snarky, is...

I don't know, I'm just a lot more fun without it. So you choose how you want to say it, but it's really again about you starting to create your new normal when it comes to alcohol and really working on your mindset for why it matters to you because that's really all that matters. Now, whether you love the holidays as much as I do, or you're already ready for them to be over,

It is a guarantee that you will face a lot of food and alcohol choices over the holiday season. By making anti-inflammatory choices, you will definitely feel more energized, rested, and happy throughout the entire season. I mean, isn't that how you want to remember the holidays? Managing your own expectations is going to be the best place to start.

Managing your own expectations is going to be the best place to start. See your food and drink choices as this opportunity to prioritize your own health and wellness, even during the super festive time of year. I hope this episode gives you some tangible strategies to use over the holiday season. I really would love for you to drop me an email or a message on Instagram and let me know.

which of these strategies are going to be most helpful for you? Thank you so much for tuning in today and I really hope that these strategies help you have the most amazing holiday season.