During the holiday season, the turkey isn’t the only one who’s stuffed! Because food is such an integral part of celebration, it’s quite common to gain weight throughout the months as the year comes to an end and we attend parties, dinners, and festivities where there is almost always a meal or treats, or even both. In fact, most people tend to gain weight between Thanksgiving and January 2nd.

Have you considered the ways these foods could be affecting your brain? Rich in carbohydrates, high in sugars, and even empty calories, the dishes that are so common this time of year not only impact the waistline, but our cognitive condition as well. Now, we’re not saying you can’t indulge in a slice of pie or mashed potatoes, but let’s consider the benefits of strategically enjoying the holiday season.

With so much information bombarding us from seemingly every angle, making dietary choices can feel overwhelming and impossible, especially when one study tells us that a certain food has a negative impact, but then an article is published claiming the exact opposite. It’s easy to become frustrated and confused by competing opinions, which is why understanding your mind and body as well as the way they are affected by certain foods is a vital part of knowing how to use food as fuel, recognizing when we are eating with our emotions, and setting realistic and attainable goals that we can focus on without feeling deprived.

Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This is excellent advice when it comes to nutrition, but what if we changed it to say, “Let food be thy fuel”? While food is integral to every culture throughout the world, when it comes down to it, food is simply the body’s fuel. Keeping this idea in mind while surrounded by platters of sweets and or even during our everyday life can make it easier to consider what our bodies actually need. Thinking of how we will feel after eating something can strengthen our resolve as well, especially when we know something will leave us feeling sluggish, bloated, or unable to focus.

Making a plan ahead of time is a powerful tool when heading into the holiday season. Rather than consuming heaping helpings of everything, consider having your favorites and foregoing other dishes that you don’t necessarily enjoy. If you’ve been looking forward to your great-aunt’s famously flaky pie crust all year, enjoy a slice! But if you don’t particularly care for stuffing, sweet potatoes, or other high-carb foods, plan to pass. Filling your plate with salad and vegetables first is a great method to add to your plan, then choose smaller portions of rolls, potatoes, or pie. Increasing your water intake and workout routine can also be beneficial methods to stave off the holiday weight gain. This, too, takes planning!

Incorporating fasting is another great method, one that we at AMFAS implement year-round, not just during the holidays. Harvard Health published this great article on fasting and ketosis: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/time-to-try-intermittent-fasting and, as always, please email us at info@amindforallseasons.com if you’d like more info on the topic. Sugar consumption typically increases during the holidays, so fasting is an excellent approach if you’re wanting to keep your sugars relatively low throughout the majority of the day. We suggest fasting until a mid-morning meal that consists of veggies, protein, and good fats like olives or avocado, then if you consume higher levels of carbs at dinner, fasting can help maintain an overall low-sugar approach not only during the festive, celebratory meals, but as an attainable action throughout the year.

The impact of the overconsumption of high-sugar holiday foods on the brain range from neuroinflammation to addictive cravings and even deficiencies in memory. The excessive consumption of sugar has also been linked to a higher risk of cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s disease. The evidence is overwhelming; we should be conscientious of our sugar consumption at all times, not just during the holiday season, especially if our goal is optimal brain health and lowered risk of cognitive decline. And, at A Mind For All Seasons, that is our holiday wish for each and every one of you!

Happy Holidays!

​