Healthy Holidays: Tammie Tsang's Guide to Mindful Eating

The holidays are a time for joy, celebration, and…often, overindulgence.  Many of us struggle to maintain healthy habits amidst the abundance of festive treats.  Holiday foods are frequently high in fat, sugar, and salt. But this year, you can be the master of your health!

Certified Holistic Nutritionist and chef Tammie Tsang offers a refreshing perspective on holiday eating.  She emphasizes that mindful consumption isn't about restriction, but empowerment. It's about making conscious choices that support both your physical and emotional health.

Tammie's key strategies for a healthy and happy holiday season include:

• No Need to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): The buffet/dinner party is always there.  Make the focus on celebrating the varieties of food, rather than eating as much as possible.
• Get Your Plants:  Start your meal with vegetables. The enzymes will improve digestion, and the fiber will slow it down. This is a healthy way to curb hunger and calm initial excitement.
• Protein Focus:  From both plant AND animal sources. All protein gives energy and makes us feel strong and satisfied.  Find balance by switching up your protein choices across meals.
• Easy on the Sauces: While not all sauces are bad, holiday ones tend to be high in dairy, white flour, butter, white sugar, and salt.  Find balance by decreasing what you normally consume by 10-30%.
• Stay Hydrated: Make this holiday a time to try new beverages.  Homemade carbonated drinks with citrus fruits, mint and lemongrass add antioxidants. A warm cup of ginger tea helps with digestion and bloating.
• Drink to Be Merry (Not to Cry): Alcoholic drinks can stimulate or depress moods, depending on quantity. Remember what you enjoy about being with loved ones—chatting, laughing, bonding. Alcohol can be great, but overconsumption is a choice.

Mindful consumption over the holidays is not restrictive; it's empowering.  Small, positive changes, like those Tammie suggests, lead to sustainable well-being.  This holiday season, let's make conscious choices that support a healthier, happier you.  To get your free download of Tammie's Holiday Healthy Eating Guide and discover more helpful tips for mindful eating, visit Tammie's website.

From the Moringa Project, we believe in the power of conscious choices to create positive change.  We hope Tammie's insightful guide inspires you to embrace a healthier lifestyle, not just for the holidays, but throughout the coming year.  Let this season be a time of reflection and renewal, a chance to cultivate mindful habits and step into a better version of yourself. We wish you a beautiful and healthy new year, filled with energy, joy, and well-being!