Holiday Season... Traditions... Food.

Ah... the holiday season. Traditions. Family. It is one of the most stressful times of the year for many people. Juggling family, friends, work, and more. Money issues rear up as we think we have to make the season "the best", make people "happy", not disappoint anyone... We tend to put pressure and stress on ourselves. Doesn't make much sense but that is what happens. People during this time of the year get more depressed, drink more, fall off the wagon, over-eat, and over-spend. It doesn't sound so jolly to me.

Why do it? Why? I don't get it. You make the choices, you live them. The people I know who are happiest during the holidays are the ones who have tossed away all the "shoulds" and do what they want to do. Take out Chinese for Thanksgiving dinner, playing scrabble and hanging out with friends laughing and being goofy. Going on a romantic trip for Christmas. A movie-thon of sequels of some great flick everyone loves. Perhaps a long hike in a beautiful spot and a picnic. Cross country skiing. Monopoly or Risk night.

I gave up all the holiday "shoulds" 9 years ago. My life is much better for it. This year for Thanksgiving, I'm having Thanksgiving breakfast for my three children and husband. I'm thinking fruit crepes to start. Later a big bowl of assorted fruit salad (pears, figs, apples, pomegranate, citrus, banana, something else fun I find). I get a delivery of farm fresh veggies the day before, so I'll make a meal out of that selection. Easy. Healthy. More time to spend and enjoy my family. Later on that day, a romantic walk on the beach with my husband. 

My Christmas is focused on family. No gifts. My children get gifts from me on their birthdays, when I find something that they will absolutely love and when they need something, not because society tells me I "have to" buy them "stuff"- they all ready have enough "stuff". So it is getting together, eating healthy food from the farms. No stress. No pressure. Perhaps another walk on the beach  =)

Food. Food. Traditional food. I was never partial to it. I was called a 'picky eater' my whole childhood. It's funny now, because the foods I would eat are very healthy. But I was teased, I was a problem to feed... which confused me. Raw veggies needed nothing to prepare, a green salad was easy, raw fruit is again easy, rice or a plain baked potato- easy. Family holiday meal times were a trial for me. All that food, and nothing I cared to consume. Nothing even drew me to try it. It wasn't until I was an adult I had my first piece of pie (why cook and sweeten fruit I wondered?), still haven't had a jam or jelly (eww), I tried sweet potato casserole for the first and last time about 6 years ago, and I still can't believe that people eat it as part of their meal and not as a dessert.  I'd rather you bake a sweet potato and eat it plain. I've never had mayo or mustard- it is gross and unnecessary. Creamy salad dressings or Thousand Island... just looked gross to me, couldn't bring myself to try. Meat was disgusting as well. All that chewing- is it gum or food? I couldn't swallow, my throat would close up. I found 101 ways to hide the meat on my plate. I told everyone, "Animals are my friends and I don't eat my friends." The beets in a can-shape? Soggy limp green beans, the weird stuff that they stuffed into a birds cooter? Really?! No, I wasn't drawn. My mouth did not water. I was hungry all day. I preferred simple foods, don't even mash my potatoes and put milk in it- that is just weird... again eww. Is it any wonder I became vegetarian... and then vegan? Healthy, simple, fresh food. This is what my body has told me is right for me from the get-go. 

The point is, you can do anything you want. You don't have to do what everyone else does. Why? Why be like everyone else? Is everyone else happier? Healthier? More relaxed? Make some changes, ease up on the pressure. Make the day have some bits of you sprinkled in... not what some people thought would be nice over 100 years ago.

 

 

Jennifer Michaels is a holistic health coach and the Chief Wellness Hero at Maui Health & Wellness Coaching. She helps her clients take the overwhelm and confusion out of their health journeys.