.SOMETIMES RAW.

Happy Holidays & Omicron Greetings,

it is that time of year my friends! Corona-Omicron-Christmas 2021 isn’t far away. This time of year is full of all kinds of things for those who celebrate, and while it all feels admittedly different again because of COVID-some-mutation, dinner gatherings, desserts, parties, and the anticipation of the new year are all generally a big part of the holidays. We have been stressed a lot this year with this p(l)andemic but do you also feel stressed around the holidays when it comes to food? You’re not alone. Whether you have food intolerances or are worried about sabotaging your health goals, in today’s post I’m sharing some tips for you to have the most enjoyable holiday season.

Unfortunately, what can come along with this holiday season is anxiety and stress around food. Some of us are out of our comfort zone when eating meals that someone else makes. Perhaps you worry that you won’t be able to track calories, or you are afraid that a certain ingredient will be used that you prefer to or need to avoid. Maybe you’ll be tempted by the desserts that come around and all the sugar worries you. Situations like this can quickly make us feel out of control around food and lead us to feel pretty stressed.

I want you to know that I completely understand the fears or worries that you might have this time of year (or any other time!). Diet culture is embedded deep within many of us, and it can instil a sense of instability when we’re faced with food choices that seem “bad” or “unhealthy”. But I want you to know that there are solutions to the stress you might feel, and most importantly, there are things you can do to make your holiday experience comfortable, mindful, and enjoyable. I promise!

5 Tips for Stress-Free Eating Over the Holidays

1. Give Yourself Permission to Eat

The first and most important tip I can share here is for you to give yourself unconditional, unrestrained permission to enjoy all foods. I know this might sound like a crazy idea when all you want to do is maintain a healthy diet, but when we tell ourselves that we cannot eat a specific food or we declare something as “off-limits”, it makes us want that food even more. And if or when we do finally give in, the experience is tense and rigid, we feel immense guilt, and we set ourselves up for a continuous cycle of restriction and sometimes binge-eating later on.

The best way to loosen the power that foods have over us is to completely allow that food to exist in our lives, without restraint. I’m not saying that you have to eat anything and everything, but rather, if there is a specific food you’re salivating over, let yourself eat it and enjoy it fully! This means not only physically letting yourself eat it, but mentally, too. 

Remember that the holidays are just that. A holiday! It’s a special time for enjoying yourself with friends and family, savouring home-cooked meals or your favourite childhood desserts. It’s an event, and giving yourself the wiggle room to enjoy a variety of foods, even if they’re ones that you might not typically cook or eat, is so important for your mental health and relationship with food.

2. Notice Hunger & Fullness Cues

I think most of us can relate to feeling “stuffed” after a big Christmas dinner. Holiday dinners often make us feel like we need to overload our plates and eat to the point of feeling a little sick, or just generally uncomfortable. Our bodies are incredibly smart and offer up some pretty helpful hints as to just how much we need to eat to make us feel our best. Trust me when I say there’s no need to stress over calories or portion sizes here! If you pay attention, you’ll know exactly when you’re starting to feel full and are ready to put your fork down. How can we start to tune into these inner cues more easily? Eating mindfully.

3. Eat Mindfully & Savour Each Bite

Eating mindfully helps us truly savour each and every bite, enjoy the eating experience more fully, and you got it – tap into our innate hunger and fullness cues. When we’re used to restrictive eating behaviours, we may subconsciously overload our plates in an attempt to not miss out on this rare chance to eat these kinds of delicious foods, or we may feel out of control when we finally give in.

You can practice mindful eating by simply becoming fully present and aware of the food you’re putting on your plate and immersing yourself in the entire experience. The wonderful smells, how each food looks on your fork, and the unique textures and tastes as you chew. Take this time to eat a little slower and really savour each bite. Ask yourself how satisfying each food is, which ones are your absolute favourites, and which ones aren’t. Reflect on how good — or not-so-good — something tastes. Are you eating it because you’re hungry, or because it tastes really good, or for no other reason than it’s “just there”? There’s no right or wrong answer here, by the way! Just simple observations.

Eating mindfully helps you avoid rushing through the food on your plate, increases your awareness of the entire eating experience, and can make you feel more physically comfortable as you allow yourself to notice and honour your satiety levels.

4. It’s Ok to Say No Just As Much As It’s Ok to Say Yes

As discussed in the first point, giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat is really important. But know that it’s also okay to say “no thanks!” through mindfully noticing and respecting the needs of your body.

If you genuinely desire a slice of warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and every bite is the most satisfying thing ever, then enjoy it. But likewise, if you simply do not have a desire to eat that piece of lemon meringue, double chocolate caramel brownie, or a second slice of pumpkin pie that your neighbour keeps bugging you about, it is a-okay to honour your needs by politely declining if you intuitively feel full, satisfied, or uninterested in eating more.

And by the way, even if you DO eat a second slice of pie or another serving of ice cream, whether or not you were already full, THAT’S OKAY! Overeating is not a crime. As mentioned earlier, feeling guilty or shameful around food is only counterproductive and will make you want to restrict food later, which can set you up for a cycle of bingeing.

5. Navigating the Holidays with Food Intolerances

For those of you reading this who have food intolerances or sensitivities, don’t worry, I’ve got you, too!

I completely understand that there are some circumstances where the above tips alone may not quite suffice. Sometimes, we have specific dietary needs and that’s where our stress is coming from. Maybe you’ve recently discovered that dairy has been contributing to your upset stomach, or onions make your IBS symptoms a lot worse.

Here are three strategies for you to help reduce stress around food:

1. Communicate your needs. Let the host or family member(s) know beforehand what your food restrictions entail. This can help to prevent any awkwardness that may arise when you pass up a certain dish.
2. Bring a Dish. By bringing a dish of your own, you are guaranteed some safe food for you to eat while contributing to the party. You might offer to make a dish that doesn’t contain dairy or bring a dessert that’s gluten-free.
3. Determine Your Comfort Level. Aside from severe reactions such as those in allergies (e.g. peanut allergy), sometimes it’s helpful for us to simply ask ourselves what our comfort level is when it comes to our intolerances. This means that depending on the severity of your symptoms, you might be willing to deal with some gas or bloating the next day in exchange for an enjoyable evening of your favourite foods with friends and family. Or, it might be a hard no for you to have any alcohol whatsoever because it’s just not worth it for you. In any case, knowing where you stand before the event can help you feel more prepared leading into it. For example, you might bring some digestive enzymes or peppermint tea with you to soothe your stomach after dinner, or an alcohol-free drink (kombucha anyone?) for you to enjoy with others so you feel more included.

Aside from these three tips, I want to highlight the benefits of taking a few deep breaths before you eat to help calm your nervous system. If you’re feeling anxious before eating, you may increase your likelihood of an upset stomach just by nature of how stress affects digestion. Breathe, eat slowly, and enjoy yourself!

Did you find these tips helpful? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know below what helps make your holiday season more enjoyable.

Wait, let me set the scene first: Lockdown 4. I am at home and stunned to hear my name. After looking around (there is no one else in the living room except my partner), I mouth “Oh my god,” then kiss him. I stand up from the couch. I am wearing Yoga pants (hot), a tank top (hot) while I make up my way to the TV, waving and air-kissing an imaginary crowd of people. Javier Bardem is handing me an imaginary award, kisses me on the mouth cheeks. I look at the award, inhale deeply and start my speech.

“I cannot believe it. Oh my god. This is too…… I mean, who could have believed that I would stand in front of you all. Wow. Okay. People, this year, I went on five hikes and Mountainbike tours aka waddled my melodramatic self over some autumnal leaves. OMG! Can’t believe I forgot! I ran a 5K! I would like to thank the training app I used to accomplish this feat. Alright, fine. It wasn’t an official 5K that raised money or included other runners. I just ran three kilometer, in poor form, through the village. I realised halfway through the run that I forgot to bring my phone, which meant there was no record so I could show of what I did. So I just ran….. for my health?

Thank you to my parents. You are both in your sixties yet look as good as, if not better than, me. Thanks for giving me hope that I will age as well as you despite the fact that you walk many kilometers every day (I stand and sit a lot at work), don’t drink that much (I love my wine), don’t stay up late (one A.M. is a reasonable time for me to go to bed), and generally have calm demeanours (a game of Monopoly with my son has me looking like a U.S. president leaving the White House after two terms).

To my partner. You put up with a lot, namely me forcing you to build things for me, being the Guinea pig for every (new) dish I create, or watching music videos on YouTube for hours. There are so many other things but the list would be too long to type now. There is no one else I would rather do all this with. Thank you. I love you.

In all seriousness, while not everyone has a speech prepared, many of us did anticipate that 2021 was going to kick off the decade in spectacular or at least better than 2020. What is going on these days (demonstrations etc.) are 100 percent valid reactions to the new world we are navigating. We have the right to feel confused and angry. To lose faith and question whether we should have had it in the first place. For many, those fun butterflies in our stomachs have been replaced by, well, sheer panic, and that overwhelming sense of losing control – be it of our jobs, our daily routines, our finances, our health, or simply how we can spend our time is paralysing. Not that we ever had that much control in the first place, but we told ourselves what we had to in order to function. So we made plans. Set goals. Did all the things one does when constructing a life, like loving, hoping, fighting, thinking about tomorrow, etc. All this to just realize that we are vulnerable in the face of the unknown, and that is hard enough in this new coronavirus-normal.

So why am I writing all this? The best I can offer a this moment is that I am a funny person, and if I can make you laugh and forget your problems for a moment then I did something. I am living in this crazy time too and it is probable that my way of looking at life could be of use to someone who just needs to laugh. I crave humour because I don’t want this lockdown to rewire my brain or convince me to lose all sense of optimism. Because in the face of it looking like we are all fucked, giving up would be letting down those in my family and friends who haven’t. So I won’t give up today. And I will try not to tomorrow.

My hope is this: When I look back on 2020 and 2021, and I need to punch, yell, kick, scream from the dreams deferred, I will do it. If, when I am feeling low, I recall seeing myself on the other side of this even though I had no idea how I was going to get here, I will live in that memory for as long as it takes for it to help propel myself forward.

If stripping away all the luxuries and circumstantial nonsense put you on the path to start appreciating what truly matters, stay on that path, too, because it will lead you to a more enriching life. Fuck the rules of waiting for the first day of 2022 or for the stars to align perfectly according to our horoscope or for the numbers to add up. Truthfully, there is no “right” year or moment. We know this now. Actually, we have been knowing this. All that we have, in many ways, it the knowledge that we don’t know how much time we have left in our lives. So let’s keep rolling up our sleeves and continue writing and revising and enacting new plans on how we can make THIS the best life of our lives.

You may have heard of magnesium before, but what exactly is it? Is it something you should get more of in your diet? What about supplementation? In today’s post, I am going to share with you what magnesium is, the benefits, signs of deficiency, and my personal experience with it.

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral with many functions in the body. It helps support heart health, nerve and muscle function and healthy bones. Over 300 enzymes use magnesium for a variety of essential processes in the body every single day. Needless to say, it’s an important one!

Magnesium is found naturally in many foods but can also be taken as a supplement or topically as creams and gels for muscle relaxation. The amount of magnesium that you need per day depends on your age, sex, and life stage you’re at, such as pregnancy. But generally about 300-400mg/day is the recommended amount. Others may require more if there are any issues with digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Food Sources of Magnesium

Magnesium is found naturally in many foods:

• nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds
• dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard
• whole grains
• legumes like black eyed peas and edamame
• potatoes with the skin on
• and even dark chocolate!

Magnesium Deficiency

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to be low in this vital nutrient due to diets that lack magnesium-rich plant foods. Additionally, high consumption of alcohol, coffee, phosphoric acid found in sodas, salt, and even stress can deplete this mineral in our body. Those with digestive disorders, diabetes, athletes and older adults may be at higher risk of magnesium deficiency.

Possible signs of magnesium deficiency can include:

• muscle cramps, pain, or spasms
• joint pain
• headaches or migraines
• insomnia
• anxiety
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• depression
• constipation
• hypothyroidism

Benefits of Magnesium

Heart health: magnesium promotes healthy blood pressure. Those with hypertension and even arrhythmias can benefit from getting optimal amounts of magnesium in their diet.

Bone health: we all know calcium is needed for healthy bones, but not just calcium alone. We need a dance of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and other minerals to support bone health. Up to 60% of magnesium is stored in our bones. If you’re at risk for low bone density, you’ll want to pay attention to your magnesium and overall mineral intake.

Muscle relaxation: Magnesium is best known for having muscle relaxing properties, making it useful for things like cramps (including period cramps), spasms, or restless legs. Since cramps can be a sign of deficiency in some cases, increasing your intake of this mineral can make a difference in the muscle pain you experience.

Sleep: Magnesium is great for aiding sleep because of its calming and relaxing properties. Many people find that increasing their intake of magnesium helps improve sleep quality and quantity. This may be due to the way that magnesium mitigates stress and anxiety. Try an Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) bath in the evening to help with a good night’s sleep. Not only with the warm water relax your body, but the addition of magnesium may help, too.

Constipation: Magnesium in the form of a citrate supplement helps draw water into the bowels and soften stool which can relieve constipation.

PMS: Premenstrual syndrome involves a variety of uncomfortable symptoms in the days leading up to your period, like cramps and breast tenderness. Magnesium plays a key role in relaxing muscles and also reducing inflammation, which is why it can be massively helpful for those who suffer from PMS. I have personally found magnesium to make drastic improvements in my PMS symptoms.

Migraines: Like most health issues, migraines are multifactorial but low levels of magnesium can play a role. Stress and dehydration can also play a role here, but upping your dietary intake of magnesium may be helpful for you if you suffer from migraines.

How to get more Magnesium + should you take a supplement?

Food should be the primary focus when it comes to obtaining adequate nutrition. You can start increasing your magnesium intake naturally by…

• adding more legumes to your diet through salads, soups, or stews
• adding nuts to baked goods, as a snack (like trail mix), or onto oatmeal or granola
• enjoying a spoonful of nut butter, like almond or cashew, with fruit, toast, or in smoothies
• eating more leafy greens.
• choose whole grains products instead of white

To fill in the gaps or for those who need higher amounts of a specific nutrient, supplementation can be helpful. Speak to your doctor if you have any questions about taking a new supplement.

My Experience

I am very happy with PURE Magnesiumglycinat and take up to two pills every second day and I feel that my overall levels of magnesium have improved.

Please keep in mind that this is my unique anecdotal experience which means that it’s based on personal accounts and not part of any sort of rigorous scientific study. Everybody’s needs are very different. Always speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about any symptoms you are experiencing.