How can I possibly forgo feasting on wings and desserts at two of our favorite restaurants this weekend? I contemplated that question for days leading up to our road trip to Philly, constantly debating what I should do. My family had been fantasizing about vegan wings and Christmas cakes ever since we booked this trip months ago. I mean, come on…wouldn’t it be a crime NOT to go? The dilemma for me is that I’ve been striving to eat healthier by cutting out processed foods and sugar. I’ve dedicated many hours to reading books covering the latest groundbreaking research on nutrition in relation to preventing and curing disease so I’m well aware of the facts. I have inflammation around my heart. Inflammation is the culprit in a multitude of chronic illnesses. Sugar and processed food, vegan or not, produce inflammation. So the right choice, the obvious choice, would be for me to run far away from the enticing foods that would threaten to derail my efforts. 

I actually searched for places that offered fresh, wholesome options, but to be perfectly honest, hearing my family excitedly talking about what they were going to order provoked memories of previous meals there which in turn brought up all kinds of rationalizing. Needless to say, I ended up splurging. And man was it good.

 I wish it was as simple as — we ate delicious vegan food on our awesome weekend excursion and now it’s time to get back into the groove. But it’s never that easy, at least for me, and I know  for many others as well, especially now because of the holidays. We are bombarded with parties and dinners and gatherings that are defined by excess. I mean, if you can move around and stay awake after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner did you even do it right? Isn’t that something that we even celebrate and joke about? 

My present reality is that my body is coping with an illness ( just like way too many Americans) and if I’m brutally honest with myself I know I can’t afford to just say, “Screw it. It’s the holidays.” There are people who have said to me, “You only live once. Stop being so uptight.” That drives me crazy. Is that really a valid excuse for gluttony? Especially when we know the damage it’s doing to our bodies? For some it’s not a struggle. They can eat well most of the time, splurge during a holiday then go back to healthy eating and it all works out.  But for so many of us it’s not that straightforward. Whether it’s food, alcohol, or lack of exercise, ‘Just once’ can very often plunge a person into a downward spiral where the results can be disastrous. 

Obviously I’ve been thinking about my health a lot lately and I struggle with this mindset more often than I’d like to admit. My family and I have been plant-based for 15 years and we haven’t eaten meat or dairy since. So why is it so difficult to kick sugar and processed food? Quite frankly because it’s so addictive and delicious. There are endless temptations that are irresistible. After all, these foods were designed to keep us coming back for more. In fact, research shows that 94% of cocaine addicted rats will choose sugar over cocaine when given the choice. It’s that addictive. In the US we eat more added sugar than any other country consuming 160 pounds of sugar per person per year. And just look at the astronomical healthcare costs we face. Yes, I’d say we have a major problem! 

After dinner on Saturday (which consisted of way too many wings and cheese fries) it didn’t take long for me to feel extremely bloated and tired, wishing I had made a better choice. Don’t get me wrong…I enjoyed every minute of it while I was eating it, but then I had to deal with the consequences. If I had forced myself to consider exactly how I’d feel when I was done eating, I may have chosen wiser. Do we really want to stop and think about the reality of what processed foods loaded with man-made ingredients are actually doing to our insides after we swallow? That would definitely ruin our enjoyment, so we block it out of our minds and deal with the consequences later, somehow justifying our choices. 

Take our trip to the bakery for example. We justified the stop because we only get one or two opportunities a year to go there so of course it was exciting to order way too many desserts that were truly mind blowing. Eventually though, the sugar high wears off and the nausea sets in, often accompanied by a slight headache and guilt. Honestly, if this was the only time it happened I’d be ok with it. But I’d be kidding myself if I said that’s the truth.  

This week’s menu will include endless varieties of Christmas cookies, candy and several gluttonous dinners that will start and end the same way. Before we realize it, a dreaded habit or cycle has been set into motion accompanied by the extra pounds we’ve already packed on that we can’t afford, especially if we are struggling with weight, chronic illness, or addiction issues to begin with. Making poor choices is simply something we can’t afford to do.

The reality is that so many of us struggle with these issues and we would benefit immensely by finding a way to fully embrace health and conquer poor nutrition once and for all. First we have to become aware of what our food choices are actually doing to us. Then we have to care enough about ourselves and our bodies to change. Change can be so hard, but it can be so worth it. That’s what I need to focus on. I’ve been studying the facts almost obsessively, yet all too often I continue to make poor choices, so I need to find a way to break the cycle and FULLY embrace health.

My hope is to share what I’m doing to combat the temptations, how to deal with setbacks, and how to focus on the positive in order to keep moving forward. It doesn’t have to be about sacrifice (But even if it was, isn’t our health worth it?) It can be about victory and vibrancy, knowledge and thriving. That’s my hope for all of us this holiday season and beyond, that we can learn to listen to our bodies, understand what it’s telling us and then be motivated and inspired enough to embrace the choices that will make us healthier and happier in the long term. We need to ask ourselves if we are doing everything in our power to combat obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, etc.  And if not, what’s holding us back? 

We have to be willing to take that first step though.  We have to support each other when we’re struggling. For way too many people ‘just one’ doughnut, drink or plate of cookies can be THE trigger for a heart attack or a relapse into alcoholism, disordered eating or disease progression and that’s REAL. We have to show  empathy towards those who are faced with these triggers, especially during the holidays when temptations are lurking around every corner. 

Recently my family and I went to our favorite Chinese buffet for dinner where I was able to conquer the mind game I typically play.  Beforehand I reminded myself that if I just stayed strong and made healthy choices I would feel so much better after the fact and I knew that feeling would outlast the few moments of pleasure while eating. I’ll admit, it was difficult sitting there surrounded by all the different foods that I really wanted to eat.  In reality, though, the foods that I had chosen (sautéed vegetables, fresh fruit, fresh sushi rolls) were really quite delicious and I would have eaten them anyway because I actually love them. I stopped looking at what I was missing out on and just focused on what was in front of me and how good it really was. During the car ride home I wasn’t bloated, there was no regret and I felt really proud of myself for making the right choice about what I had put in my body. Cyd Notter, author of The Plan ‘A’ Diet and plant based advocate, put it this way, “When you exhibit self-control by saying no to the wrong foods, think about the positive health benefits you’re gaining instead of what you’re giving up.” I love that. What a great perspective. I noticed this past weekend that I kept thinking about all I would be missing out on if I didn’t choose the wings and cakes. Instead I should’ve focused on being excited about choosing health and staying strong. I know I will be faced with these choices countless times over the holidays and to be honest it triggers some anxiety. I wish I could just put my health issues out of my mind for the next two weeks, indulge, be happy and not think twice about it. That actually is an option, but I’m hoping that I can heed the words of Socrates. We should “Eat to live, not live to eat.” That’s my hope for all of us. 

“A month from now you can either have a month of progress or a month of excuses for why you didn’t.” ~ unknown

“When I lost all my excuses, I found my results.” ~ unknown