Easter eggs in January
About restoring balance + downloadable resource
Last week, when I was at the supermarket, I noticed a large display of chocolate Easter treats.
Easter treats, in January! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good Easter egg, but am I the only one who finds that waaaaay too early? We still have some Christmas candy canes in the cabinet that our “Elf on the shelf” left behind!
In this time and age, we have normalized eating foods every day, that we historically saw as “special” and “celebration foods”. Although for some it can actually be helpful to know that they can have these “special” foods pretty much year-round, and therefor don’t have to go overboard, for most of us this means that we are simply eating them too much and too often. It removes a little bit of its magic. I am old enough to remember the days that “snack size” chips packets came on the market. Back then, this was only something that was handed out on a child’s birthday to other kids. Nowadays, they are a standard everyday item in kid’s lunchboxes. A processed, high calorie food, what is meant to be eaten very occasionally, has become the norm. Noone gives it a second thought.
While working with people in practice, we often reflect on whether we’re eating certain foods (and drinks) in the context that they are meant for. Every food has a place in our overall diet, nothing needs to be eliminated, but getting the balance right is important, especially when we are struggling with our weight or are having certain health concerns.
There are foods that, ideally, are part of every meal, every day. These foods give our body and mind all the nutrients to thrive. You know what I’m talking about; non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, quality protein sources and complex, less refined carbohydrates. And as boring as it may sound, water is by far the best drink (but we can make it more fun of course! I’ll be sharing some easy ways to make your water more interesting soon).
Other foods, such as chocolate, biscuits, cakes and savory snacks, are historically meant for special occasions, part of rituals or have spiritual meanings. I like to call these “fun foods”. For example, not too long ago, the biscuit tin only came out for visitors, we enjoyed a chocolate egg at Easter time and shared a glass of bubbles to celebrate an engagement. They were not meant to eat every day on our tea break, to replace or even just be part of our lunch, or out of habit while watching Netflix in the evening. Of course, the markup on these products is huge and supermarkets love it that we want to have treats on hand every hour of the day, happily pushing the Easter treats as soon as the Christmas themed delicacies are off the shelves!
Reflecting on what you eat, when, where and whether the type of food fits the context in which you ate it, is a helpful first step in bringing back the balance. I suggest keeping a food diary for a week or so and taking the time to reflect on this. This can give a lot of insight in your eating habits and where you may want to make some adjustments to either your food choices or your lifestyle. To give yourself some insights, you can download a diary here and get started. It has some examples that may feel familiar!
Besides being part of the weight management puzzle, keeping some “fun” foods for only those occasional situations, also helps us to appreciate and truly enjoy these treats more. Preserve a little bit of that magic, some traditions are worth sticking with!