Navigating the Holidays with Nourishment, Support, and Self-Compassion

The holiday season can bring so much joy: connection, celebration, comfort foods, and memories. It can also stir up old patterns and emotions around food, body image, and self-worth. Whether you want to fully embrace the holidays with no guilt or stay grounded in your health goals, the truth is there is no one right way to approach this season.

At HartsSpace, we recognize that every person’s relationship with food and body is unique, especially during the holidays. You can read more about our approach on our most recent blog: compulsive eating, body image, and the path to freedom. When it comes to the holidays, let’s explore a few different ways this might look for folks.

Multiple Paths, One Common Goal: Feeling Supported

Person 1: You’ve worked hard to create new habits and don’t want to lose your rhythm. You know the season can easily pull you back into “all or nothing” thinking, is full of tugs and pulls of foods that no longer feel supportive, and you want to maintain balance while still enjoying yourself.

Person 2: You’re ready to let go of years of restriction and self-criticism. You want to savor the cookies, pour the cider, and finally allow yourself to enjoy the holidays without guilt. You’re learning that freedom around food is part of healing your relationship with your body.

Person 3: You love your family but dread the inevitable diet talk around the dinner table: the calorie counting, “new year, new me” plans, and body commentary. You want to feel empowered to navigate these conversations without being pulled into them.

All of these experiences are valid. And all can be supported through intentional nutrition, mindset work, and grounding practices that help you feel resourced physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Grounding in Nourishment: Simple Strategies for Stability

Holidays often come with busier schedules, higher stress, and changes in eating routines, all of which can make our blood sugar, mood, and energy fluctuate. Here are a few simple, science-backed nutrition practices to help you stay grounded.

1. Don’t skip breakfast

Starting your day with a balanced meal helps regulate blood sugar, cortisol, and appetite hormones. When we skip meals, our stress response (cortisol) rises, leading to increased cravings later in the day, especially for quick, high-sugar foods.→ Even a simple breakfast like eggs with avocado toast or a protein smoothie can set the tone for a calmer, more balanced day.

2. Include protein with every meal

Protein slows the digestion of carbohydrates, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep you fuller longer. It also supports neurotransmitter balance, which affects mood, focus, and motivation.

Try adding nuts, seeds, beans, yogurt, fish, or lean meats to your meals and snacks.

3. Hydrate often

It’s easy to confuse thirst with hunger, especially when we’re busy or out of routine. Staying hydrated supports energy, digestion, and metabolic function.

Keep a water bottle nearby or enjoy herbal teas like peppermint or ginger between meals.

4. Savor, don’t restrict

Restricting foods you love can backfire, increasing the likelihood of bingeing or overeating later. Allowing yourself permission to enjoy treats helps regulate both your physiology (by reducing stress) and your psychology (by reducing guilt and shame).

Sometimes, enjoying the pie, maybe even as part of breakfast, can be the most nourishing choice.

5. Consider vitamin D supplementation

As daylight decreases and we spend more time indoors, many people experience a drop in vitamin D. This nutrient plays a vital role in immune health, mood regulation, and energy balance, and low levels have been linked to seasonal fatigue and low mood.

Consider having your vitamin D levels checked and discuss appropriate supplementation with your healthcare provider to help support overall wellness through the darker months.

Support Through the Season

If you’re craving support, accountability, or just a space to process your holiday experience, you don’t have to go it alone.

Our Sunday Accountability Groups this season focus on holiday support, helping you stay connected to your goals, grounded in your values, and gentle with yourself through the ups and downs of the holidays. You’ll have a community that understands the challenges of navigating food, family, and self-care, and celebrates the small victories along the way.

Coming up on November 23rd: Join us for Nourish to Flourish: The Art of Rooting Amid Holiday Stress. As the holidays approach, it’s easy to get swept up in stress, indulgence, and “all-or-nothing” thinking around food. This session invites a grounded, compassionate approach that blends mindful nourishment with flexibility and joy. We’ll explore how stress impacts eating patterns, mood, and metabolism, and learn tools for staying centered through simple nutrition habits and mindful choices. Together, we’ll shift from restriction to intention, creating space for both celebration and self-care this season.

Click here to learn more and register.

And if you’d like more personalized support, I (Michelle) am passionate about this type of work. You can always reach out for one-on-one sessions to help you develop nutrition and mindset strategies that leave you feeling confident, trusting of your body and choices, and physically supported through food. Together, we’ll create a plan that nourishes your body and your mind, one that honors where you are and what you need most right now.

You Deserve to Feel Supported, Not Isolated, This Season

Whether that means enjoying the pie, setting boundaries at the dinner table, or staying consistent with your morning movement and hydration, your path is your own.

At HartsSpace, we’ll help you make it a season of nourishment, connection, and self-compassion.

With warmth,

Michelle Benson, MS, CN

Functional Nutritionist & Mind-Body Health Specialist

michellebenson@hartsspace.com

HartsSpace Mental Health & Nutrition