With the holidays on the horizon, many of us are growing weary. Tables of delicious homemade goodies can seem so alluring this time of the year, but for those who are watching their weight, or just worried about their health, the holiday season can take quite a toll on our bodies and minds.
Some see the holiday season as the perfect opportunity to “treat” themselves to a cheat day, but not so fast! Before you give in and start indulging, it’s a good idea to understand how that cheat day can set you back–and what you should do instead to enjoy the holidays without sacrificing health or happiness.
Why Cheat Days Aren’t Good for You
There’s a growing culture of reassurance on social media where so-called experts tap into something that’s traditionally been seen as “bad” and they try to spin it into something positive. In doing so, they’re able to gain attention for being quirky, even controversial, and that’s helped many fitness gurus find a following.
Sadly, no matter how many influencers try to tell you that cheat days and indulgence is actually a good thing, we’ve got some news: It’s not. You can try to dress up the idea any way you like, but when you’re eating bad-for-you foods, it’s bad for your health–and there’s no way around that.
Cheat days will set you back physically, mentally, and emotionally. A cheat day can leave you feeling guilty, shameful, and bloated. Not only that, it can reawaken old habits and send you into a spiral of unhealthy behavior. Rarely is a cheat day just one day, especially during the holiday season with so many parties, gatherings, and opportunities to give in to cravings.
Enjoying The Holidays The Healthy Way
Giving in to your cravings will surely give you a burst of dopamine, rewarding your behavior with a surge of happy hormones that will reinforce unhealthy and indulgent eating over and over again, but the good effects are short-lived. Not long after you give in, you’ll realize it wasn’t worth it, and you’re going to feel bad about it. So, should you sit in silence at every dinner picking at a salad instead?
No one’s asking you to give up the holidays. Instead, it’s time to strike a balance between caring for your health and being happy by giving yourself a full plate of satisfying, tasty food. Of course, that can sound way too good to be true, especially if you’ve been on a diet in the past.
The difference is that Delektia is not a diet. Our food is freshly prepared using natural ingredients and carefully crafted recipes, giving you the delicious aromas, pleasing tastes, and satiating full feeling you’re after with none of the guilt and none of the bad ingredients.
Ready to let Delektia support your health goals this holiday season? Learn more about our dishes and how our ready-to-eat meals can make every day feel like a cheat day this season.
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