Now that Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving can’t be far behind. What follows then is a deluge of family gatherings, holiday food, parties, jam packed scheduling, shopping, and perhaps a not so tasteful menu of emotional triggers. These scenarios invariably derail our best intentions for making good nutritional choices. Before you know it, it’s New Year’s and you are faced with making the usual resolutions to eat less and exercise more. Until you can’t keep it up.

I DO NOT BELIEVE IN NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. I BELIEVE IN AFFIRMATIONS AND INTENTION.

Let’s start with this – As I enjoy the color, smells and taste of the food I happily choose to enjoy, I’ll enjoy the color, smells and feel of life around me.

Treat yourself kindly by lovingly starting the holiday season without the shoulds and shouldn’ts. – throw out the moral dilemma that has you turning every indulgence into a guilty pleasure. Food is meant to be enjoyed as well as nourish. We miss out on the pleasure and nourishment when we stress over what we are eating. Make choices based on your body’s wisdom – what is right for you. If you listen to that wisdom, you’ll know what and how much you need. Listening will also help you to tune in rather than tune out by obsessing, over eating and restricting. Tuning in will allow you to recognize and honor your hunger rather than deny it. Tuning in allows for empowered choice rather than willpower enforced restriction.

A funny thing happens when you allow yourself to eat what you want and do so with mindful pleasure-you stop when you’ve had enough. You choose from a variety of high quality foods that you can feel good about eating.

Start the holiday season by setting the intention to have a loving, joyous and freeing relationship with yourself and the food before you. Choose wisely, make it count, savor every bite, and welcome the nourishing complexity of it all.

Cherish the holiday season and all it stands for. Be grateful, look for the blessings and they will appear.