Suzy Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Dealing with the holidays can really get people stressed. Have you ever heard this before? I have a theory as to why this is so. It's mid-November, you've just had a beautiful autumn and fun Halloween. Memories from your warm, happy summer are still relatively fresh. Then, buzz and bustle to do with the holidays begin to emerge. All your favorite stores start to carry nostalgic, childhood food favorites like hot cocoa mix, novelty chocolates, holiday editions of cookies like Oreo's, pecan and pumpkin pies . . . I could go on forever. I think the reason people are so stressed might be a chain reaction started by social pressure and marketing companies to eat heavy, seasonal winter foods. Traditionally, high calorie foods were so hard to come by, that we all got together to share them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We worked harder back in the day, too, needing to wash dishes by hand and walk places, so we actually needed higher carb foods (no one needs refined carbs, but we didn't know that then). Fast forward to the present day and we're still eating food that we were eating when we expended many more calories in a day, on average. We ate those foods when we were kids (and so did our parents and grandparents), and that food was either adding to our childhood happiness or soothing childhood hurts, so it just plain feels wrong not to eat it. It's like ignoring a friend on the holidays not to buy and consume these special holiday foods. Marketing companies come in here, exploiting our delicate emotions expertly (more power to them, I guess) and reinforcing this nostalgia and creating a feeling of wanting for the mere sake of having the food. It fosters feelings of scarcity. "If I don't eat this pecan pie, I won't get any until next year. I'll just have a little." That "little" is more than enough to release the Sugar Beast. In fact, the Beast begins to stir when you heed holiday cookie-making commercials or a drunk friend's urging to try her cheese ball. What do you think? Anyone want to add to my theory? This chain reaction suckers me in every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournegirl Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 I always overeat on Christmas day and feel sick for a week after. Cant understand why I needed to have so many chocolates, puddings, cakes, sweets... not like you can't actually have them anytime but its true we feel like Christmas only comes once. Due to all the marketing hype I think we all feel it is acceptable to overeat on this day too so no brakes!. Anyway this year I broke the chain and had not one dose of sugar. Had a compliant coconut muffin instead of pudding, and cranberry and apple sauce (compliant homemade) instead of cake!! So give it a go next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 I was thinking of something along these lines myself. It started to feel, this year, as if all the sugary things weren't so much treats as an aberration. That made me wonder what had made them seem so necessary in the past. I don't have a situation where family pressure requires that I eat any certain way - we have a buffet and there is no particular reason for anyone to eat food choices they dislike or that don't agree with them. And there's something for everyone - everyone's interests and food styles are considered. And yet I go back, psychologically, to an earlier model of eating where on holidays, one is expected to eat foods that one might not even consider at any other time of year, because they are considered special. I'm just starting to ask myself to redefine "special" these days. I'm wondering why, with no current family pressure to eat anything I do not wish to eat, I still think of the holiday eating experience as rigidly defined by certain kinds of foods. It's funny, because one family member is vegetarian, and no one thinks twice about this person's hauling out a block of tofu to eat with Christmas dinner. It's an especially accepting sort of family/food situation, I think. So yesterday I had steak, shrimp, and a big salad, and since I'm not on a Whole30 at the moment, I had a few bites of a family member's famous potato/macaroni salad (this is a Hawaii regional thing). I brought home steak, short ribs, shrimp, and maki-sushi (I'll let the kiddoes handle that - I'm not that interested in rice these days, though I feel funny saying that in Hawaii). I suppose traditions are what we make of them. I wonder, too, if that might be some of the emotional power of Paleo eating. It hearkens back to traditions established long before anybody was writing down their memories of traditions. (I will say that I am glad I did not have to spend Christmas Day either pursuing or running from the wildebeests. Ha!) Anyway, lots of food for thought in this whole holiday food traditions thaing. I may well approach the holidays very differently next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Had a compliant coconut muffin instead of pudding, Well, you and AmyS are inspiring me like crazy. I had my Christmas pudding (My Mom's Aussie, too!), but it was definitely food with no brakes. It started a chain reaction of excess dessert eating that I knew was just wrong while I was doing it. Not worth it. But I love setting my pudding on fire. I'll have to experiment with paleo fire next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Well, you and AmyS are inspiring me like crazy. I had my Christmas pudding (My Mom's Aussie, too!), but it was definitely food with no brakes. It started a chain reaction of excess dessert eating that I knew was just wrong while I was doing it. Not worth it. But I love setting my pudding on fire. I'll have to experiment with paleo fire next year. Next year maybe you'll walk on hot coals or something. Heehee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flynn Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I did exactly as you said, if I don't have this pie I won't have any until next year! I had a few pieces of pumpkin pie after the holiday meal because seriously, I'll never bake a pie , I won't have the opportunity to eat it again until next year and it tastes awesome! I just didn't let it take over my life in the form of guilt and sugar binges like I have in the past. Thanks whole 9! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I totally see the connection with all of this. And it really is about deciding for yourself what is special. And we equate food with experiences all the time. I'm terribly guilty of this with my kids, as I made everything from scratch when they were growing up. I mean like REALLY from scratch. Grind the wheat to make bread and heat the milk to make yogurt. Amy, you are right... traditions are what we make them. And I think for my kids, they have fond memories of me working away in the kitchen, and so there is a connection for them. It's a big piece of what I did to tend to my family's needs. So I've interwoven food into the very fiber of my family. And honestly, if I said to them, "hey, I can't make donuts anymore, they make me sick to look at" then no one would die or disown me LOL At least I hope not? Maybe this is a bigger problem for me than I want to admit, because the idea of never making or consuming any of those special holiday treats is not pleasant.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I baked five spice cakes over Christmas. Just sayin. FIVE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 At least I'm in good company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Yes. I went through an entire jar of Penzeys cinnamon. The cakes were loved by all who received them. It's possible I'll end my baking days permanently at some point, but at the moment I have no problem including baking in my life - I just have a hard time with it when I'm actually on a Whole30. Disclaimer: my children are not Paleo or Whole30, though they will be moreso in the new year as I formally begin my Whole100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Strathdee Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Yes. I went through an entire jar of Penzeys cinnamon. The cakes were loved by all who received them. It's possible I'll end my baking days permanently at some point, but at the moment I have no problem including baking in my life - I just have a hard time with it when I'm actually on a Whole30. Disclaimer: my children are not Paleo or Whole30, though they will be moreso in the new year as I formally begin my Whole100. Most of my happy holiday memories include baking, so it's been a big challenge for me to try and disassociate those unhealthy foods with good memories. We're getting there - we made goodies as gifts this year, but didn't make any cookies - but its definitely a stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenderbender Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I tried that theory on my wife.... " honey, that supermodel wants to ........... I'm kidding I'm kidding..... Leave it to me to bring it to the gutter... Seriously.... You are correct.... Companies pay millions on marketing to the physiological and physiological effects that sugar/ refined carbs has on us..... Now we now know better and forewarned is forearmed...... It is a battle every bit as hard as any other addiction and probably causes more illness and death than all other addictions combined...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Most of my happy holiday memories include baking, so it's been a big challenge for me to try and disassociate those unhealthy foods with good memories. We're getting there - we made goodies as gifts this year, but didn't make any cookies - but its definitely a stretch. Yes, I know if we lived in different times, though, these treats would truly be once-a-year treats and not the constant barrage of sugar all year 'round. It seems to me that breaking the sugar dragon of its hold is some kind of super-power-level action. But, I have to say, I had great fun baking those cakes this year. Next year, who knows? I tried that theory on my wife.... " honey, that supermodel wants to ........... I'm kidding I'm kidding..... Leave it to me to bring it to the gutter... Seriously.... You are correct.... Companies pay millions on marketing to the physiological and physiological effects that sugar/ refined carbs has on us..... Now we now know better and forewarned is forearmed...... It is a battle every bit as hard as any other addiction and probably causes more illness and death than all other addictions combined...... I was having this conversation with a friend who recently changed his life AFTER quadruple bypass surgery. That connection between what we eat and who we are in the world is so powerful. He mentioned the drug/addiction thing as well. It's something I've resisted thinking about, because, well, it's just food, right? But if it's all the time, if it feels necessary to get the sugar hit in order to feel awake, and then necessary to keep up the sugar hits just to feel normal, then yeah, I think it does intensify into addiction. And I'm still super happy I made and gave away those cakes. Is that weird? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournegirl Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Bummer (is that an Australianism????). After reading through this I just realised I really enjoy baking and I dont think I can give it up for ever. I can give up sugar for ever though and I am amazed at how quickly I have come to enjoy similar foods without sugar in them. My stomach will also be happy to get rid of grain starcheds for ever too. Since I have been gluten and dairy free for a good while I reckon there are still a few things I can make that I will enjoy, will be technically compliant and not awake my sugar dragon... like sweet potato pudding (just eggs and sweet potato and cinnamon) and coconut muffins with only a few blueberries to sweeten. I have also enjoyed experimenting with pie and pizza crusts, no dragons here for me as it has been years since I have eaten real pizza or pies... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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