Celebrations: Is It All About Food?
Focus on Others or Focus on Food?
Everywhere we turn there is some sort of celebration or social event in our lives. As human beings we love socializing and getting together. Family gatherings, special events such as engagements, weddings, baby showers, and birthdays, are just a few examples that we engage in. As social beings, these celebrations bring families and friends closer together. It is interesting that with those connections it is also centered on food. In fact there does not seem to be an event that food is not in attendance. As a society, it may not just be the connections with others that draw us to these events, but the expectation that food will be offered. As a society, we are gaining in the “weight” department. According to the Center for Disease (CDC) the obesity rates in the United States are climbing to over one-third of the population. These rates break down to almost 40% of us being classified as obese (CDC, 2015). With these alarming ratescit is not surprising that we are seeing chronic diseases on the rise. How do we remain steadfast to our personal diet and still remain socially active?
The Food Dilemma and Fitting In
In our society many of us are constantly dieting. It is estimated that over one million people are on a diet, at one time or another. The conflicting information of how to diet, what foods to eat, is causing us further confusion, as we obsess about losing weight. We are constantly hearing that inner voice telling us that we should avoid certain foods and do exercises that we may or may not even enjoy. We are becoming obsessed with thinking about food!
We may be actually losing weight and feeling better, but then comes that dreaded invitation to an event. All of a sudden panic sets in, and the thought of being around food at the event causes anxiety. We want to fit in, we do not want to be excluded from the event. We fear we may be tempted to eat unhealthy foods or overindulge. The fear that we may “blow” our diet becomes too much. We forget why we went to the event in the first place, and instead ruminate about the food. The whole event becomes a blur as we continually hear our inner voice saying watch what you eat or you will regret it later. There have been stories about individuals that decided to avoid going to celebrations or even work-related social events. The constant reminder that they could “lose ground” on their diet was too much for them to take. Instead of looking at the event as a way to socialize with others it becomes a food war zone. What are we really celebrating during these social events? Is it really about food or a deeper connection that only socializing can offer us?
Feeling Connected and Healthy can Co-Exist... Really
We can actually feel confident that we can go to major social events and still remain committed to our health. It is important to realize the real reason we are going to the event in the first place. Socializing with family and friends can be very therapeutic. Studies indicate that we experience less stress and depression if we connect with others. In order to remain committed to our health and diet it is important to limit our consumption of alcohol. Alcohol can raise our glucose levels and stimulate our appetite. This is the very reason that restaurants want us to order drinks before meals. When we do this we are more likely to consume more food. It is also important to drink water a few hours before attending an event. That way we might limit the portion of food we place on the plate, our stomach gets full and we are less likely to overindulge. Let’s remember why we are attending social events and be mindful that we can celebrate without focusing on food. It is important to have a good time and succeed in being healthy. The next time you are invited to a social event stay committed to your healthy diet by not overindulging. Focus on the reason for the social event and just enjoy yourself.
