Holiday Eating Without Guilt: Your Top 4 Go-To Party Foods

You CAN feel better!

Get the free Grounding Guide, and sign up your uplifting weekly health newsletter.

party

Holiday stress isn’t all just about juggling the social commitments, traveling or picking out just the right gift.

Most people report that being surrounded by rich holiday foods, temptation everywhere, impulse eating, and weight gain during the holiday season adds a significant amount of stress as well.

If there was ever a time that people worry about their weight, it’s during the holidays.

How to navigate this tricky but wonderful time of comfort food, decadent desserts and candies? Here are some of my very favorite holiday party foods that I never ever restrict:

 

1) Chocolate!

Shown to support heart and brain health, women who consume chocolate on a regular basis have a lower body mass index then those who don’t!

2) Caffeine

Warding off dementia, Alzheimers and depression, even decreasing your risk for developing diabetes… a warm cup of coffee or tea is the perfect way to indulge at a party, guilt free.

3) Berries

Super-powered antioxidants that decrease inflammation throughout your body, enjoy the fresh fruit party platter!

Best dessert yet?

Snag that chocolate covered strawberry and enjoy every single luscious bite!

4) Nuts

Lowering heart disease risk and boosting energy without causing any weight gain at all, find the nut bowl and dig in!

 

holiday

Want to go further?

You can actually tailor your food intake to support your unique soul energy depending on the type of chakra eater you are!

Read through these 7 examples of real life patients I have had and see if you find yourself in one of them.

 

1. Base Chakra: FOOD IS SECURITY

 

For folks who have energy work going on in the base chakra (all the way down at the very base of your spine) food represents safety and security. When food issues go awry, deep fears of safety and panic may arise. There may be worries about food scarcity and needing to know when and what your next meal will be. If you over eat it may be an attempt to feel secure and reassured that all is well. You may crave comfort foods such as casseroles and home cooking and baked goods.

If you have lots of energy work going on in this chakra, it is perfectly reasonable to feed your body foods that comfort it while this energy is being released. One way to provide comfort and a deep contentment to base chakra eaters is to include lots and lots and lots of fiber, so that you feel full, satiated, safe and grounded for longer.

 

2. Sacral Chakra: FOOD IS PLEASURE

 

For folks who are doing sacral chakra work (just below the belly button on your lower abdomen) food isn’t just about the nutrition, food is about the entire experience… the smell, the feel, the texture, the flavor, the delight in chewing it. Food is sensual. You may find you are eating because you want the feel of food in your mouth, not because you are hungry. You may also find a love/hate relationship with food… often my sacral chakra patients have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or lactose intolerance or celiac disease and need to find a balance between the foods they love and the foods their body hates.

One great trick for sacral chakra eaters is to enjoy drinking (coffees, teas, water, fresh squeezed juices…) or chewing gum throughout the day to experience that sensual pleasure of having sensations in the mouth without necessarily reaching for food.

 

3. Solar Plexus Chakra: FOOD IS POWER

 

For folks who are moving energy in the solar plexus area (just above the navel) food is an issue of control or power. These folks are the ones most likely to try to strictly control what they eat and submit to horrible restrictive diets that they absolutely hate!!!! None of the three lower chakra types enjoy dieting — these folks crave food and sustenance and just don’t feel optimal on diets — but for solar plexus work, diets are the most offensive because restricting food intake feels like a loss of power or a loss of control… two things a solar plexus eater hates!

One great idea for solar plexus eaters is to drop the diets and instead focus on choosing easily digestible foods like soups and pureed foods that are easy on your solar plexus organs (liver, pancreas, stomach) instead of restricting quantity. This tends to be kinder than dieting and allows your body to balance weight better. And consider taking digestive enzymes along with your meal to make the food even easier to process and absorb!

 

 

4. Heart Chakra: FOOD IS LOVE

 

Heart chakra workers enjoy food that releases endorphins and provides a rush, similar to falling in love. Any of my long-term readers who know how often I blog about eating chocolate will recognize… yep, I’m a heart chakra eater. Romantic foods like oysters, red wine, chocolate… it’s not so much that heart chakra eaters care about food, they care about the way the food makes them feel. Dieting feels atrocious for heart chakra eaters and restricting food is equivalent to being dumped by a lover.

One great trick for heart chakra eaters is to focus on enjoying the people you are eating with more than the food — if possible, avoid eating alone (this leads to over-eating) and instead really focus on making eye contact with the people you are enjoying a meal with, the conversation, have a lovely glass of wine and a small piece of chocolate cake instead of three plates full of food you do not love.

5. Throat Chakra: FOOD IS JOY

 

Throat chakra people just love love love to enjoy a wide variety of foods and this is one of their wonderful strengths with eating. My son is a throat chakra guy and he is amazing at trying foods most children wouldn’t even think of… exotic foods, spicy foods, unusual vegetables that kids traditionally hate. He is open to trying it all and gets so excited as he watches me prepare an interesting meal from scratch. Because they are so open to food, to a throat chakra eater dieting feels like a huge loss and may even bring deep sorrow.

My favorite recommendation for throat chakra eaters is to focus on trying new and unusual foods to satisfy their cravings, instead of over-eating a large quantity of boring foods. Go for a novel experience of trying something exotic or new instead of large quantities of boring (calorie dense) comfort foods.

 

6. Third Eye Chakra: FOOD IS ENERGY

 

People with lots of activity in their third eye have a very specific food need — lots of fat and lots of protein. They may tend to dislike fruits and dislike veggies, and in today’s veggie loving society this can make them feel like they are making bad food choices. The thing is, these people have so much depth and intuition in their third eye (middle of the forehead) that each bite needs to be calorie rich and their body knows this.

Instead of feeling pressured to eat more fruits and veggies, third eye folks need to know that they are honoring their bodies by feeding their brain lots of healthy fats (organic whole fat dairy/butter/yogurt or coconut, avocado, olive oil…) and protein (organic eggs, organic nuts and nut butters.) My daughter is a third eye kinda gal, and I can honestly say that she rarely eats any fruits… and veggies in small amounts. Mostly, she craves protein and dairy and she is the healthiest person I know. Never sick. Glowing skin. Gorgeous hair. Beautiful radiant soul. People who are third eye eaters need to feel good about their food choices…

So for third eye chakra eaters, the best recommendation is to look for foods that have some protein in it over bulk carbs or fibrous foods that don’t bring in much needed healthy fats or energy supporting protein. When you are approaching the food buffet at the holiday party, reach for a deviled egg or a beautiful chunk of artisanal cheese instead of forcing down a large salad you don’t really want.

 

7. Crown Chakra: FOOD FEELS OPTIONAL

 

If you have a lot of energy going through the crown chakra, I bet this sounds familiar: forgetting to eat, not making the time to eat, feeling dizzy because you skipped lunch, reaching for a quick snack and then getting right back to work, forgetting to hydrate. Crown chakra folks find it easy to ignore their bodies needs or lose track of time. While they are usually not so bothered by going on a diet, the danger here is that they often don’t take the time to eat healthily so that when they do eat, they are ravenous and do not make smart food choices.

The best things crown chakra eaters can do is to schedule in their eating so that they eat at regular intervals, stay hydrated, and make great food choices… instead of not eating all day long and then binging at a party or in a drive through on the way home. Another great tip for my crown chakra eaters is to carry water with them at all times, so that even if they are not taking the time to properly eat, they stay well hydrated.

 

Share this info to let all your friends know… there are specific reasons why some food choices do not work for some people. Lots of it depends on the way your body is processing energy at this time in your life… and which chakra is flowing the most.

 

You absolutely can (and will!) successfully navigate holiday eating this year, and armed with these tips, you’ll feel your best while doing so!

xoxoxo, Laura

 

 

P.S. Want the perfect gift to support the unique chakra flow of your favorite loved one?

My Chakra Gift Set combines my Chakra temporary tattoos, Chakra Healing journal, Chakra Prayer Flags and Chakra Bracelet all in one beautiful gift!

Order yours here.

ChakraSet