Mindful Treats are Okay Once in a While

I'll never forget the morning I was walking down the boardwalk when I came across a line of people so long I just had to know what I what they were waiting in line for. As I walked closer to the front of the line I burst into laughter after discovering what this growing crowd was waiting for — donuts!!

I asked a woman who was sitting on a bench beside the long line with her three young daughters and clinging to a box of these donuts, "What's all the fuss about these donuts? How long did you wait?"

She told me she waited 30 minutes but that they were "SO worth it!!"  She then handed me one from the box. As she gave me the ultra-fresh pastry her youngest daughter exclaimed, "Mommy don't you give our donuts away like that!"

I knew then that these donuts were serious business and thanks to their generosity, and this donut's popularity, I decided enjoying that donut was going to be a "yes" for me.

As I bit into the popular pastry, it was as if everything went into slow motion ... my senses were going into a tailspin. That simple donut was beyond good — it was downright amazing. That little girl looked up at my bulging eyes and said with a grin, "See? We told you so!"

What's my point here?

It's okay to go "off road" on special occasions, during the holidays, and even on vacation, as long we stay mindful about our indulgences.

What do I mean by this?

For me, being mindful about indulging in sugary treats or carb-heavy meals meals means I have complete awareness of what I am doing and I know the possible consequences. It means that I am going to slow down, enjoy every bite, stay in the moment, and enjoy the experience. The opposite is stuffing your face mindlessly and then looking back and realizing you can barely recall the flavor or enjoyment of what you just ate... which happens a lot with emotional or stress eating.

Keep these tips in mind when reaching for treats or unhealthy meals.

Make it a choice.

Ask yourself, is this "treat" an experience I want to enjoy or am I eating, or  drinking, to relieve negative emotions and stress? If it's the later try and do something to distract yourself like go for a walk, read a book, meditate, take a hot bath, or anything that will take your mind off the emotions and stress.

Plan ahead when enjoying mindful treats.

If you're going to a party or even on a trip or vacation where you know there will be a lot of food temptations, follow a super squeaky clean diet in the weeks leading up to it so that you can enjoy those special moments and meals without the guilt.

Speaking of guilt...

Don't beat yourself up if you do overindulge.

If you slipped up and ate the other half of your kid's pizza or drank too and ate too much after an impromptu girls night out, forgive yourself and do not let yourself use it as an excuse to continue eating bad for days and weeks after. I have seen this happen so many times and I am guilty of it myself, we make one slip up and use that as permission to continue down that unhealthy path.

Do an intermittent fast to get back on track.

Whether my mindful, mindless, indulges are planned or just a major slip-up I do an intermittent fast with bone broth to get me right back on track. I will typically do a 24 to 36-hour bone broth fast where I sip on only unsweetened coffee and tea as well as bone broth during that time. If it was just a day or two of indulging, that quick bone broth fast will have me right back to where I was.

Try a cleanse to get back on track.

If sipping on bone broth for an entire day isn't your thing you can try a quick "cleanse" to get back on track. High-fiber smoothies loaded with nutrient-rich veggies, fruits, and clean protein can help sweep those toxic treats from your system quickly.

If I'm not in the mood for a bone broth fast but I need something to get me back on track quickly I do my cleanse and reset. Depending on how badly I went off track I will do anywhere from one day to five days so I always have my Cleanse and Reset kit on handy for those times. 

Remember, we are all human and it's better to forgive yourself when you get off-track than beat yourself up and use it as an excuse to stay off-track.

All my best,