Every year when the holidays arrive, I start seeing articles about eating everywhere.  There are of course the ubiquitous, "Avoid Holiday Weight Gain,"  "Healthy Holiday Eating Tips,"  and "How to Resist Temptation this Holiday," bad-omen-style articles that linger around us as we go about our good cheer like a passive-aggressive, tsk-tsking aunt.  Then, of course, there are the "Reasons You Should Indulge Over the Holidays" articles, stressing moderation and wise choices.  While these tips make more sense than "try low-fat yogurt instead of eggnog," they can also make the celebrant hyper-aware of each treat that passes through their lips, effectively killing any comfort and joy.

It's enough to make the casual partier shout "I don't even care anymore!" and stampede the peppermint bark and spice cookies with a shovel. 

My friend Jess is in grad school for Nutrition and Diatetics at NYU, and I often peruse her blog for real-life food advice and ideas.  Just before Thanksgiving, I read an entry she wrote in which she expressed pointed frustration over all the emotional stakes surrounding "food holidays."

From Keeping It Real Food:

"I am of the belief that a lot of people who feel they have problems 'controlling' themselves at such events feel that way because they've been told they have problems with self-control around food and therefore they need to buy this or that magazine so it can tell them how to reign it in and stay in line like a 'good' girl (or boy). If a publication tells you you're an emotional eater, you're more likely to subscribe to that idea and incorporate it into your behavior. Power of suggestion."

Jess suggests a shift in our focus at the holidays.  Since when did the food we gather around become more important than the family and friends we eat it with?  Why don't we try to look at it as a meal, a drink, or a plate of cookies prepared for us by someone we love instead of a taunting caloric landmine. 

People still make a big deal out of  the "French Paradox."  The French, who eat a diet consisting mostly of meat, butter, cheese, and white bread about four times a day, have one of the lowest rates of obesity and heart disease in the world.  Could it be that part of the reason for this conundrum is that the French eat largely to enjoy the the experience of eating, or the company they're with, rather than obsessing over the physical food they consume? 

The bottom line is, what you eat over a day or two is not going to ruin your life, or even your waistline.  If you are generally healthy, you will go back to your normal life unscathed by your holiday meal.  The question is, will you have enjoyed the time with your family and friends, or will you have spent the whole time obsessing over what is (or isn't) on your plate?