A December to Remember

What is it about the holiday season that sends us into frenzied, wild abandonment of the tried and true habits that keep us sane, fit, limber, focused, grounded, nourished and strong (mentally AND physically) the other 11 months of the year?

I honestly don’t know.

That’s not entirely true. From my years in private practice I have a few ideas (with science to back me up), but I don’t know what drives YOU SPECIFICALLY into frenzied, wild abandonment.

As we welcome December, what do you say we make it one to remember, and take a different approach?

A more centered, deliberate, mindful approach. Let’s greet January with open arms rather than a laundry list of regrets.

Wherever you are on the breast cancer path; newly diagnosed, in treatment, survivorship, or living with metastatic breast cancer, daily self-care decisions take on new urgency. The food you put in your body, the exercise you do or don’t, the time you get yourself to bed at night and up the next morning, the people you surround yourself with, the dialogue in your head – it ALL seems to matter in a big way.

Especially during the holidays (regardless of which you observe), navigating special foods, gallons of booze, late nights, endless restaurant meals, power-shopping and seasonal coffee-as-dessert drinks is enough to make you abandon any effort at self-care.

With its free-for-all mentality, what-the-hell decision making, and burn-the-boats-I’ll-start-in-January justification for every bite, sip and gathering, it’s no wonder you may feel anxious. One false move and maybe you’re triggering a recurrence or escalating your cancer.

Getting centered so you can focus on what makes YOU feel good, making deliberate choices and decisions, and staying present in the moment go a long way toward easing that anxiety.

Read on to see if any of these situations are familiar. Let my suggestions for managing them help you sail into January feeling strong, resilient, healthy and fit!

Angst-Producing Situation #1 – Am I eating the “right” foods?

Consider – You’re so fearful of eating the wrong foods, you restrict those you enjoy most. And then? When you can no longer stand the deprivation, you binge on candied sweet potatoes, sugar cookies and peanut butter fudge.

The Science – We don’t have definitive guidelines on specific foods that reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence or mortality, yet. But we do have good data on how dietary PATTERNS and the SYNERGY (interaction) of nutrients are perhaps more important than individual foods. Science supports a dietary pattern heavy on fruits, vegetables and fiber, and light on added sugars and fats. How to reconcile that recommendation with holiday treats? (1)

December to Remember Approach. . .

Aim to reduce added sugar and fat when you bake or cook.
For most recipes, you can reduce the sugar called for by at least one-third (typically more) without compromising taste or texture. (2)
Be judicious with the amount of oil used in baking, sauteing, homemade salad dressings and dips. Healthy fats are important for healthy diets, but remember, one teaspoon of ANY type of oil has 45 calories.
Add veggies like butternut squash, grated zucchini and carrots, extra onions and garlic to soups, stews and sauces to increase fiber and nutrients.

Be Kind to Yourself. Don’t deny yourself any special holiday foods, and please, don’t feel guilty for enjoying them!

Angst-Producing Issue #2 – Am I exercising enough? Doing the “right” type of exercise?

Consider – You’re heading into the holiday season overweight and out of shape, and you feel horrible about it. Or, you’re fit, but want to ratchet up your activity to counteract all the holiday eating. You either wallow in guilt, eating to ignore how you feel about being out of shape, or get your workout in even when sleep may be a better option.

The Science – We know exercise can reduce the risk of recurrence, improve energy, manage treatment side effects, and reduce pain for advanced breast cancer. It also helps manage stress, anxiety and depression. Current recommendations are for 150 minutes per week of deliberate physical activity, doing a combination of cardiovascular, strength training, and flexibility and balance exercises (3, 4).

December to Remember Approach. . .

Schedule and prioritize your exercise. Use a calendar, set a reminder, make a date with a friend/family member to “meet and move”.
A little bit of something is always better than nothing. Your body responds positively to the slightest increase in physical activity, so doing even 20 minutes when you can’t find 30 is still beneficial.
Do exercise you enjoy. You’ll never willingly do any type of exercise that you hate, so stop trying to trick yourself. It won’t work.
Exercise consistently, but also pay attention to food quality and portion size. You can’t out-run, out-lift, out-swim or out-dance a crappy diet. (5)

Be Kind to Yourself. A break in your workout doesn’t mean a break-up with your fitness routine. Missing one, even a few workouts won’t make you unfit. Just get back to your routine as soon as you can. And should you even start an exercise routine during the holiday season? Yes!

Angst-Producing Situation #3 – Am I sleeping enough? Am I sleeping too much?

Consider – You skimp on sleep to bake another batch of cookies, wrap a couple of gifts, send out a few more invitations, or shop online in the late hours of the night. It just feels so productive, doesn’t it?

The Science – There’s research that suggests getting less than the recommended amount of sleep (7-8 hours per night for adults) may be connected to breast cancer. Connection doesn’t mean causation, and the jury is still out on the definitive answer. But it’s important to realize there’s something there, so adding good sleep hygiene as a breast cancer management tool is smart. Not to mention, lack of sleep can throw off appetite, hunger cues and satiety, which can lead to overeating and choosing less nourishing foods. (6, 7)

December to Remember Approach. . .

Establish a bedtime routine. It works for kids, it will work for you, too.
Take a hot bath or shower, climb into bed and read a book, sip herbal tea, meditate, journal. Anything that helps you wind down and signals to your brain it’s time to sleep is fair game.
Buy special holiday pajamas. They’re not only fun, they signal to your brain (again) that it’s bedtime.
Set a reminder to go to bed. If you regularly disregard your body’s signal to sleep, sometimes a little nudge can help you tune in and honor it.
Feel like you’re sleeping TOO much? Can barely get out of bed? Consider low-grade depression, also known as dysthymia (dis-thy-mee-a). Low-grade depression presents as many of the known treatment side effects (low energy, changes in weight, difficulty making decisions or concentrating), but feelings of low self-esteem or loss of enjoyment in daily activities may also be present. Those are atypical side effects, so consider speaking with your doctor about a depression screening. (8)

Be Kind to Yourself. Sleep is cathartic. It heals, energizes, restores. Sleep deprivation is a torture tactic, and for good reason.

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Thanks for reading my blog post!

Most survivors of hormone-positive breast cancer get anxious when they think about what to eat after finishing treatment, so I’ve created the Peaceful Plate program to help survivors eat with peace, not panic.

When you eat with peace, you feel free to enjoy your food again.

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CLICK HERE and grab your FREE copy of The Five Foods Survivors Should Eat

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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your dietitian or doctor for guidance specific to your needs.