I spent this past Thanksgiving with Maribel and her family. The twelve of us at the dinner table reminded me of the warm, loud holiday dinners of my childhood. And just as in my childhood, I devoured dessert. My only regret was that I left my second stomach at home and had to quit after the sixth slice of pie. Yes, six! I had three slices of the peanut butter cream cheese, two pumpkin and one pecan plus an extremely healthy serving of the best homemade whipped cream I have ever tasted (nice job Gaby!).
Every year we are inundated with articles and television segments about how to eat sensibly during the holiday season. They tell us to snack on the carrots, not to drink on an empty stomach, to eat a healthy meal before going to that cocktail party and so on and so forth.
Now I may get my personal trainer card revoked for this but I say,
SCREW IT! Eat Grandma’s coveted tapioca pudding. Drink Uncle Bill’s Cadillac eggnog. And how could anyone not try Tio Jose’s infamous chili-cheese nachos?
To my mind, this is the whole point of the holidays: feasting with family and friends. It can be so emotionally rewarding to share in the communal traditions of the holidays. And if you celebrate Christmas, how much more Christian can you get than the breaking of bread?
Of course, if you celebrate all twelve days of Christmas, feasting straight through to Three Kings’ Day, you will require a certain endurance. Not to mention a touch more restraint than I will be exhibiting during the 36 hours of reckless abandon I will partake in this year. My biggest splurge will be suspending my gluten-free diet and indulging in many a sorely missed Guinness with friends, oatmeal pancakes with family, and chocolate chip cookies with myself. I rarely eat junk or drink beer but make an exception during the holidays when I gather with family and friends. The pleasure of such commune greatly offsets the displeasure of my head and bellyache.
So as you celebrate this next week and a half, focus on what is really important: family, friends and feasting. And if you see me this weekend looking a little swollen, just ask me how much I enjoyed getting that way.
Jamie Dreyer is the President of Further Fitness NYC.
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December 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
[…] I spent this past Thanksgiving with Maribel and her family. The twelve of us at the dinner table reminded me of the warm, loud holiday dinners of my childhood. And just as in my childhood, I devoured dessert. …[Continue Reading] […]
December 26th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
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