Thank you so much to Marti Klein of Flourish! Health + Wellness Coaching for this insightful guest blog post. I know I’ve definitely been at my fair share of events where I’m feeling uncomfortable or over-doing it. Marti has great tips for staying on track while you enjoy yourself.
When we think of a party or event, we imagine ourselves enjoying spending time with other people who have gathered to celebrate. We dress to impress and look forward to appetizing food and tempting beverages.
We know that we will probably stand for long periods of time, chatting with other guests – and that if we forgo our compression garments, we will quickly become fatigued, with swollen, painful limbs that will plague us for days to come.
We will also be tempted to eat more food than we should, and it will have too many calories, too much fat, and other unhealthy nutritional qualities we work so hard to control most of the time. It can be hard to resist nibbling on food that is colorful and tastes so good, especially when we are in a celebratory mood. It is also difficult to resist eating a large portion of every mouthwatering dish, especially because if we resist temptation or take just a small amount, our companions implore us to throw caution to the wind and help ourselves to more.
The same is true of alcoholic beverages. Even if we shouldn’t or don’t want to consume them for whatever reason, many people consider anyone who doesn’t drink alcohol to be a “party pooper” and they will vigorously push us to imbibe.
How can you put the “festive” back into events -- in a healthy way that works well for you? Here are some suggestions that will help you to put the “festive” back into upcoming parties without sacrificing your health or comfort:
1. Take ownership of your decision to wear your compression garments. Think of them as shapewear! You will enjoy the festivities so much more if you are comfortable, and you will look back on that memory with more pleasure if you don’t suffer through a long post-party recovery period. Also, make sure that you sit down for at least part of the party. The chances are that your friends will be more than happy to kick back with you!
2. Savor a colorful non-alcoholic drink. If you don’t want to attract unwanted attention to yourself, choose a drink that looks and tastes like a cocktail. Or – bring your own bottle of nonalcoholic wine or beer!
3. Eat mindfully. Denying yourself delectable dishes casts a pall on even the best party, and if you stuff yourself, you won’t enjoy what you are eating. Treat yourself to one bite of each dish that you don’t want to resist – but don’t gobble it down. Before you eat it, take a moment to admire the way it looks and smells. Feel the texture on your lips. Move it around in your mouth before you slowly chew it so that you can savor its taste. After you swallow it, enjoy the aftertaste in your mouth. You will be pleasantly surprised at how satisfying one bite can be!
I wish you a happy, prosperous, healthy New Year! - Marti
About the Author
She enjoys working with clients via telehealth from across the U.S. and Canada, many with lymphedema and/or lipedema, and is active in the lymphedema and lipedema patient and professional communities.
