How Health Coaches & Wellness Enthusiasts Can Eat With Joy, Not Regret—Using Portion Control, Mood Awareness & Digestive Support
Surviving November: How Health Coaches & Wellness Enthusiasts Can Eat With Joy, Not Regret—Using Portion Control, Mood Awareness & Digestive Support
As the leaves fall and holiday recipes rise, November marks the official beginning of the & eating season& in America. It’s the time of year when indulgent food meets emotional nostalgia, family dynamics collide with personal goals, and digestion often pays the price.
But here’s the truth: You can savor your favorite dishes, protect your gut, and feel emotionally balanced—without guilt or bloating. It doesn’t require restriction; it just requires reconnection. As a lifestyle medicine physician with a focus on integrative health, I help patients find ways to enjoy the season while staying aligned with their body’s signals and long-term vitality.
Below, I provide my top actionable, gentle but empowering tips & strategies to manage portion control, mood, groundedness, gut health, and digestion during the holiday season—especially in November when temptations spike.
1. Upgrade Your Relationship with Fullness
Start by asking: “What kind of full do I want to be?” There’s a difference between being “satisfied and energized” and being “stuffed and sleepy.” Reframe fullness as a feeling of being nourished, not numbed.
Tip: Try a 75% Rule” during meals—especially on big celebration days. Eat until you’re about 75% full, then pause. Give your body time (about 10-15 minutes) to catch up before deciding on seconds.
Mind Trick: Eat with your non-dominant hand. It naturally slows you down and brings awareness back to every bite.
2. Start Meals Bitter, End Meals Grounded
Ancient traditions—from Ayurveda to Chinese medicine—taught that digestion begins before the first bite.
Bitters Before Meals: Take 1 tsp of digestive bitters or a small arugula or dandelion salad 10–15 minutes before large meals to wake up stomach acid and enzymes. This reduces bloating, sluggishness, and post-meal fatigue.
Grounding After Meals: End the meal with grounding herbs like ginger, fennel, or peppermint tea.
3. Use a “Mood Check” Before You Eat
Emotional eating isn’t about weakness—it’s about wiring. Holiday meals are often steeped in nostalgia, grief, social pressure, and celebration. We don’t just eat food; we eat emotion.
Pause & Ask: “What am I actually hungry for right now?” Sometimes it’s connection, comfort, validation, or rest.
4. Protect Your Gut Like It’s Your Second Brain
Your gut isn’t just a digestive machine—it’s where 90% of your serotonin is made. A bloated gut often leads to a foggy mind, poor mood, and increased inflammation.
Boost Pre-Holiday Resilience: Start a daily probiotic or 1 tbsp of fermented food (sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir) in early November. This builds microbial diversity before the sugar and starch spike.
Post-Feast Reset: If you overeat, skip the shame spiral. Instead, give your digestive system a break with a light broth or soup for the next meal.
5. Use Portions as a Form of Mindful Power—Not Deprivation
Portion control isn’t about eating like a bird. It’s about choosing how you want to feel 2 hours later.
The “3-2-1” Plate Method:
- 3 parts colorful non-starchy vegetables
- 2 parts quality protein
- 1 part starch or indulgent treat
This method gives structure without rigidity. Have the sweet potato casserole—just don’t let it become your whole plate.
Tip for Buffets: Use a smaller plate. Then, commit to sitting down while eating—no standing, grazing, or multitasking.
6. Move to Digest, Not to Burn
Exercise shouldn’t be punishment for what you ate. But gentle movement is a gift to your gut and mind.
Post-Meal Walks: A 10-15 minute slow walk after dinner improves blood sugar regulation and digestion. Invite someone along—the conversation can heal just as much as the steps.
Stretch the Solar Plexus: Simple yoga stretches, such as the seated spinal twist, cat-cow, or lying on your back with your knees side by side, can help relieve digestive tension and bloating.
7. Honor the Power of “No, Thank You”
You’re allowed to honor your body even in the presence of pushy relatives or cultural norms.
People may offer food out of love, but your job is to receive the love, not necessarily the food.
Kind Boundaries: Try saying, “That looks amazing! I might come back for a little later,” or “I’m going to savor what I already have on my plate right now.”
You don’t need to explain. You just need to listen to yourself.
8. Support Your Sleep to Reset Your Signals
Cravings and poor digestion often stem from poor sleep. Holiday stress, alcohol, and irregular schedules can mess with circadian rhythms.
Sleep Hygiene for Holiday Nights:
- Avoid alcohol or heavy food within 2 hours of bed.
- Take 400–600 mg magnesium glycinate after dinner to ease tension and support digestion.
- Use a sleep mask or blackout curtains—longer nights mean deeper repair if you let your body take it.
Final Thoughts: Joy Over Judgment
Let’s not turn the holiday season into another battleground for willpower. Let it become a laboratory of self-awareness. Eat with presence. Move with gratitude. Rest with intention. Your body knows what it needs—it just needs space and respect to be heard.
So, go ahead: enjoy the pie. Just enjoy the quiet between bites.
Are You A Health Coach or Wellness Enthusiast That’s Ready to Feel Whole Again?
You’re not sluggish, inflamed, or plateaued because you eat too much. You’re stuck because you’ve been lied to—by Big Pharma, broken medical dogma, and a fitness industry more obsessed with shrinking bodies than building strong, holistic, high-performing ones.
If you’re navigating the holidays, hormone shifts, burnout, or chronic stress, your body is asking for attention, and now is the perfect time to answer.
At Primex Cellular Health, we believe in whole-person care—not just for patients, but for the health coaches too.
Book your personal telehealth hormone consultation with Dr. Eric Fete today.
Visit drericprimex.com for free resources, nutrition tips, and wellness guidance. Call or text us at 1-740-777-9717 for fast, friendly support. Stay Prime.
Stay whole. Stay you. —Dr. Eric
“Let’s not turn the holiday season into another battleground for willpower. Let it become a laboratory of self-awareness.” – Dr. Eric Fete
Ready to Take the First Step?
If stress, burnout, and hormonal chaos are stealing your joy, don’t wait. Your body is asking you to listen—and now is the perfect time to answer.
Book your personal telehealth hormone consultation with Dr. Eric Fete today.
Visit DrEricPrimex.com for free resources, nutrition tips, and wellness guidance. Call or text us at 1-740-777-9717 for fast, friendly support.
You deserve to feel strong, sexy, and unstoppable—at every stage of life. Let’s restore your balance, reignite your vitality, and help you live your best life yet.
Stay Prime.
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