How to Regain Balance After the Holidays, Without Fasting or Extremes

According to Dr. Aya Ben-Shalom – a senior instructor at Heli Maman, a healthy lifestyle support network – there is no need to "cleanse" the body or punish it for overeating during the holiday season, but rather to return gradually to optimal eating habits.

After weeks of holiday meals, family gatherings, breaks from routine, and an abundance of food, many feel the need to "fix" things, fast, or immediately start a rigid menu. However, our body does not need punishment or special cleansing. It needs a gradual return to habits that make us feel good.

Dr. Aya Ben-Shalom: "The holiday period is naturally accompanied by changes in eating hours, food quantities, meal composition, and physical activity levels. Alongside enjoyment and celebration, feelings of heaviness, fatigue, bloating, and sometimes guilt may appear. At this time, it's important to stop and remind ourselves that a few festive meals do not define our lifestyle, and there is no need for extreme measures.

The concept of 'detox' returns to the headlines almost every year after the holidays, but the body performs removal and filtration processes naturally via the liver, kidneys, digestive system, and lungs. Fasting, skipping meals, or a menu based only on juices does not 'cleanse' the body and can sometimes lead to increased hunger, weakness, and unbalanced eating throughout the day. The way back to routine does not start with avoidance, but with re-establishing order.

Here are five simple steps to help you do it in a calm and balanced way:

Return to regular eating hours - After days when meals occurred at varying times, it is worth gradually restoring a regular framework to the day. There is no need to force ourselves to eat if we are not hungry, but it is also not recommended to intentionally skip meals to 'compensate' for what we ate during the holiday.

Organized eating helps to better identify feelings of hunger and fullness, reduces instances of extreme hunger, and helps us make calmer decisions regarding food. You can start with three main meals and, as needed, incorporate small snacks in between.

Stay hydrated throughout the day - During the holidays, it’s easy to forget to drink water, especially when consuming more coffee, sugary drinks, or alcohol. Returning to regular drinking habits can help with alertness, digestive system function, and reducing confusion between thirst and hunger.

It’s a good idea to place a water bottle in a prominent spot, start the morning with a glass of water, and drink gradually throughout the day. There is no need to overload on large amounts at once; the goal is to create a simple and consistent habit.

Incorporate vegetables without making the meal a 'punishment' - Returning to balance does not require switching immediately to just a bowl of lettuce. It is recommended to integrate vegetables as part of a full and satisfying meal, alongside a source of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in the appropriate amounts.

Vegetables add dietary fiber, color, volume, and variety to the meal. They can be included fresh, cooked, baked, or in soup. The tastier and more convenient the choice, the higher the chance it will become part of the routine rather than a temporary solution.

Return to movement gradually - In terms of physical activity, there is also no need to compensate for the holidays with an especially difficult workout. Walking, stretching, cycling, or any activity we enjoy can be a good starting point.

The goal is not to 'burn off' the holiday meals, but to bring movement back to the body, improve mood, and rebuild consistency. Sometimes a twenty or thirty-minute walk is exactly the right step for returning to routine.

Plan one shopping trip to make the week easier - After the holidays, the fridge may be full of leftovers, while a lack of basic ingredients makes it difficult to prepare organized meals. Before going shopping, check what is already at home and plan a few simple meals for the coming days.

A shopping list can include fruits and vegetables, dairy products or substitutes, eggs, legumes, fish or other protein sources, bread or whole grains, and available items for snacks. Basic planning reduces last-minute decisions and allows for a return to routine without feeling like the whole day revolves around food.

Give up the language of compensation - One of the most important changes after the holidays does not happen on the plate, but in the way we talk to ourselves. Instead of saying 'I ruined it,' 'I overdid it,' or 'From tomorrow I'm forbidden,' we can remind ourselves that we enjoyed a festive period and now we are returning to our regular habits.

There is no need to weigh yourself immediately, declare prohibitions, or set unrealistic goals. A true return to balance is created by small steps that can be maintained, rather than a few days of extremes."

Dr. Aya Ben-Shalom concludes: "The body does not need punishment after the holidays. It needs order, listening, and choices that you can live with over time. As we stop treating food in terms of success and failure and choose to return gradually to habits that benefit us, the return to routine will be more pleasant, healthy, and stable," concludes Dr. Aya Ben-Shalom, senior instructor at Heli Maman, a network specializing in a healthy lifestyle.

(Photo: Dr. Aya Ben-Shalom. Photo: PR)