Ditch the Cookie Cutter Diets and Embrace Self-Care

By Leah Hantman

We’re not all the same. This is why cookie cutter diets fail and wreak havoc on our body image. Have you ever tried a diet only to think you were the problem when it didn’t work?

This is the cookie cutter diet way and it perpetuates Diet Culture Damage by making you feel you need to fit certain standards and follow certain food rules to be successful. The one size-fits all days are OVER. This method simply doesn’t work.

We are encouraged by our diet-obsessed culture at a young age to look a certain way at any cost. Society has been highly prescriptive about what people need to do to meet ideal beauty standards. This is why the diet industry is worth $72 BILLION. Dieting is normalized and disconnects our mind-body connection. We stop listening to hunger cues and start paying attention to rigid food rules that have been prescribed by society. This disconnect takes us out of the present moment.

This holiday season I challenge you to ditch the diet cookie-cutter diet for an actual cookie-cutter. Bake, eat, enjoy and learn to honor your body!  Aside from ditching diets and things that make you feel bad about yourself, p rioritizing self-care is an absolute must!

Here are our top 5 tips to get you started with ways you can honor your body and be present to soak in the magic of the season!

Keeping a regular exercise routine is an absolute must to help buffer stress. Regular physical activity improves mood by triggering hormones called endorphins and Serotonin that give you a sense of peace, relaxation, and happiness. Exercise is a natural anti-depressant. Exercising at Prototype virtually or in person gives you the added bonus of community and challenge!

Chronic sleep deprivation is a major contributor to depressed mood and anxiety. Lack of sleep makes us more susceptible to illness, injury, and increases our sensitivity to micro-stressors.

Developing an attitude of gratitude is a practice you should strive to have year-round, ESPECIALLY during the Holiday Season. When we focus on everything we DO have we can handle stress more easily. Neuroscience studies have proven that even practicing gratitude boosts feel-good hormones that promote happiness and joy.

The holidays bring up strong feelings for a lot of people. Having a regular meditation or mindfulness routine will help you stay ahead of those feelings. When you feel more grounded, everything else feels more stable which means we have more time to be present.

Connection, community and relationships are top predictors of happiness and joy. Reach out to friends and make sure to interact with people daily. Don’t forget to make time for recharging too!

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