Episode 5: Thrive, not Survive, the Holidays

About Thyme Nutrition, by Tammy Fogarty, PhD, RD 

Welcome to the About Thyme Nutrition podcast, where we empower you to live well and feel your best, one step at a time. I’m Tammy Fogarty, and today, I’m excited to introduce my newest nutrition program that’s launching soon! Stay tuned for all the juicy details about how this program can transform your health in 2025. But first, we’re talking about how to thrive—not just survive—this holiday season. With all the festive treats, packed schedules, and family gatherings, it can be challenging to stay on track. Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered with simple, effective strategies from my Healthy Holiday Guide.

1. Combat Overindulgence

First up, let’s talk about one of the biggest challenges: overindulgence. The key to managing it is mindful eating.

2. Say No to Stress Eating

Stress eating is real, especially during the holidays. When we’re overwhelmed, food often becomes a coping mechanism. Holiday hustle can turn snacks into emotional armor. Here’s how to sidestep stress eating:

3. Staying Active

Physical activity is often the first thing to go during the holidays, but it’s essential for maintaining energy and reducing stress.

4. Healthy Holiday Choices

When it comes to holiday meals, balance is key. Use the “perfect plate” method:

***Just for you bonus tips!

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About Thyme to Live Well is not just another nutrition program—it’s your partner in creating a lifestyle that feels good, fits into your routine, and helps you thrive. A healthy lifestyle isn’t about what you do some of the time; it’s about what you do most of the time. It’s not about taking things away—your favorite foods, a glass of wine, or the joys of socializing. Instead, it’s about adding nourishment into your life and building habits that leave you feeling energized, balanced, and in control.

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Thanks for joining me on this episode of the About Thyme Nutrition podcast. Let’s make this holiday season a time of joy, health, and thriving together. Until next time, stay well and stay inspired! _________________________________________________________________________

Show Downloads & Links

Download the Healthy Holidays Guide

Subscribe to About Thyme to Live Well Subscription by December 31, 2024, and receive a 20% discount on the annual or lifetime plan!

Visit www.TammyFogarty.com for more information.

Download the Mindful Eating Guide today!

 Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s reshaping the way we think about food—processed vs. ultra-processed. What’s the real difference, how do these foods affect our bodies, and most importantly, how can you choose foods that boost your energy, metabolism, and overall health?

Stick around as we break it all down, cut through the hype, and arm you with simple, practical tips to navigate the grocery store with confidence. Let’s get into it!

 Section 1: Defining Processed vs. Ultra-Processed Foods

First things first—what's the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods?

When we talk about processed foods, we’re referring to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way. This could be for preservation, flavor, texture, or convenience. Things like canned vegetables, frozen fruits, or whole-grain bread are technically processed but still retain most of their original nutritional value. Processing can involve adding salt, oil, or sugar, but the food’s core ingredients are largely intact.

On the other hand, ultra-processed foods go a big step further. These are industrially formulated foods that include ingredients we wouldn’t typically find in our kitchens—such as artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and emulsifiers. Think of sugary cereals, packaged snacks, frozen meals, and fast food. They often contain a long list of ingredients that read more like a chemistry set than food, and that’s where things get tricky for our health.

Section 2: How Ultra-Processed Foods Affect the Body

So, why should we care? Well, emerging research tells us that ultra-processed foods can have a serious impact on metabolic health. Let’s dive into the science:

Ultra-processed foods are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates while being low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This combination can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, which stress our insulin response over time.

Ultra Ultra-processed foods also disrupt our gut microbiome, the community of bacteria in our digestive tract that helps with immunity, digestion, and even mood regulation.

Research suggests that ultra-processed foods can also impact our mental well-being. For example, diets high in ultra-processed foods have been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Section 3: Practical Tips for Choosing Whole Foods

Ultra processed foods aren’t doing us any favors, let’s talk about what we can do. Here are some simple tips to help you choose whole foods that support your metabolic health:

Section 3: Key Takeaway

To wrap it up, it’s not about cutting out all processed foods—many have a place in a balanced diet. But by focusing on whole and minimally processed foods, we can support our metabolic health, improve our gut health, and even support our mental well-being. Small, gradual changes—like adding more fiber and reducing sugary drinks—can make a big difference over time.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode on processed vs. ultra-processed foods! We hope this conversation helped clarify the differences and how each type of food can impact your health. If you're looking for more personalized nutrition guidance and support, visit www.tammyfogarty.com. We offer flexible online nutrition courses you can complete at your own pace, as well as 1:1 nutrition consultations to provide you with a tailored approach to meet your health goals. Take control of your health journey with expert guidance—head over to the site to learn more!

Visit https://www.tammyfogarty.com/free-resources to download the FREE Gut Feelings Mindful Eating Journal.

Purchase my book, Limitless Health, for more detailed nutrition and lifestyle tips here: https://www.tammyfogarty.com/limitless-health

Are you tired of dieting? Have you tried several methods to lose weight but feel nothing works for you? What if I told you that you can lose weight without giving up your favorite foods?

Yes, you read that right. You can eat the foods you love and lose weight if you focus on how you eat. This strategy is called Mindful Eating and is one of the most effective strategies to promote a healthy lifestyle and weight loss.

Mindful Eating is a method that focuses on your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in the present moment. A goal of mindful eating is to slow the eating process to get in tune with how your body feels during a meal. You will learn to recognize hunger cues so that you stop eating when you are satisfied rather than eating until you are full. This technique allows you to consume the foods you love; however, it makes you aware of how much you eat and how those foods make you feel.

Once you have mastered mindful eating, you can determine what to eat, how much, and how foods make you feel. Doesn't this sound much better than following a diet restricting your favorite foods? Today's Podcast provides instructions to eat mindfully and the following three strategies to ensure that you are successful:

1. Disconnect and Connect: Learn how to disconnect from electronics and connect with your food.

2. Slow Down: Get my favorite strategy to order food at restaurants.

3. Make Intentional Choices: Ideas to prepare for situations so you don't unintentionally overeat.

Visit https://www.tammyfogarty.com/free-resources to download the FREE Gut Feelings Mindful Eating Journal.

Purchase my book, Limitless Health, for more detailed nutrition and lifestyle tips here: https://www.tammyfogarty.com/limitless-health

Do you want to master Mindful Eating? Join the Gut Feelings online course: https://www.tammyfogarty.com/follow-your-gut.

Thank you for listening. Cheers, my friend!

"I love walking into a restaurant and seeing what the chefs are cooking. One of my favorite restaurants has the kitchen smack dab in your face when you walk through the door. At certain times of the year, they make grilled artichokes. Because I see the delicious artichokes when I walk in, it is the first thing I order".

Order Limitless Health today! Your 21-day guide to achieve your health and wellness goals.

They say the first bite is with the eye, and on today’s podcast, I am on a mission to share the secrets behind the art of eating visually, but I am not talking about just any foods. I am talking about foods that will nourish your body and delight your senses.

Eating with our eyes involves a multi-sensory experience where the visual appeal of food sets the stage for the overall enjoyment of a meal. From the artful presentation on the plate to the influence of social media and cultural factors, our eyes play a significant role in how we perceive and savor what we eat.

How We Eat with Our Eyes:

We get a little help from a hormone called Ghrelin. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and triggers appetite by acting on a region in your brain known for controlling the amount of food you eat. When you see food, Ghrelin is released into the bloodstream, resulting in a spike in your appetite, signaling you to eat. Even the smell of food sends signals throughout the body that we are ready to eat as soon as we catch a glimpse, or a good whiff, of food. This is evident in restaurants because we see food all around us, but the same thing happens in your home. The foods you see will be the ones you consume. Unfortunately, what we place in the front of our refrigerators doesn’t always equate to a healthy snack or meal.

Make it Work for You:

The good news is that you have a choice of which foods you put on display. Today, your achievable action is to put the foods you would like to eat more of right in front of you.

• Plan ahead by purchasing pre-cut fruits and veggies, or

• Cut up your fruits and veggies when feeling energized, such as after the grocery store or early in the morning.

• Place the healthy foods you want to eat more in a location where you will see them. For example, a bowl of grapes on the kitchen counter, or a cup of blueberries on your desk.

• Create multiple spaces that invite you to reach for healthy foods, such as your kitchen, workspace, pantry, etc.

• Place cut-up fruit and veggies in clear containers so that you can see them.

• Place nuts and seeds in glass mason jars to remind you to add them to salads and oatmeal.

• Make the healthy foods so visually appealing that you can’t help but eat them.

• Declutter your pantry by throwing away half-eaten boxes of cereal, pasta, and cookies and replace them with healthier options such as whole grains, nuts, and nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter.

• Place the healthy options in clear containers that will entice you to grab them for an afternoon pick-me-up or when you are unsure what to make for dinner.

Get Organized:

An organized and visually pleasing pantry is the starting point for creating delicious and nutritious meals. Your new environment will motivate you to prepare a healthy dinner with the foods that you have beautifully on display.

Get inspired! It all starts by creating an attractive space that motivates you and reinforces healthy eating. You can do this for your workspace, too. These tips are fun, visually attractive, and help to prevent food waste. I can’t wait for you to get started today.

I am going to leave you with this bit of advice: A healthy snack is just as convenient as an unhealthy one. It is just as easy to grab an apple as it is to grab a cookie. It’s all about making a healthy choice in the moment.

Visit www.tammyfogarty.com for more information and details.

Order my new book, Limitless Health today! Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Get your FREE RESOURCES here!

In today’s podcast, I am going to share an important tip before you settle on any health goal. This is your time, and this is the About Thyme Podcast.

We all set goals for ourselves, but achieving them is not always easy unless you have the know-how and tools to make it happen. But I want to discuss what must be attained before we set our sights on health goals. Self-efficacy. Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over your own motivation and behavior. It means being in control of the choices you make. It means understanding your options and making informed decisions.

But, the first thing we must do is to define what being healthy means to you.

The term healthy can refer to several aspects of a person’s life. To me, healthy refers to the overall physical, mental, and spiritual wellness that fuels the body and engages the mind-body connection. As a nutritionist, I focus on the role of nutrition in wellness. But “healthy” can represent any aspect of wellness, such as physical, emotional, spiritual, or financial wellness. Making the right choices for health and well-being can be challenging, so it is important to take a moment to identify what matters, why you want to make a change, and what your end goal is.

Keep in mind how you define health will evolve and change as you move through life experiences. Everything changes, just like our bodies, and so will your definition of health. What you define today is not set in stone.

Most importantly, your health goal must be something you want to achieve. This is your life, your goal, and your self-efficacy. So, choose something that has meaning to you. In each of my podcasts, I am going to ask you to do something. Your task today is to determine what is important to you. Each of us is unique, with our custom-sized hopes and dreams and definition of well-being. Rather than letting society's standards dictate the definition of healthy or the goals we must accomplish, I want you to think and dream for yourself. Real success means staying true to yourself and connected to your vision and goals, not society’s.

To get started, list the health priorities that mean something to you. Common health goals include:

Okay, that last goal is for me. I love wine and enjoy having a glass or two with dinner at night. However, having a glass of wine every night is not the healthiest choice. But the greatest challenge we all face is letting go of what we enjoy. I enjoy making dinner and sipping on a beautiful cabernet; it relaxes me. But, as a nutritionist, I know that wine provides calories, impairs sleep, decreases motivation, and is a risk factor for cancer. Our internal struggle is doing what I enjoy vs. doing what is right. I am sure that you can relate.

However, when you know the risks associated with your behavior, you can make choices that serve you. This, my friend, is self-efficacy. It's the confidence in the ability to exert control over your own motivation and behavior. It means being in control of the choices you make. Deep down, you know how to achieve your health goals. The hardest part is to stop listening to the voice in your head that is making excuses to continue unhealthy behaviors.

But I know you are not listening to this podcast for the easy way out. You are not looking for the next fad diet or trend. You are looking to find a way to get it done. To jump off that proverbial cliff…rip off the band-aid…stop doing the things that drag you down…stop listening to the voice in your head saying, “You can’t do this.” Because you can do this. And I promise, once you get started, you will look back and realize it wasn’t so bad after all.

Now, let’s get back to that list. From the list of health goals you created, prioritize your goals. Place a number one next to the goal that means the most to you. The goal that will fulfill you and make you feel good about yourself. And remember, this is your goal and not what anyone else wants you to achieve. Oftentimes, when I work with clients, their end goal is not the goal they came to see me for. Dive deep into your soul, determine what will make you happy, and place a big ol’ number 1 next to it. Continue numbering your list based on priority.

Today, focus on the goal matters most. The next step will be how to achieve that goal. And if you need guidance, keep listening to this podcast. In addition, you can get more detailed information from my book, Limitless Health, where I provide 21 days of nutrition and lifestyle advice.

Also, check out my website, www.Tammyfogarty.com. I have a free guide for you called Define Your Goal worksheet. Use that guide to brainstorm the priorities and to identify your ultimate Health goal. It’s time to free yourself from unmet goals by making healthy choices in the moment.

Thank you for listening! But before you go, I am going to leave you with a list of what I like to call achievable actions. These are the actions that you can do today, in under 10 minutes. And we all have 10 minutes. Today’s Achievable Actions are to:

Make a list of health goals you want to achieve.

Using that list, prioritize your goals, with number one being the most important goal.

Write down that goal and place it where you can see it because you will work on achieving the goal as you continue to listen to my Podcast.

Lastly, visit Tammyfogarty.com to download the FREE Define Your Goal worksheet.

Until next time! Cheers!

www.tammyfogarty.com