Day 3: A Sweet New Holiday Tradition 🍪

The holidays are a time for joy, connection, and yes—plenty of sweet treats. But often, we find ourselves caught in patterns that leave us feeling tired, sluggish, or wishing we’d done things differently.

This year, let’s rewrite that story. 

With Old Traditions, New Healthy Ways, we’re focusing on small, meaningful choices that don’t take away from the holidays you love but help you feel better as you celebrate them.

One of the simplest shifts? Changing how you enjoy sweets. In a moment, we're going to share some shocking math that will change how you see eating treats forever.

Instead of grabbing treats on an empty stomach and riding the sugar rollercoaster, pairing them with something that supports your energy and keeps you satisfied can change everything. 

It’s a small act of care that can make a massive difference.

Here’s how—and why—it works. 👇

• It balances blood sugar. Eating sweets on an empty stomach can cause a quick spike in energy followed by a crash that leaves you craving more. Pairing slows the sugar absorption, keeping your energy more stable.
• It helps you feel full longer. Nutrient-dense foods take longer to digest, helping you avoid the cycle of snacking all day.
• It supports mindful indulgence. Adding a pairing encourages intention and balance, making the treat more satisfying and less likely to lead to overeating.

Why Pairing Sweets Works for Your Long-term Health

Here’s how pairing sweets with nutrient-dense foods impacts your overall intake, supports balanced blood sugar, promotes weight management instead of gain, and improves metabolic health over time.

Let’s break it down with three real-life examples and show you the math:

1️⃣ Sweets on an empty stomach—where the sugar spike leaves you hungry for more.
2️⃣ Mindful pairing—where adding nutrient-dense foods keeps you satisfied longer.
3️⃣ The “forbidden fruit” mindset—where guilt can lead to overeating sweets.

Person 1: Sweets on an Empty Stomach

• Initial Snack:
  2 cookies: 160 calories
• Blood Sugar Crash Leads to Hunger and More Snacks:
  Additional snacks: 1 large handful of chips (150 calories) + 1 candy bar (250 calories)
• Total Calories Consumed: 560 calories

Person 2: Mindful Pairing

• Initial Snack:
  2 cookies (160 calories) + 1 oz of almonds (160 calories)
• Result:
  Stabilized blood sugar, no additional snacking.
• Total Calories Consumed: 320 calories

Person 3: “Forbidden Fruit” Mindset

• Initial Snack:
  2 cookies: 160 calories
• Guilt + Overindulgence + "I Wrecked It" Leads to Binge:
  4 more cookies (320 calories) + 1 candy bar (250 calories) + ice cream (300 calories)
• Total Calories Consumed: 1,030 calories

It's crazy how wildly different these approaches end up being!

Takeaway: Pairing sweets with nutrient-dense foods like protein and healthy fats helps you enjoy your treats while staying satisfied and avoiding overeating.

Still Doubtful? Here’s Why This Small Shift Matters

Objection 1: “I’ll eat more calories if I pair sweets with something else!”

• Response: Pairing keeps you satisfied longer, helping you avoid the extra snacking that often happens after a blood sugar crash. Therefore you will eat less calories overall as shown in the real-life examples above.

Objection 2: “I don’t trust myself to stop after one treat.”

• Response: Pairing sweets with nutrient-dense foods helps stabilize your energy, keeping you from the quick sugar highs and lows that often drive the urge to keep reaching for more. When your energy is steady, your mindset becomes clearer, and the “what the hell” effect—where you feel like you’ve already “blown it” so you might as well keep eating—loses its grip.

  Reframe to Try:
  Instead of thinking, “I’ll never stop at just one,” remind yourself:

  • “This isn’t about stopping—it’s about savoring.”
  • “Pairing this treat is an act of care, not restriction.”
  • “One balanced choice makes the next one easier.”

  By focusing on how you’ll feel after eating—satisfied and steady—you can shift from a place of doubt to one of confidence, breaking the cycle of guilt and overindulgence. Pairing becomes a way to enjoy the holiday treats you love without feeling out of control.

Objection 3: “I don’t have time to think about this.”

• Response: Pairing is simple and doesn’t require much extra effort. Keep easy options like nuts, cheese, or hard-boiled eggs on hand to grab alongside your treat. These small steps take just a moment but can make all the difference in how you feel after indulging.

  Reframe to Try:
  If you find yourself without nutrient-dense options, ask:

  • “Why didn’t I set myself up for success?”
  • “Am I prioritizing my care in this moment?”
  • “What can I do next time to make this easier?”

  The truth is, care takes a little preparation—but it’s worth it. Stocking simple, nutrient-dense foods doesn’t take much time and ensures you’re not left in situations where you feel out of control. A small effort now can prevent a bigger challenge later.

  Pairing isn’t about adding stress; it’s about creating ease and setting yourself up for choices that support your health and energy—especially during the busy holiday season. It's shocking how much this can lower anxiety and fatigue to keep you enjoying your favorite events and traditions!

10 Easy and Simple Nutrient-Dense Pairings

1. Sugar cookie + handful of almonds
2. Chocolate truffle + baby carrots
3. Gingerbread cookie + 1-2 hard-boiled eggs
4. White chocolate brownie + a handful of walnuts
5. Piece of peppermint bark + celery sticks with almond butter
6. Holiday fudge + roasted chickpeas (store-bought)
7. Small slice of pie + 2 hard-boiled eggs
8. Rice crispy treat + a handful of pistachios
9. Candy cane + 3 slices of deli turkey
10. Cupcake + baby carrots with single-serve hummus

Ready to Try It?

This holiday season, make your sweet traditions even sweeter by pairing them with something that supports your energy and well-being. Start small: next time you grab a cookie, ask yourself, What could I pair this with to feel even better?

You’ve got this. With one act of care at a time, you can change everything.

Be well,

Jennifer and Heather 

P.S. Forward this email to a friend who could use a little sweetness and balance this holiday season!