Holidays are when our eyes are turned to the table and our favorite foods are abundant.

We eat, indulge and enjoy, yet afterwards we often feel badly about it.

Are you able to let go of the food guilt this month? How did you feel after Thanksgiving last week?

This is the time of year when thankfulness and gratitude for the food, family and friends should be the focus, yet so many of us talk about feeling fat and/or guilty after indulging.

To counter the negative thoughts, incorporate a few positive affirmations this season, and use your conscious awareness to balance things out.

You’ll feel better and give yourself a break from any unchecked negativity.

Body talk

We are negative by nature. Rarely does anyone look in the mirror and say to themselves, “Wow, I love my body.”

The first thing we notice are the bags under our eyes, our sagging skin or extra fat from the previous indulgence.

In contrast, affirming something positive about a physical feature sends a message to the brain that something positive exists.

Otherwise, by continuing to affirm a negative reality brings more of the same negativity. When was the last time that you appreciated one of your features when you looked in the mirror?

Mind talk

Feeling guilty about eating indulgent food or overeating is common, but it’s counterproductive. Remind yourself often that one or two days of overeating is not going to make a difference over the long haul of your life.

Though going outside your normal eating habits a few times this season may make you feel bloated, it will not cause you to gain weight in the long-term.

Your overall eating pattern is what counts! So give yourself a mental break when you attend a few holiday gatherings.

If you’re going to more than a few parties, have a game plan. Decide, for instance, to just have one indulgence, and let the focus be the the company of the people that you are with.

Spirit talk

Holidays bring forth larger portions and bountiful tables filled with special foods. Party atmosphere often supports eating till we are stuffed.

Did you know that when we feel guilty eating something we tend to eat it quickly and don’t pay full attention to it?

This causes us to be less satisfied and eat even more!

So, if you’re going to indulge anyway, then do so mindfully and enjoy it.

Pause to inhale, chew with consciousness, feel the texture and experience the flavor of the food. Use all your senses.

Savor what you are eating while you catch up with family and friends.

Eat, drink, be conscious and be merry!

Alice Inoue is the founder of Happiness U. Visit yourhappinessu.com.