It happens to all of us; we are trying to eat what is right for our bodies and we are doing better and better all the time and then, bam, along comes another birthday, holiday or social event riddled with every food we are trying to avoid.  Why is it that when we gather as a group some of the least healthy food show up as option? How to handle these situations in a healthy manor depends on your biotype, personality and your motivations in general.

Most people fall into three main personality groups:

1. A large number of people are extraverted and they view social gatherings as a time of connecting with everyone through food, drink and laughter. This group generally loves people, enjoys interacting in a group and wants everyone to have a good time. If you fall into this group then it may feel anti-social to not eat what everyone else is eating. This group also generally has a harder time with disciplined around food. Although they can be very determined and disciplined when they want to, they can also easily have one habit, such as dessert, that they just can’t seem to break. If you fall into this category then one way to participate and eat the best you can at an event is to fill your plate with the healthier choices available and take small portions or skip foods that are less healthy.
2. Another group of people are generally more logical about their food and more easily disciplined. This group has a tendency to be more introverted, which mean that the food is more personal and not about what others are eating. They often will opt for one-on-one conversations or listening more than talking. They are fine to eat something different than the crowd, but many of them don’t enjoy the preparing of food so instead a bringing a healthy dish they will opt to eat small amounts of what is available and enjoy a larger portion of something healthier later in the day. Their rational mind decides that a small amount won’t hurt them.
3. A third group of people are in between; partly introverted and sometimes extraverted. For them disciplined requires a lot of motivation and logic. If they are very motivated to eat well, this group might bringing a healthy dish they enjoy as one option or they might skip the food altogether and enjoy more intimate chats rather than large group conversations, and occasionally they might be the center of attention.

The next time you find yourself trying to eat healthily at a holiday event, try using one of the tactics above that might work best with your personality. If family events, company parties and holidays were only a once a year event, then it wouldn’t be as necessary. But hopefully you are blessed with many special occasions of celebrations that offer much more than just temping foods. For a list of your specific food that are best for your body, visit http://www.ph360.me/and take the health assessment.