Feel Lonely This Holiday Season? Don’t Fight It With A Fork!

Dr. Mitchell is co-author of Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and I’d Kill for a Cookie.
Listen to her weekly Internet Show on AM580 WDBO http://www.wdbo.com/healthcenter

Visit her websites: http://www.susanmitchell.org and http://www.fatisnotyourfate.com
 
It’s almost Thanksgiving. Have you started gearing up for the big meal? I love Thanksgiving and the celebration of food and family traditions. But some of you are feeling sad and lonely because your loved one is in the military and deployed.

Others of you are experiencing these same feelings because you’ve recently lost someone through death or a relationship has ended. These feelings of sadness and loneliness can make the holidays very stressful. It’s easy to turn to the fork and your favorite food for comfort. Instead of stress eating, what can you do to empower yourself and support someone else with a loved one in the military for whom the holiday season will be tough?

I have the opportunity to talk with Tara Crooks on my Internet Show this week. Tara is the national host of Army Wife Talk Radio, a show designed to support military families. She has been called the Oprah of the Armed Forces by Katie Couric.

Check out this helpful website  designed for military families. It has links to various blogs, forums, websites and services. If you want to send gifts to our soldiers around the world, you can do so thru many websites. One I particularly like is Treats for Troops. 

One of the points that Tara really brought home to me is that people tend to send gifts to the deployed soldiers but the families at home are often forgotten and may be alone at the holidays. Consider inviting a family or spouse to your home for Thanksgiving. When you reach out and support others, it’s great for your spirits as well and food is less like to supply your comfort.

Dr. Susan