Pause. Indulge. Reset.

Pause. Indulge. Reset - a softer way to end the year around the table

The Christmas holidays are over. You can still find pieces of wrapping paper around the house and gingerbread crumbs under the table.

The kids (at least ours) are still in party mode. You are probably somewhere between “I should eat a salad” and “Wait, is there still some chocolate truffle leftover?”

A few years ago, I lived in Belgium and everyone in my family had NEUHAUS chocolate truffles under the Christmas tree 😂 I didn’t make anyone’s life easier. This year we had many variations of the french "buche de Noel" made by the talented Bassim Jubran, owner of the patisserie "Gentina" in Toulouse.

As we are catching our breath post-holidays, the pressure to “start fresh” in the new year knocks on the door:

🔶 New year.
🔶 New goals.
🔶 Less sugar.
🔶 More vegetables.
🔶 Be better.
🔶 Feel lighter.
🔶 Fix everything.

But maybe before we jump into the resolutions and routines, what we actually need is this:

A pause.

A deep, guilt-free indulgence.

And then… a gentle reset.

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🧠 What a Milkshake Can Teach Us About Food and Indulgence

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Last week, as I was folding laundry and packing our bags for the holiday, I listened to Mel Robbins’ podcast with psychologist Dr. Alia Crum.

If I have one recommendation for the end of this year: listen to it!

If you can, go for the whole 1h30. If you can’t, go to minute 50 where they speak about transforming your relationship with food through indulgence.

In the podcast, they discuss a few times Dr. Crum’s milkshake study - it’s called “Mind Over Milkshakes.”

She gave people the same exact milkshake twice. But each time, she told them a different story:

• First time: “This is a low-calorie, healthy shake.”
• Second time: “This is a rich, indulgent dessert shake.”

Guess what? The participants’ bodies responded completely differently based only on what they believed.

After the “indulgent” shake, their hunger hormone (ghrelin) dropped significantly, their bodies said, “Ahh, we are full.”

But after the “healthy” one? Not so much. Same shake. Different story. Different experience.

It proves something we often forget as parents:

The way we think about food can change how we feel and how our bodies respond.

So here are five small mindset shifts inspired by this research to help you end the year with more calm, joy, and satisfaction (even if there’s still glitter on the floor and someone’s crying over peas).

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5️⃣ Five Mindset Shifts to Nourish Your Body and Mind

1) Satisfaction is not a luxury - it’s essential

When we eat and still feel “not quite full,” it’s not always about the calories. Sometimes it’s because our mind didn’t register satisfaction.

🔶 Try this:

Use words like “cozy,” “comforting,” “creamy” when you talk about meals — even the lentil soup.

Let your brain and body know it’s enough.

2) Guilt confuses your appetite

If we call food “bad” or say “I shouldn’t,” our nervous system stays activated and our body never feels truly satisfied.

🔶 Try this: Instead of “I’m eating unhealthy,” say: “I am enjoying this” or “This is part of my life.”

That permission helps your body relax into fullness.

3) Healthy food deserves indulgent language too

Broccoli isn’t exciting? Maybe it’s not the broccoli — but maybe it’s the story.

🔶 Try this at dinner: “This is warm and crunchy and good for our bellies.”

Turn nourishment into pleasure, not performance.

4) Expectation is a powerful ingredient

What we say to ourselves before eating matters. In the study, the milkshake label changed the whole experience.

🔶 Try this simple line before a meal: “This food will fill me. It’s enough.”

One sentence. That’s it. But it makes a difference.

5) Indulgence works best when it’s intentional

You know that guilty, fast, standing-in-the-kitchen snack? That’s not indulgence — that is stress.

🔶 Try this:

Sit down.
Take two slow bites.
Tell your brain: “This is delicious. I chose this.”

Dr. Crum’s research shows when we believe food is indulgent, our body responds with satisfaction. So don’t rush it. Don’t hide it. Enjoy it.

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✨ Let This Be the Reset

As the year turns, maybe we don’t need to “cleanse” everything.

Maybe we need to clear a little space at the table.

To eat with more curiosity.

To speak more kindly - to our kids and to ourselves.

To believe that food can be both nourishing and joyful.

And to know this: The goal is not perfect eating.

The goal is feeling nourished - in body, in mind, in family.

So here’s to soft landings, full plates and mindset shifts that feel like exhaling.

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Wishing you a calm, messy, deeply satisfying start to the new year,

‍Stephanie