What Santa Can Teach Us About Food Freedom: Let Cookies Be Cookies 🍪

jackiehptla
16 minutes ago
4 min read

Every holiday season, something quietly magical happens around food.

Cookies are baked with family.

Sweets sit openly on kitchen counters.

Kids leave treats out for Santa without measuring portions, tracking macros, or feeling guilty.

For a brief moment, food becomes neutral again.

No “earning it.”

No compensation workouts.

No promises to “be good” tomorrow.

Just food… being food.

As an anti-diet dietitian, I see this contrast clearly every year. The holidays remind us what food freedom and intuitive eating actually looked like before diet culture tries to take over again in January.

And honestly? Santa might be the best example of a healthy relationship with food we have.

Cookies Were Never the Problem

Let’s get one thing straight from a medical and physiological perspective:

A cookie is not harmful.

Eating sugar in moderation does not:

Permanently spike your blood sugar
Instantly turn into body fat
Damage your metabolism
Undo your overall nutritional habits

Your body is designed to handle carbohydrates.

When you eat carbs (like cookies), they’re broken down into glucose. Insulin then helps transport that glucose into your cells to be used for energy. This is called normal blood sugar regulation, not a metabolic failure.

Also, cookies paired with a balanced meal containing protein, healthy fats and fiber rich vegetables will result in even more balanced blood sugars.

So medically speaking, cookies aren’t the issue.

The real issue is food guilt and excessive intake.

How Diet Culture Destroys a Healthy Relationship With Food

Diet culture taught us to moralize food.

Cookies became:

“Bad food”
“Cheat food”
“Only allowed if earned”
“Something to compensate for later”

This mindset fuels the restriction and binge cycle, which is well-documented in nutrition and psychology research.

When foods are restricted:

Cravings increase
Obsession intensifies
Overeating becomes more likely
Guilt triggers stress responses

Research shows that food guilt raises cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. Elevated cortisol negatively impacts:

Digestion
Gut–brain communication
Blood sugar stability
Hunger and fullness hormones like leptin and ghrelin

So when you eat a cookie while feeling anxious or ashamed, your digestion actually suffers.

That’s not a willpower issue.That’s physiology.

Intuitive Eating in Action: Why Santa Doesn’t Overeat

Here’s something interesting to notice.

Santa doesn’t eat every cookie. He doesn’t lose control. He doesn’t come back for more.

Why?

Because there’s no scarcity.

This is a core principle of intuitive eating. When foods are allowed consistently and without judgment:

Cravings normalize
Portions self-regulate
Satisfaction increases
Obsession fades

Restriction, not access is what drives overeating.

Studies on intuitive eating consistently show improved:

Metabolic health
Emotional eating patterns
Body trust
Long-term eating behaviors

When cookies are no longer forbidden, your body knows when enough is enough.

Family Traditions, Nervous System Health & Digestion

Food is not just nutrients.It’s context.

Eating in safe, joyful environments — like family gatherings and holiday traditions activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as “rest and digest.”

This improves:

Digestive enzyme release
Gut motility
Nutrient absorption
Satiety signaling

Research shows people who eat meals with others tend to have:

Better overall diet quality
Less emotional eating
Healthier relationships with food

That cookie eaten while laughing with family is metabolized very differently than the one eaten alone with guilt. This is the gut–brain connection in real life.

Why Compensation Workouts Backfire

One of the most damaging diet culture beliefs is that food must be “paid for” with exercise.

Movement is not punishment.Exercise is not moral currency.Your body does not need discipline for eating.

Compensatory behaviors are associated with:

Disordered eating patterns
Increased injury risk
Poor exercise consistency
Negative body image

Movement supports health when it’s about:

Strength
Mobility
Stress relief
Joy

Not erasing food.

Santa doesn’t wake up doing burpees because of cookies and neither should you.

Let Cookies Be Cookies And Food Be Food

Food freedom doesn’t mean eating cookies all day.It means trusting your body to guide your choices.

It looks like:

Eating a cookie because you want one
Enjoying it without mental math
Feeling satisfied
Moving on without guilt

Ironically, this is what leads to more balance, not less.

When food loses its power, your body finds its rhythm.

That’s what intuitive eating is really about.

FAQs

Is intuitive eating healthy?

Yes. Intuitive eating is an evidence-based approach linked to improved metabolic health, better cholesterol levels, reduced stress, and a healthier relationship with food.

Will intuitive eating cause weight gain?

Some people experience temporary changes as the body heals from restriction. Long-term, intuitive eating supports weight stability by regulating hunger hormones and reducing binge–restrict cycles.

What about insulin resistance and blood sugar?

Balanced meals, regular eating, stress regulation, and adequate carbs actually improve insulin sensitivity. Chronic restriction and high cortisol worsen blood sugar control.

Can I practice food freedom with PCOS, IBS, or hormone issues?

Absolutely. Restrictive dieting often worsens these conditions. A non-restrictive, individualized nutrition approach supports hormone balance and gut health more effectively.

How do I stop feeling guilty about food?

Start by removing moral labels, eating regularly, and understanding that food is not a test of discipline. Healing your relationship with food is a physiological process, not just a mindset shift.