Spending the holidays around family and friends can stir up a lot of emotions.

And when festivities also incorporate lots of indulgent foods, it can be challenging to control emotional eating.

While the holidays are portrayed as a joyous season, it may not be the case for some, noted Dr. Brian Licuanan, a board-certified clinical psychologist in California.

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“For a lot of people out there, this … part of the year is very emotionally distressing,,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“They could have had a past loss, or maybe they had a fallout in a marriage … maybe they’re navigating a medical condition.”

Holidays can be a time of loneliness for those without family, Licuanan noted, as well as a “tumultuous” period for people who struggle with substance abuse.

“Comfort eating” is one way that people tend to cope with stress, he said.

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“When stress levels increase, we [look] to soothe that,” he said.

“During the holiday season, when food is in abundance, it makes it a little bit more difficult.”

The holidays can heighten stress levels, isolation and depression for some, an expert cautioned. (iStock)

5 ways to curb emotional eating

Serena Poon, a certified celebrity nutritionist and longevity wellness expert in California, offered the following ways to rein in emotional eating during the holidays.

1. Acknowledge emotions and practice mindfulness

Recognizing the root causes of emotional cravings and practicing mindful habits can help with temptations, according to Poon.

“Suppressing emotions can lead to physical manifestations, as emotions are how our body communicates with us,” she told Fox News Digital during an interview.

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“Studies have shown that chronic stress can increase levels of cortisol, which not only amplifies cravings for sugary or comfort foods, but also impacts hormonal balance, gut health and even immunity,” Poon added.

The expert suggested trying a grounding exercise, like yoga or breath work, during times of stress.

Staying “emotionally resilient” can help support mental and physical health longevity, according to a wellness expert. (iStock)

Overindulging now and then doesn’t equate to failure, according to Poon.

“Practice self-compassion and focus on resetting at your next meal,” she advised.

“After a large holiday dinner, drink water, take a walk and plan a balanced breakfast with protein and fiber to reset your body and mindset.”

2. Set clear intentions

Being decisive about how to act at a gathering, whether socializing or eating, can help curb emotional impulses.

“For example, focus on having meaningful conversations or savoring one favorite dessert rather than sampling everything,” Poon suggested. “Setting intentions creates mindfulness and empowers decision-making.”

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For example, “If mashed potatoes are your weakness, decide beforehand that you’ll enjoy one serving guilt-free while prioritizing vegetables and protein on your plate,” she went on. 

“This approach encourages mindful indulgence and reduces guilt.”

Experts encourage people to reach first for high-protein and high-fiber options at the dinner table. (iStock)

3. Stay hydrated and slow down

Dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger, according to Poon, who recommends drinking water throughout the day to help curb “unnecessary cravings.”

“Begin your holiday dinner with a salad or vegetable soup before indulging in heavier dishes,” she suggested. “Pair it with a glass of water or herbal tea.”

As dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger, experts recommend drinking water throughout the day to help curb cravings. (iStock)

Poon also suggested pausing and taking three slow, deep breaths when cravings strike.

“If you feel drawn to the dessert table out of habit, pause and breathe deeply for a moment to assess whether it’s hunger or stress that’s motivating you,” she advised.

“Put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly, and focus on the flavors and textures of your food.”

“This simple act activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming stress and allowing for more intentional food choices.”

Getting into the habit of eating slowly and mindfully allows the body to register fullness as you enjoy your food, Poon added.

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“Put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly, and focus on the flavors and textures of your food,” she advised.

“This not only enhances your experience, but also helps to regulate appetite.”

4. Introduce non-food celebrations or healthy alternatives

The holidays don’t have to revolve around just food, Poon noted.

Instead, she encouraged exploring non-food rewards and activities like decorating, playing games, volunteering or spending quality time with loved ones.

Creating lower-calorie dishes for the holidays will lead to less guilt, experts suggest. (iStock)

Poon also suggested bringing healthier versions of traditional holiday dishes, like mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes or low-sugar sweets.

“Swapping traditional recipes for healthier options can help balance indulgence with nutrition,” she said. 

5. Prioritize sleep and self-care

Sleep deprivation can increase the hunger hormone (ghrelin) and decrease leptin, the satiety hormone, which can make cravings harder to resist, Poon mentioned.

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“Aim for quality, restorative sleep,” she suggested. “Poor sleep has been linked to increased caloric intake and cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods.”

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“By cultivating a mindful approach to eating, integrating gratitude and self-care, and addressing the root causes of emotional cravings, you can enjoy the holiday season with balance and joy.”

Emotional eating is not about perfection, the expert said, but about “creating a sustainable, compassionate relationship with your body and emotions.”

Licuanan encouraged Americans to take this time to “reconnect with people.”

“Get back to those relationships and connections that you really value,” he said.

LAS VEGAS – Scott Speed has nearly done it all when it comes to auto racing.

The Red Bull driver was one of the few American drivers to compete in Formula 1. He’s raced on ovals in NASCAR and won several championships in Rallycross.

Speed competed for Scuderia Toro Rosso 28 times between the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He was one of the last Americans to compete in F1 races before Alexander Rossi and Logan Sargeant. 

At that time, the United States Grand Prix was a fixture on the Formula 1 schedule, and it wasn’t until 2022 when the Miami Grand Prix started and, last year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

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Since 2023, the U.S. has hosted three Formula 1 races as the sport’s popularity has skyrocketed.

“It’s out of control. It’s so, so different,” Speed told Fox News Digital Friday. “Honestly, it was kind of nicer because I’m a bit of a reserved person. So, after I came back to America after my Formula 1 career was over, it was quite nice actually that no one recognized me or knew me. I could kind of just like start over from scratch. I honestly really enjoyed the anonymity.

“Now, obviously, it’s cool because there’s so many of my fellow Americans and so many of my friends and family here now that know what Formula 1 is, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you did that?’ And that’s pretty special to be able to share with them. As a fan of motor racing in general, I’m so glad that, whether it was the Netflix show or a lot of factors, it’s grown here and that’s really cool.”

Speed didn’t have the success of Mario Andretti, but getting to drive at the pinnacle of open-wheel racing is a major win.

Competing against the likes of Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa is no easy task.

“Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor racing, right? But there wasn’t really a path in America. So, it was kind of like an ambitious goal, and I was very fortunate to have an opportunity with the Red Bull America driver search to have that opportunity to move to Europe and to actually have a pathway from the Red Bull Junior Development program to actually get there.

Formula One driver Scott Speed (USA) during practice for the 2007 Grand Prix of France at Magny-Cours Motorway June 29, 2007. (GEPA pictures/ Mathias Kniepeiss via USA Today Sports)

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“My biggest memories are just how special it was to be able to maximize those opportunities and actually get there.”

Speed said one of the most difficult parts of Formula 1 was to go from winning a lot or competing in the front in the feeder series to racing hard against the best of the best. And not always finding victory lane or the podium was a “difficult thing to get used to.”

“Formula 1 is super special, and the cars are unbelievably fast. I think the most special, I mean, everybody will remember the first time they pull out of a garage in a Formula 1 car. And, for me, that was Barcelona in a V-10. So, I was also lucky to have the memory of the engines and they sounded amazing. Many great memories.”

Speed raced in NASCAR for several years before getting another opportunity to compete in another different kind of racing – Rallycross, which takes place on a closed mixed-surface circuit.

Scott Speed drives the No. 41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle during the Red Bull Global Rallycross race at Daytona International Speedway June 21, 2015, in Daytona Beach, Fla.  (Brian Cleary/Getty Images)

The Red Bull athlete won three consecutive Global Rallycross championships from 2015 to 2017 and the Americas Rallycross championship in 2018. He told Fox News Digital he wanted to give himself a challenge and race in a series outside his comfort zone.

“There’s so many options that would have been a lot easier and maybe more of a natural fit,” he said. “I really wanted to challenge myself and do something different. 

“It’s probably the decision I’m most happy about because it led me down a path of exploration and learning different ways to drive a vehicle. And I fell in love with that aspect of motor racing – away from being good at driving one type of car one way. I fell in love with, ‘Oh, this car, I need to, as a driver, do a lot of different things to optimize the vehicle.’ And I fell in love with that.

“With Rallycross after stock car racing, it was another evolution of that like, ‘OK, this requires something else,’ and I’ve just been always in love and fascinated with what it takes to try to maximize the physics of the vehicles. I’ve been lucky to have those opportunities to be able to go from all these different disciplines.”

Speed also offered advice to young drivers looking to break into the sport.

“Don’t quit,” he said. “I really believe you can have everything you want in life if you want it bad enough. It always comes down to being willing to pay the price that it costs and if you’re willing to put in the energy and time that it needs to do something. Anything’s possible.

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Scott Speed during the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., Nov. 5, 2023. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

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“I think that the most important thing is you love what you do. I was very lucky to find at a very young age that I loved racing, and I was able to pursue that and turn that into a career. But I think the love of racing is the bedrock of that because the effort and energy it takes to be successful in something as difficult as motor racing requires a lot of energy. And if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to be willing to pay that price that it takes.”

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Becoming a mother has changed the way Esther Choi looks at food, she told Fox News Digital at the opening of her new restaurant in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Choi, a chef and television star, was celebrating the opening of her new restaurant, Mokbar, located in Caesars Palace. 

“Being a mom to a 1-year-old has changed everything about how I view food,” Choi told Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of this article.)

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“I generally tend to love to cook for people, but cooking for my baby? Next level,” she said. “So much fun.”

Choi, 38, gave birth to her son, Leonardo, on Feb. 22, she announced on Instagram.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the culinary expertise of his mother, little Leonardo is being exposed to a wide variety of foods at a young age. 

“I feed him everything,” Choi said, adding that she wants “his palate to be really great and vast.” 

“That’s the type of chef I am as well,” she said, noting she cooks with an “open mind.”

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“I love all different types of food. So, cooking for my kid has been one of the best joys in life. And that’s kind of how I have always been,” she said.

As a chef, Choi said she “loves cooking for people, and my kid is no different.” 

“It’s the heart that you have as a chef – to want to cook for others.” 

Chef Esther Choi recently opened a Mokbar location at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  (Caesars Entertainment)

Choi has always been influenced by her family, even long before she became a mother herself. She told Fox News Digital that her grandmother is her “biggest inspiration,” not only as a chef but as a human being.

“She is one of those people who has really such a special impact on my life,” Choi said. “She raised me to love people. And then how you show that love was through food, for her. And I learned that from her.” 

Her grandmother cooked everything with her whole heart, Choi said — which Choi believes is the secret of why her grandmother’s food tasted so good.

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“And so that’s what I always like to keep in my mind. That’s my motto as a chef,” she said. “Cook with your heart, cook with love and think about the person who you are cooking for.” 

Mokbar’s newest location in Vegas is Choi’s fifth restaurant and the first outside the New York area. 

“Cook with your heart, cook with love and think about the person who you are cooking for.”

Choi’s other restaurants include Mokbar locations, as well as a gastropub in New York’s Lower East Side named Ms. Yoo after her grandmother. 

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Mokbar’s menu is “a twist on modern Korean food,” she told Fox News Digital, featuring “very authentic Korean flavors, but done in a modern way.”

Many of the items feature Choi’s favorite food, kimchi, she said.

Mokbar’s menu is “a twist on modern Korean food,” Choi told Fox News Digital. Many items feature her favorite food, kimchi (shown above).  (Caesars Entertainment)

“We make about five different types [of kimchi] in house, and it’s really special to me because kimchi is kind of the heart of Korean culture,” she said. 

As her other restaurants do, Mokbar’s menu has items that are either Choi’s grandmother’s recipes or are directly inspired by her cooking. 

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“The mandu, which is a Korean dumpling, is my grandmother’s recipe. As with the kimchi, as with the Korean barbecue,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“A lot of the flavors you see here are my grandmother’s recipes, and [they are] the flavors that I grew up with.” 

Fox News host Jesse Watters reacts to President-elect Donald Trump choosing Pam Bondi as his attorney general and argues the nomination process proves he’s not the dictator Democrats made him out to be. 

JESSE WATTERS: Trump said his revenge will be success, not liberal work camps. Trump got some pretty bad news this week, and he didn’t react like a dictator. The Senate wasn’t going to confirm Matt Gaetz. So did Trump thrash about and dissolve the Senate? No. He respected the check and balance and picked a new attorney general, not something Hitler would have done… 

Trump swapped out Gaetz with someone who has a much better chance of getting confirmed, former Florida AG Pam Bondi. JD Vance says attorneys general are the most important job in the government, only behind President Trump, had his eye on Bondi for awhile… Just like with every nomination, they’re going to try to dig up dirt on Bondi. But all they’ve found so far, she’s got a great resumé… You know, Bondi’s a winner because the deep state sounds awfully nervous.

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…

Trump wants to radically transform the government. It’s what he campaigned on, is what Americans voted for in 2016. His agenda got swallowed up by D.C. bureaucrats and rabid Democrats. But Politico reports, all the forces that were coming for him have been kind of defanged and obliterated. 

This time, it feels like Trump found his footing in Washington, and he has his people around him. They believe in his plan. Reporters have been covering Trump for a decade. So, after two assassination attempts, four indictments and a landslide, Trump has a “different sort of confidence and nerve.” Trump’s carrying the momentum from the election all the way to the inauguration. Then it’s time for him to execute his vision without delay. 

A Texas state lawmaker has introduced legislation to eliminate the death penalty in the state amid a high-profile death row case currently unfolding.

Democrat state Rep. John Bucy III filed the bill for the upcoming legislative session.

“I think I’ve been opposed to the death penalty my whole life as I’ve thought about its use, and should it exist in our society,” Bucy said, according to Fox 7.

“Financially, if you just want to look at it economically, we spend more money to execute than to keep someone in prison, so it’s really a lose-lose situation with a high risk stake if we get it wrong,” he continued.

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This comes after the Texas Supreme Court cleared the way last week for the state to schedule a new execution date for inmate Robert Roberson, whose initial execution was delayed last month.

Roberson is currently on death row over his conviction in which prosecutors say he killed his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, by shaking her to death, known as shaken baby syndrome. But his lawyers say Nikki actually died from other health issues such as pneumonia and that new evidence proves his innocence. His lawyers also said doctors had failed to rule out these other medical explanations for the child’s symptoms.

Roberson was scheduled to be put to death on Oct. 17 before the state Supreme Court issued a stay to delay his execution shortly before it was set to take place. 

If he is put to death, he would be the first person in the U.S. to be executed in a case based on shaken baby syndrome.

More than 80 Texas state lawmakers, as well as the detective who helped the prosecution, medical experts, parental rights groups, human rights groups, bestselling novelist John Grisham and other advocates have called for the state to grant Roberson clemency over the belief that he is innocent. A group of state lawmakers have also visited Roberson in prison to encourage him.

“I feel like I’ve gotten more engaged with this Robert Roberson case and wanted to make sure that we’re continuing this conversation about the lack of humanity tied to the death penalty,” Bucy said.

Texas lawmakers meet with Robert Roberson at a prison in Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024.  (Criminal Justice Reform Caucus via AP)

Texas has executed nearly 600 people since 1982, according to Texas Coalition to Abolish The Death Penalty executive director Kristin Houle Cuellar.

“Which is far more than any other state in the nation,” Houle Cuellar told Fox 7. “We have quite a reputation when it comes to the use of the death penalty in Texas.”

Houle Cuellar said that there have been fewer death sentences in the state in the last decade, which she partially attributes to the introduction in 2005 of life without parole.

“Prosecutors have used that discretion in opting not to seek the death penalty,” Houle Cuellar said. “Even in about 30 percent of the cases that they’ve taken to trial where they’ve sought the death penalty, jurors have rejected it.”

Houle Cuellar said that Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Bexar counties lead the state in death sentences and more than half of all Texas counties have never issued a death sentence.

Since 2007, multiple Texas lawmakers have unsuccessfully sought to abolish the death penalty. But Bucy says there is now enough momentum regarding the issue to reintroduce legislation to eliminate the practice.

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The execution bed sits empty on Death Row on April 25, 1997 at Texas Death Row in Huntsville, Texas. (Getty Images)

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“While it’s an uphill battle to end the death penalty in Texas, we’ve seen the number of executions go down,” he said. “I think sentiment is changing, and I also think as we see these specific cases come to life, and we start learning the specific stories, people are going to get more and more concerned about the possibility of getting it wrong.”

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and state Rep. Joe Moody, both Democrats, have filed similar bills to abolish the death penalty, which will need to be voted on by fellow lawmakers when the legislative session begins early next year.

In another Texas death row case, a judge found last month that Melissa Lucio was innocent in the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. Senior State District Judge Arturo Nelson recommended that Lucio’s conviction and death sentence be overturned. The judge also found that prosecutors suppressed evidence and testimony, including statements from Lucio’s other children, that could support the claim that she was not abusive and that Mariah’s death was accidental from falling down the stairs.

Fox News host Sean Hannity discusses the decline of the legacy media following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory on “Hannity.” 

SEAN HANNITY: You might not have noticed after the election, all across the country, there were many devout Democrats who were not just angry that Donald Trump won – they were also in a complete state of shock. Many were totally, completely blindsided by Donald Trump’s resounding win in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. Now, despite the disastrous last four years, the terrible approval numbers of Kamala and Joe, a wave of polls, the Democrats didn’t see it coming.  

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The legacy media didn’t see it coming. Probably because the primary source of news is legacy media. I said in 2007, journalism in America is dead. It’s been dead and buried, with a few exceptions – like Fox News, for some time. It’s become a far-left echo chamber. That is what has emerged.  

… 

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Democrats, they just have their heads in the sand. Legacy media is refusing to change course, even as their numbers decline – their influence is totally evaporated. 

Two brothers who spent decades in prison after being convicted of a 1984 murder in Washington, D.C., they say they did not commit, are seeking a presidential pardon.

Charles and Chris Turner were convicted as teenagers for the killing of Catherine Fuller in Northeast Washington, D.C. near the intersection of 8th and H Street, Fox 5 DC reported.

They have since been released and are fighting for a pardon that would help restore their rights.

“With the pardon, we get a chance to fix all that and bring a closure to this case once and for all,” Chris Turner told Fox 5 DC.

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After decades in custody for a crime which they did not commit, the brothers maintain a positive view on the future and the impact they can have moving forward, stressing that they will not allow their case to mentally hold them back.

“People get upset more that we’re not bitter,” Chris Turner said. “We think if you remain bitter, remain upset about what occurred – even though it was an atrocity and it was injustice – that you stay locked up mentally.”

The case revealed allegations of suppressed evidence, coerced testimony and investigative errors.

Seventeen people were arrested in connection with Fuller’s murder, with eight ultimately convicted, according to Fox 5 DC. The six who are still alive all maintain their innocence after collectively serving more than 200 years behind bars.

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The Turner brothers have become involved in their community and remain hopeful about their futures, although limitations in areas such as career prospects remain due to their felony records.

“We’ve actually said we might join the police force if we didn’t have this on our record … I used to want to be in the Navy. I can’t serve my country because I have a record,” Charles Turner said.

The brothers’ fight for a pardon represents a crucial step in restoring their reputation and rights lost in the convictions.

The case revealed allegations of suppressed evidence, coerced testimony and investigative errors. (iStock)

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Charles Turner said he believes a pardon would bring validation to himself and the other five convicted men, as well as to his family, friends and others who have supported him.

“It would also validate – help to validate – what they know, not what they believe, but what they know. There’s a big difference there,” he said.

Most presidential pardons have been granted between Election Day and Inauguration Day.