Starbucks sells about 20 million pumpkin spice lattes every year, with the grande size delivering more than 50 grams of added sugar, 14 grams of fat, and microbiome-damaging preservatives.

And that's just one of the ultra-processed temptations that abound when the holiday season ramps up.

Sugary candies, flavored chips, packaged desserts, egg nogs, and marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes are staples for many seasonal get-togethers and family dinners. And it can be hard to stop yourself from diving in, even if you know it's not good for you.

Here's one possible reason you're overdoing foods that are downright harmful. A new study looked at the brain scans of almost 3,000 people and found an association between eating ultra-processed foods and measurable changes in brain structure that are tied to addictive eating patterns and overeating.

To help protect yourself, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests you never skip a meal so that you can feast later, that you limit alcohol intake (there goes your willpower), and that you avoid sugary mixed drinks. And at holiday meals, fill half your plate with vegetables and eat slowly.

I say embrace the joy of cooking — and eating — tasty, healthy foods. There are many healthy celebratory recipes in my book, "The What to Eat When Cookbook," including dips such as Minted Tahini and Smokin' Baba Kalamata; side dishes like Butternut Squash Dumplings and Roasted Jalapeno, Bean & Broccoli Salad; entrees including Wild Sockeye Salmon en Papillote and Ultimate Chicken Meatballs; and desserts such as No-Bake Cocoa & Apricot Nut Bars and heavenly Good & Fudgy Cupcakes.