Enjoy the Holidays (the Healthy Way)

Five tips for making it through the holiday season without feeling bloated and over stuffed!

As humans, we need 4 things: Food, Water, Movement, and Connection.

Make this time of year about CONNECTION with your loved ones! Focus on the memories and time you get to spend with friends and family that you might not get to see all the time. Spend that extra 10 mins at the table listening to your Grandma’s or Grandpa’s stories! Catch up with your cousins! Play with your little nieces and nephews! Soak it all up!

Ok, now back to food…

Let’s be honest, even with our best intentions, sometimes, ok a lot of times we overeat during this holiday season. When that happens, we need to be nice and give our guts some help.

Optimize your digestion!

  • Take digestive enzymes. These are extra “worker bees” that break down our food into smaller pieces. These enzymes are great for bloating, increasing nutrient digestion, absorption of vitamins and minerals, and promoting healthy gut bacteria.
  • Have some HCl (supplemental stomach acid) on hand. This is a great digestive boost for those big meals. **Pro Tip: Have HCl + Digestive Enzymes on hand for emergencies! If you get the early warning signs of food poisoning. These will help your body kill those bad bugs you accidentally ingested. * Ideally followed by a good probiotic at the next meal.
  • Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: Take a shot glass add 1/2 – 1 Tb of ACV, fill the rest of the shot glass with water. If too strong dilute to taste (Make sure to get ‘raw’ ACV for an extra probiotic boost). This “old wives’ tale” is great for regulating an upset gut, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, etc.
  • Take an 8 oz glass of room temperature water and add a squeeze or slice of organic lemon upon rising or 15-30 mins before a meal. This will help stimulate digestion and a proper acidity in the stomach to help break down your food.

Take those recipes back to your ROOTS! Think basic WHOLE food ingredients!

  • The main: Enjoy organic free-range poultry, or organic pasture-raised pork and beef.
  • Marinades: check the ingredients, avoid sugar, check out Tessemae’s dressings & marinades. They are delicious and made of high-quality, whole-food ingredients.
  • Mashed potatoes: Mash boiled potatoes, add 1-2 Tbs of organic grass-fed butter, S&P, and spices (optional – Almond or coconut milk for extra ‘creaminess’).
  • Brussel sprouts cooked with bacon: (Bet you didn’t expect that tip from your nutrition advisor! – just make sure it is good quality bacon.)
  • Cranberry sauce: make it from scratch! Cook the cranberries down over medium heat, add maple syrup or honey as a sweetener to taste instead of corn syrup or sugar.
  • Pumpkin pie: Buy a gluten-free crust and swap the sweetener in your old recipes for coconut sugar, stevia, maple syrup, or honey.
  • *Stay tuned for a FULL Christmas Menu with healthy swaps to keep you feeling good this holiday season!

Stay ACTIVE!

  • Sign up for a fun family race like a Reindeer Run or other 5K. If you plan these fun events you are more likely to keep to your preparation schedule.
  • Don’t wait until January 1st! Start building those exercise habits now! Even if it is only 1 day a week or a 20-30 min homework in the morning it will make a difference!
  • Go for a walk after dinner with the family.

Portion control

  • Extend your overnight fast a little longer in the morning in preparation for that big family meal later.
  • Use a reasonably sized plate. The bigger the platter the more likely you are to load it up! Grab a medium-size bowl or plate to keep portions in check. You can always go back for seconds if you are truly still hungry.
  • Take a little bit of everything and see what you really want – get seconds of just that.
  • CHEW YOUR FOOD! Put your fork down! Chew some more. Talk with your family over dinner, share stories, etc. Then keep chewing. “Chew your liquids, drink your solids”. Chew your solid foods until they are liquids, so your body can prepare to digest the food properly.

Stay hydrated – between meals

  • Water is great, but we don’t want to dilute that good stomach acid trying to do its job of breaking down your food. So, try to drink most of your water between meals when possible.

Looking for new recipes to try? Use the search term “paleo” + recipe name. This cuts out dairy, gluten, traditional sugar, many common allergens.  I am not saying “paleo” cookies are a “health food”… I am saying they will likely not contain the ingredients just mentioned that will make you feel sick. So still keep portions in mind.

Happy Holidays!

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