Tips For Healthy Eating & Staying Well During The Christmas Holidays

Implementing some simple practices throughout the holidays can keep you healthy and feeling well.

#1 Get enough sleep.  This is MOST IMPORTANT ! If you can get 8 hours sleep in and get to bed between 10 and 11:00 pm, you will allow your adrenals to regenerate and hormones to balance.  This will help you to avoid over eating. Your leptin hormone will kick in to say when you've had enough, and shuts the ghrelin hormone off, so you don't continue to feel hungry and overeat. 
#2 Drink plenty of water.  Drink 8-10 cups of water/day.  If you drink a full cup of water 15 mins before a meal, it will make you feel full quicker and also helps you produce more HCI (Hydrochloric Acid) so you digest your food better, and feel satiated.  Good for bowel health too, which quite often suffers throughout the holidays.  Drinking enough water will also help detox your body, and helps get nutrients to the cells.  
#3 Start your meal, snack, or treat with a protein first.  This will help prevent insulin from spiking and then dropping, leaving you feeling tired and hungry again.  A few almonds or one or two bites of any protein is all it takes to keep your insulin balanced, and prevents over-eating. 
#4  Don't skip meals. This will only set you up to BINGE EAT!  Eat 3 well balanced meals spaced out 5-6 hours.  Make sure to get enough protein, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, cold-pressed organic flax and olive oils, avocados) and try veggie carbs (squash, sweet potato, rutabaga, parsnips) instead of grains, to avoid bloating.  Eat your fruit at the end.  Protein turns the hunger signal off, and fats keep you full longer.  Vegetables and fruits are full of fiber, so they make you feel full, and are great for blood sugar control because of their high fiber content.  
#5 Limit Sugar. It's ADDICTING...and will make you want more and more.  As well, it takes 1 tsp of processed sugar to lower your immune system for 8 hours, and leaves you feeling tired and susceptible to catching viruses.  
#6 Bake your own treats instead of buying them & use healthier ingredient options. Bake with monk fruit/erythritol sweeteners instead of sugar, and almond flour/butter recipes or gluten free flours instead of wheat.
SOME HEALTHY TREAT IDEAS -  70% or higher plain dark chocolate instead of processed chocolates* Camino chocolate doesn't have lead and cadmium, like many other brands have.  Try Cassava grain free chips, and create beautiful fruit and veggie plates, like in the above photo.
#7 Manage Stress. Avoid planning too many get-togethers. Take time to rest and enjoy doing things you don't normally have time to do. This helps adrenals heal and promotes healthy cortisol levels, which control your hunger, and inflammation.  
#8 Get moving!!! Do what you love.  Walk, snowshoe, ski, skate, short exercise videos, dance to carols:) This helps to rev the metabolism and balance hormones. 
#9 Get daylight!  Try to get outside earlier in the day to help increase serotonin levels.  This gives energy and is the happy hormone.  It converts to melatonin to help you get into deep restful healing sleep. 
10# BE GRATEFUL.  Thank God for what you have. We all have lots to be thankful for and a grateful heart sets your mind and heart on all God has done for you.
A BONUS TIP.. TAKE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES & A GOOD PROBIOTIC. This will help to digest those heavier meals, and prevent bloating and discomfort.  The probiotic also helps with digestion, but also keeps the good gut flora in check, which helps keep your immune system strong.  
DID YOU KNOW...when you overeat your insulin spikes, estrogen rises then plummets, causing hot flashes, insomnia, inflammation and weight gain too! Make sure to get enough protein to turn off the hunger signal off, and eat a smaller amount of carbohydrate.  

Check out my HEALTHY CHRISTMAS RECIPES for cakes, cupcakes,
​ring cakes, loaves and gingerbread cakes on my Recipe page.