Foods to Resist to Prevent the Holiday Slump
Foods to Resist to Prevent the Holiday Slump
Holidays are around the corner for most of us. Yes, Dezember is underway and before the beast bellows in, we feel it’s excellent to cover some ground rules for our health. Healthy boundaries to have fun, but still maintain our health and keep wellness on our sides. I mean, who can afford to not feel good right now?
So let’s begin at the source of many problems (like inflammation) and also a main member of the indulgence club, yup – sugar. A fun, tasty, but sly one too – especially because sugar isn’t only invited to the sweet treats club. Sugar ends up in a lot of processed, pre-made foods, and things like pasta sauces, ketchup, bread, instant oatmeal, and peanut butter are notorious for hiding sugar. One easy rule of thumb: Avoid any food that has more than 3 grams of added sugar on the label. says Keri Glassman, RD, a celebrity nutritionist and brand ambassador for the healthy bouillon company, BOU.
Be aware of the other ways sugar is labelled on the packaging: glucose, fructose, sucrose. During the festive time, these are usually the foods that are served at parties and gatherings. Foods high in fructose, like fizzy cooldrinks, candies, commercial fruit juices, cocktail mixes and syrups. Research shows this simple sugar can become a key contributor to chronic diseases including obesity. Fructose heightens problems including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which both contribute to disease.
Next to stay away or be conscious of-and because sugar goes so well with it-is alcohol. Alcohol is another exacerbator, since 90% of alcohol is metabolized in your liver. Excessive or regular drinking has been shown to lead to an endless amount of health complications since it can severely damage your liver function by causing fat build-up, inflammation, and scarring. The liver is then unable to function adequately and perform its necessary tasks, including filtering waste and other toxins from your body. This is not including the potential for bad decisions, bad behavior and bad memory of the former listed… I’ll stop now.
Last biggie to avoid for the betterment of your health, is the “bad” fats. We know this one is challenging, because it’s the best, most crunchy goodies on the feast table. It’s the fried foods, the fast foods, the “dirty” grub that feeds the hangovers (read above, re: bad decisions).Avoiding trans fats and damaged fats, found in processed foods with “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients, deep fried foods and foods cooked in unstable oil-mostly found in fast food outlets.
Cutting out these three groups, or even becoming aware and reducing them can reduce and eliminate cellular damage and minimize chronic inflammation. Stop smoking and start cutting back on foods mentioned above that lead to an increased risk will definitely be a first step. This includes limiting: unhealthy fast foods, refined foods, processed white flour foods and certain colorants and additives, these may be dangerous on our bodies and can decrease our physical and mental energy and prevent optimal body and organ functionality. It also allows the body some space for regeneration and healing, allowing it to naturally detoxify itself.
By implementing better practices, we can invite better balance into our lives and our health. True enjoyment doesn’t have to cost you your wellbeing. When all else fails and we give in, it’s okay, remember moderation is always key, then jump back onto the wagon. Besides knowing what to eliminate, it is important to understand what we need to take in to feel good and to assist in the upkeep and upliftment of our health as well.
During the silly season, remember to:
–Stay hydrated, drink enough water-but also eat your liquid. Enjoying fresh fruits, raw veg and herbal teas will provide you with plenty of water to keep your body, skin and hair moisturized and hydrated.
–Stock up on healthy snacks. Keep nuts, chopped veggies sticks, fruit, seed crackers, peanut butter and yoghurts available in the home and at hand. This helps to prevent unnecessary cravings for quick-fix foods (sugar, carbs, fast foods) and saying yes to the things we want to avoid.
–Food prep when you have free time or make extra’s when you are cooking. This is a great way to have home-cooked, healthier meals available for when your gees to cook is on holiday too. Time to look for those container lids.
–Don’t forget to supplement with vitamins, minerals and omega-3’s. This is by far one of the best ways to hack our health after a good time, replenish what was lost and for a boost for the body. Being mindful when choosing foods that provide with the needed nutrients is the way to go, like any of our B-well Canola Mayonnaises and Pure Canola oil. These are packed with that essential omega-3 fatty acid, used by the body for optimal heart, brain and immune function.
–Use fruits, like banana, apple, berries, citrus and dates to sweeten your drinks and your food. Playing with fruit infusions in water and drinks are a great way to keep the sugars out and to beautify the end result.
–Colorful foods, eat the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. The colorful foods provide a wonderful diversity of phytonutrients and vitamins, as mentioned above. These provide the smaller functions of our body to work and operate at optimal form.
All of these pointers can be used to guide you in making better decisions. Remember that you only have one vessel for this life, just one body. How we use and treat it, how we feed and rest it all determines how well it will work for and with us. In the end, health is wealth. We wish you a happy, joyous and festive season period, may it be healthy, energized and a safe one for you all!
