5 Eating Tips During the Holidays

When the holidays roll around just getting along with family, for some, is enough, but pile on the unhealthy food and that stress meter can go through the roof. That’s right, your stress meter can be affected by high amounts of sugar, salt, fat and a whole slew of other non-food foods.

Don’t get crazed by the holidays, zapped of energy, or worse, gain weight. This year try these 5 eating tips during the holidays so you can enjoy the festivities without taxing your body.

Pre-Game

Before you saunter off to that holiday party you may want to try a preemptive strike. To prevent unhealthy grazing, simply eat a piece or two of fruit (bananas last, they’re slower to digest) as this could help create a feeling of fullness while decreasing cravings for sweet desserts and sluggish carbohydrates at the same time.

No fruit, no problem, drinking a few glasses of water can also be effective in helping you manage yourself.

You’ll feel much better only tasting some foods rather than overindulging and feeling sick.

Don’t Leave Home Without It

Digestive enzymes are a natural aspirin for your stomach. They have been shown to assist the breakdown of foods so efficiently that some people report less digestive difficulty, less gas and a reduction of acid reflux.

These are the three major digestive enzymes that work like a powerhouse (so you don’t have to) when it comes to digesting your food.

• Protease – proteins
• Lipase – fats
• Amylase – carbohydrates

Other digestive assisting ingredients may include herbal remedies such as fennel, peppermint and ginger.

Keep a handful of digestive enzymes nearby at all times because one wrong eating move can quickly be brought under control before it bubbles up on you.

Go Biome

If the ravages of processed food make it through your stomach, chances are your gut may take a hard hit.

Poor eating during the holidays could create such gastrointestinal distress you may experience symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, skin outbreaks, and continued malaise. Sometimes this is the result of your gut micro-biome, ground zero for your immune system, being out of balance.

Yeast buildup from excessive sugar consumption contributes to bad bacteria which can overwhelm the sensitive microorganism community. To reverse this, try taking a probiotic supplement. Like enzymes, these consist of various combinations of good bacteria strains that if taken on an empty stomach, they find their way into your gut to restore balance.

According to a 2010 Columbia University study on probiotics, published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology,

“Ingested probiotics are thought to alter deranged bowel flora or to change patients’ tolerance to their own commensal flora and thus play a role in the pathogenesis of many GI disorders. ”

Coconut Cures

It is well known that coconut oil is a superfood worth its weight and keeping it within reach during the holidays may be a good move. Cook with it; use it in place of butter on bread, potatoes, etc; or even add it to your morning java for a healthy kick.

Natural News reports that,

“…coconut oil provides you and your family with medium-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to be highly effective antibacterial (antibiotic), antiviral, and anti-fungal agents.”

Practice Forgiveness…for you

Holidays often bring things like yule log cheese rolls, icing covered gingerbread houses, and so many boxes of chocolate treats you can’t help but try one or two or three. Before you know it you’re eating way too much, too many times, at too many gatherings (or by yourself, secretly gorging on the office gift basket).

When you realize your ‘mis-grabs’ and know you’re going to regret it, you get to deal with it two different ways.

• Throw up your hands and dive in because, “oh well, it’s the holidays”.
• Stop, forgive yourself and get back to better choices.

Real Simple cites a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology which stated that,

“…people who had an attitude of forgiveness and self-compassion after one high-calorie setback were less likely to give up and keep bingeing. So if you lose control with a dish of chocolate truffles, don’t think, “I’ve blown it. Might as well move on to the eggnog”. Just forgive yourself for the truffles.”

Try these 5 eating tips during the holidays for a stress-free, happy glide through it all.