Ideas as to How to Reduce Stress This Season

Even though many of us have more activities to do than usual during the holidays, this extra scheduling isn't necessarily our major source of stress...what does cause our bodies to over-react is our diet.

Exchanging cookies, office parties, children's school parties and holiday dinner parties all put a tremendous stress on our adrenals and GI tract.  The primary culprit is refined sugar; I think most of us know this.  Therefore, I am including a suggested list as to how to eat about 90-95% of the time this holiday season in order to help your body reprogram itself into health.

 It's fine to eat a little sugar as long as you remember that only a few teaspoons full can repress our immune systems for up to 8 hours...the "danger" zone.  I suggest extra high quality garlic and Vitamin C taken after eating "naughty" foods will help to mitigate the danger.

Here are a few tips:

1.  Eat whole foods, as provided by nature.

2.  Eat lots of raw and fermented vegetables with every meal.  Buy the dark green, leafy lettuces, preferably organic.  Ice berg lettuce is a waste of time.

3.  Eat frequent small meals, but eat as often as you are hungry.  Large meals over burden the digestive system, so, at a holiday dinner, take small portions and, if you're hungry in another 4 hours, eat another small portion of the food you craved.

4.  Don't eat multiple simple carbohydrate foods at the same time...stuffing, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, bread, muffins, biscuits and the like really aren't "food,"  they're sugar cubes in disguise; pick one and leave the others to those who wish to become comatose after the meal.

5.  Avoid combining sugar and protein...wait a couple of hours after that protein meal to eat dessert...you're digestive system will thank you.

6.  Drink LOTS of water...but not with meals!  Drink one-half your weight in ounces throughout the day and up to a half-hour before you eat.  If you drink with your meals, you're stomach acid will be diluted and not be able to properly break down all that protein you're eating.  If you have to have wine with the meal, keep it down to no more than 4 ounces. 

7.  If you're doing the baking for the holidays, may I suggest you use coconut palm sugar instead of refined white or brown sugar.  The glycemic index of the palm sugar is 35, while the GI of white/brown sugar is 100.  Your body will thank you.

Happy Holidays to All and Happy Eating, too....
Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com