EVEN if your diet epitomizes health for the rest of the year, the goodies and traditions of the Christmas season can be enough to tempt even the most disciplined foodie.
Since this is officially the first weekend of the holiday season, are you starting to break your healthy habits for the rest of the year? Feeling the need to reach for more sugary treats than usual to fuel the festive shopping rush?
From now until Christmas we seem to have a free license to start our day with a chocolate hit from the advent calendar, simply drink a little treasure from a can with our morning coffee or nibble our way through a whole box of mince pies in between zoom -Classes while working from home.
Before we know it, we are on the sugar roller coaster, want more and more sweet treats and feel the festive tiredness.
When we eat sugary stuff, a whole cascade of events happens in our bodies. After a glass of mulled wine, a handful of Quality Street or any other piece of gingerbread, our blood sugar levels spike, causing our pancreas to kick in with a surge of insulin to correct our balance and bring our sugar levels back down to even keel .
Insulin draws sugar into our cells and stores it as fat. All of this biochemistry causes blood sugar levels to drop, making us feel tired, crab-like, and crabby, not to mention the accompanying headaches, sleep disorders, and stress that the effects of a high-sugar diet can cause.
I’m not a Christmas scrooge, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t eat sweets or cut sugar completely from your diet, but just a little extra care what you are chewing will really make a world of difference in how you feel.
Plan ahead and think about what you might have around the house if you’re tempted to graze the snacks you’ve been secretly keeping for Santa and his reindeer.
So next time you’re at the grocery store, add some healthier goodies to your shopping cart. Here are a few ideas you might like:
- 70-85 percent dark chocolate
- Nuts and seeds
- Small oranges
- Olives
- Vegetable chips (made from beetroot, carrot, parsnip)
- Dates and figs
- Oatmeal and cheese
- Houmous, guacamole and healthy dips with raw food sticks
If you are planning to hit the stores or online stores for a holiday weekend shopping, you will collapse into a chrimbo pile later in the day when you are stocking up on sugar.
So here are some easy ways to keep yourself well looked after and energized without embarrassing your tinsel:
- Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast. Add a handful of walnuts and a spoon or flaxseed to your jumbo porridge oats or have eggs for breakfast. The protein hit keeps your blood sugar level constant and keeps you in good shape until the end of your Christmas shopping list.
- Keep yourself well hydrated. Dehydration leaves you feeling fuzzy and demotivated. Bring a bottle of water and have a sip between shops.
- Put a sustainable snack in your shopping bag. A packet or trail mix, a few nuts, or a banana will keep you going.
- When you stop for a cup of coffee, how about a cup of green tea at your favorite coffee shop to add a little antioxidant kick to your day.
- When you get home, put the kettle on and make yourself a brew. Herbal teas like cinnamon, ginger, or lemon can help freshen up and recharge your batteries after a busy day in the shops.
