It’s that time of the year when we gather around tables with friends, family and loved ones to celebrate Christmas and New Years. Depending on the culture you’re coming from this may differ, but it’s likely things revolve around food. I’m writing to you today from Spain where I’m spending Christmas with my family, and I have a feeling there will be once again a lot of food. That’s why I’d like to share with you my Holiday Survival Guide.
We associate a lot of emotion with eating and have memories build up over the years with every meal and holiday we’ve had.
There’s no secret that food suppresses emotions and we use it as currency, but it also strengthens bonds and connections. It’s a part of every culture.
Whatever your food choices compared to your family, I always say, if you want something, then have it.
If you’re dreaming of that special recipe your mom or friend is making for Xmas, but feel guilty to have it, while your mouth is drooling at the simple thought, ask yourself why is there a restriction in the first place? Food shouldn’t be used as a blackmail. Restrictions never work.
Mindfulness and awareness do. You are in the driver seat. You know what’s good for your body and what not, and you’re the only decision maker here.
Thus, I won’t tell you what to eat or not this Christmas, I’m sure it will be yummy, but I’ll share with you 4 strategies to help you get you through the season without the typical digestive overload.
1. Start your day with a repairing tonic – no matter what.
Make it a non-negotiable policy for your to begin your day with liquid energy even after a night of partying and boozing. It will make a difference in between an amazing day and a lousy one. You’ll find my favourite pick up and repair recipe below.
-1 knob fresh turmeric or a tea spoon turmeric powder
-1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled
-1/2 lemon, skin removed
-2 dates
2 cups luke warm water
-1/2 teaspoon coconut oil – this will also keep it from separating since there’s no soluble fiber in there.
Add these to a blender and pulse slowly so that the lid doesn’t fall and sunny splashes your kitchen walls.
Blend to consistency. If your blender doesn’t make everything smooth, use a sieve to separate the bits from the liquid.
2. Have a green drink.
Whether it’s a green juice, a green smoothie or a green powder mix ( I love UDO’S BEYOND GREENS) with water – one of these a day will alkalise you and balance what’s going to happen for the rest of the day. During the holidays find myself opting for a juice rather than a smoothie because of the lack of fiber. If you don’t have a juicer but a blender, you can still make a juice with it.
HOW TO
You need a blender and a nut milk bag/cheese cloth.
First blend your greens – chard/ spinach/ kale with 1/2 lemon and ginger and with a little bit of water.
Secondly, pass it through the nut milk bag squeezing all the juice over a bowl.
Transfer to a glass or jar and enjoy straight away.
3. Find a probiotic supplement.
Even better if you can, have fermented foods with your meals. In Romania, for example, it’s common for the Christmas meal to include sauerkraut next to it or fermented cucumbers which is fantastic. My favourite part! However, if including fermented foods is not part of your culture or not possible at the time, probiotics are a great way to support the healthy gut flora which may become unbalanced due to the increased consumption of cooked foods, heavy foods and alcohol. There’s a lot of research coming our lately around the effects of a healthy vs unbalanced intestinal flora and the results are staggering. I believe the medicine of the future is in figuring out the microbial universe that lays within us. As for probiotics, most health food stores have them, as well as pharmacies. Make sure they don’t contain Soy or Corn Syrup, plus artificial sweeteners and E’s(always read the label! I went through 9 brands last time in a pharmacy until I found this one that I was happy with). A good probiotic should have only the specific cultures and the vegetable capsule listed as ingredients.
4. Eat less and chew more.
Or the other way around. Chewing your food ensures that you’re taking the time to allow the brain to get the “I’m full signal”(around 20min) and also makes it easier for the stomach to digest, since chewing mixes the food with saliva and stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes.
Even better, you can enjoy the conversations around the dinner table and share stories from the year that just passed.
By chewing your food properly you’ll end up eating less as well, which overall will only benefit your health and weight.
And last but not least, enjoy these moments. Holidays shouldn’t revolve solely around food, after all, so don’t let it stop you from having a peaceful, beautiful moment with your loved ones, wherever you are.
I wish you a very berry Christmas and a rawsome, healthy New Year!
Lots of love,
Denisa xxo
