Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

 

Any way you slice it, the holidays can be tough when it comes to sticking with healthy eating. So how can you enjoy Thanksgiving (and Christmas and New Year’s) and still stay on track?

Part of the problem is that additional stress around the holidays can make your sugar cravings increase, and you don’t have the bandwidth to fight them like you do during other times of the year.

Stress and Sugar Cravings

Stress can contribute to increased sugar cravings through a combination of physiological and psychological factors. Here are some reasons why stress may lead you to give in to sugary foods around the holidays:

Cortisol Release:

Stress triggers the release of cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone.” Cortisol can increase appetite and specifically lead to cravings for foods high in sugar and fat. What’s worse, the cortisol on its own will increase fat storage as the body is in a “survival mode”. When the body is flipped into survival mode, it will lower the metabolism to conserve energy, lower ATP and cellular energy, and increase oxidative stress. So not only are you feeling “stressed” from the holidays, but your body is shutting down its caloric burn, and aging at an accelerated rate independent of the sugary foods you may be eating. When you add in sugary foods, it exponentially increases the degradation of your energy, caloric burn, “perceived” stress, inflammation, and lowered immune system.

Brain Chemistry:

Stress influences the brain’s neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, which is related to mood and reward. Sugary foods can prompt the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation regulation. This creates a temporary sense of comfort and relief from stress. What makes sugar so difficult to abstain from is that three separate dopamine pathways to the brain encourage sugar cravings, whereas there is only one pathway for most drugs. So, it is hard to stop once you start eating the holiday “treats” you normally don’t.

Regulating Blood Sugar Levels:

Stress can affect blood sugar levels. When stressed, the body may release more glucose into the bloodstream to provide a quick source of energy for the “fight or flight” response. After the stressor has passed, insulin helps bring blood sugar levels down which will induce cravings for sugar to bring it back up. Not only will this blood sugar roller coaster lead to unexplained fat gain in the body, but it also can trigger cravings for sugary foods to replenish energy.

Emotional Coping Mechanism:

Many people turn to comfort foods, often high in sugar, as a way to cope with stress or emotional challenges. So, as the holidays are a season of heightened stress and one with more sweets than normal, it is hard to abstain from eating them, and the act of eating these foods may provide a temporary distraction and a sense of pleasure or comfort.

Habitual Responses:

Over time, you may develop habits of reaching for sugary foods during stressful situations. This behavioral pattern can become ingrained, leading to automatic sugar cravings when stress arises.

Brain-Gut Connection:

Stress can impact the gut-brain axis, influencing the communication between the brain and the digestive system. This connection can affect cravings and food choices, with an increased tendency to opt for sugary foods. Furthermore, processed foods, full of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and salt are designed to induce addiction to these foods.

Cheat Meal Side Effects

Many individuals report feeling hungover, even without consuming alcohol, following a cheat meal. The repercussions of getting off track with your diet and eating a cheat meal include:

Water Retention:

The surplus of carbs and the wrong type of sodium intake prompts the kidneys to retain water. Eliminating carbs typically allows the kidneys to release excess water. A single day of processed foods, inflammatory vegetable oils, sugars, or carbs can lead to retaining an additional 2-10 pounds of water for up to 3 days.

Bloat:

Excess inflammation in the stomach and intestines from indigestion, particularly the failure to break down processed foods, can upset the balance of the microbiome and lead to leaky gut. One cheat day can result in an imbalance, with detrimental bacteria outweighing beneficial bacteria. As a result, the immune system decreases, nutrient absorption decreases, and gut pathogens like e. Coli, parasites, fungus, and salmonella may increase.

Constipation:

The liver’s struggle to break down toxins, inflammatory oils, processed foods, and excess sugar can cause a backup. This, in turn, slows down intestinal motility, leading to constipation. The longer the toxins remain in the body due to constipation, the more severe the symptoms become, amplifying the negative impact of the cheat meal.

Headaches:

Instability in blood sugar and insulin levels after ingesting excessive sugar, seed oils, and carbs contributes to post-cheat meal headaches. The absence of proper electrolytes from nutrient-dense foods exacerbates these headaches.

Hangry:

The post-cheat meal “hangry” feeling, a blend of hunger and anger, is linked to stored anger in the liver. The liver becomes strained and overheated, requiring more effort than it is naturally equipped to handle. Excess hunger results from unstable blood sugar levels, with the body signaling increased ghrelin, the hunger hormone, to restore balance.

Fatigue:

Transitioning from low-carb eating, where ketones are produced for energy, to high sugar and carb consumption significantly reduces ATP production (true cellular energy). The liver’s increased workload processing toxins can lead to suboptimal thyroid hormones, causing fatigue and contributing to leaky gut and nutrient malabsorption.

The first step is preparing ahead of time with a game plan…

Here Are My Tips for a Healthy Holiday Eating

1. Accelerated Fast®

As Accelerated Fast® puts your body into fat burning mode, your body is seeking body fat to burn instead of craving sugar for quick energy. It helps control your appetite, which provides even and high physical and mental energy. It also allows you to intermittent fast, so that you can possibly fast until the holiday dinner you are going to. Dopamine, GABA, and serotonin become regulated to help manage the stress associated with the holidays.

Furthermore, taking Accelerated Fast® the morning after a holiday meal, will help your body burn the extra calories you ate while staving off the “hangry” feeling that usually follows a cheat meal. It will increase the ATP, your body’s true energy “engines” to get you going and have the energy to exercise and get back on track.

The supplementary components in Accelerated Fast® play a pivotal role in breaking down saturated fats into unsaturated fats. This action helps decrease visceral fat around the abdomen and liver fat. Visceral fat is the dangerous fat that accompanies the combination of stress and sugar-laden food.

Defatting and unclogging of the liver is imperative; a leaner liver functions more efficiently, particularly in the breakdown of fat molecules into usable energy and the reduction of abdominal fat. Notably, the liver’s role in converting thyroid hormones from T4 to T3 is optimized with improved liver function, and this, in turn, elevates metabolism, mitochondrial function, and overall energy. Efficient thyroid function is crucial for proper digestion and weight management.

The organic mukul in Accelerated Fast® further enhances the breakdown of fats, providing an energy boost to burn the broken-down fats. It also supports joint and muscle health, serving as the catalyst that ignites the keto burn. With recognized detoxifying properties in ayurvedic medicine, organic mukul contributes to cleansing the body and liver.
The organic trikatu in the formula elevates the digestive “fire,” facilitating heightened absorption of ketones and other cofactors, while simultaneously increasing the metabolic rate. Together, these ingredients act synergistically to revitalize metabolism following a cheat day.

2. Accelerated Colloidal Silver™

During the holidays, people are carrying more viruses and bacteria that you could be exposed to. Your immune system is suppressed due to the heightened level of stress and the increased intake of sugary foods. Accelerated Colloidal Silver™ can boost your immune system and help devitalize all foreign pathogens, including the ones you are being exposed to during the holidays.

Unlike any other silver, Accelerated Colloidal Silver™ is treated with Water Implosion Technology and then enhanced with specific Scalar frequencies to:

• • Clear emotional and physical shock from the body that may be heightened due to the holidays
  • Improves the health of the thymus for a stronger immune system
  • Improve lung function which typically suffers from viral or bacterial exposure
  • Devitalize viruses
  • Devitalize bacteria

3. Acceleradine® Iodine

Acceleradine® iodine helps to:

• • Increase ATP in the mitochondria by 18 times; mitochondrial failure is directly related to low energy and decreased fat oxidation. As you eat sugary foods and drink alcohol, your ATP levels suffer.
  • Cleanse the liver and dirty blood. Processed foods, alcohol and high carbohydrates lower liver function and block detoxification pathways.
  • Increase T4 and T3 thyroid hormones to optimize energy and thyroid function. The holiday stress and processed foods will each independently lower active thyroid hormones, lowering fat burn and energy.
  • Heal scar tissue inside the body created by dirty, acidic blood. Stress, alcohol and sugary foods will cause extreme acidity in the body and load more toxins in the blood to filter.
  • Improve mood and lower “perceived” stress which helps lower stress related cravings for sugar and alcohol.
  • Support cellular energy to ease stress.
  • Alleviate issues related to exposure to the Spike Protein from others.
  • Improve immune function to keep you from getting sick.
  • Acceleradine® iodine is the only single atom iodine solution that has 100% absorption for all cells in the body, and is enhanced with Scalar frequencies to detox the cells of radiation, damage done by the Spike Protein, and toxins.

4. Accelerated Thyroid®

The thyroid is the master endocrine gland and controls the adrenals and most hormones; if it is sluggish, then the body experiences low energy, fat gain, water retention, and increased perceived stress. Accelerated Thyroid® is a comprehensive thyroid supplement that helps increase energy, increase metabolism and fat oxidation, boost mood, regulate hormones, and deal with the added holiday stress. It contains the ancient Ayurvedic formula Kanchnara known to help detox the thyroid, reduce water retention, improve metabolism, help dissolve thyroid cysts, in addition to grass fed freeze dried glandular that provides the amino acids and natural substances that support thyroid health. The formula is then enhanced with Scalar frequencies to help:

• • Clear emotional and physical shock from the body
  • Detox the halogens and other toxins from the thyroid
  • Detox radiation from the thyroid

5. Accelerated Ancient Salt®

Accelerated Ancient Salt® contains 62 minerals that help to suppress sugar cravings, improve hydration, support physical and mental energy, and help with any nausea or acid reflux that is associated with holiday food eating. Most salts are lacking all of the other minerals other than sodium and contain toxins, explosives, and microplastics. Those salts will lead to dehydration, toxicity, bloat and sugar cravings.

This scalar enhanced health salt may help lower blood sugar which will reduce sugar cravings. Just by putting a pinch of Accelerated Ancient Salt® on your tongue, your blood sugar decreases and appetite for the holiday sugar is suppressed.

6. Berberine HCL

Berberine is known to help support pathogenic and bacteria balance which is easily disrupted in the gut when consuming unusual foods and drinks during the holidays. It also helps manage blood sugar and avoid the high spikes normally associated with eating high carb and sugary foods. The HCL helps improve the breakdown of proteins and fats into usable nutrients and improve overall digestion.

7. Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder

After a holiday meal, taking the Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder will help soak up the toxins, alcohol, and pathogens that may be lurking in the atypical meal. It helps coat the stomach and intestinal lining, reduce inflammation, improve bloat and regularity, and alleviate issues like Crohn’s disease and colitis.

Additional Supplements to Help Stay Healthy During the Holidays

HoloZymes™

This digestive enzyme formula helps with breaking down food and reduces gut-related issues like gas, bloating, tummy pain and cramping.

Quintessential .9

This supplement supports intracellular hydration, homeostasis throughout the body, and digestion as you are navigating through the holidays.

Accelerated Leaky Gut Bundle

The three supplements in the Leaky Gut Bundle safeguard the gut to defend itself against all of the unusual food and drinks during the holiday.

Lifestyle Hacks for Staying Healthy During the Holidays

Intermittent Fasting

With the supplements above, namely, Acceleradine®, Accelerated Fast®, Accelerated Thyroid®, and Accelerated Ancient Salt®, your energy will increase and blood sugar will stabilise so you can intermittent fast until the holiday meals. This will allow you to enjoy the unusual food and drinks while still staying on track.

Hydrate 30 Minutes Before Your Meal

Many people overestimate their hunger due to being thirsty and dehydrated. Have a glass of water, ideally with a pinch of Accelerated Ancient Salt or a Quintessential .9, 30 minutes before your meal. You don’t want to drink too much with your meal as it will dilute the HCL to break down your food. If you don’t drink beforehand, you will realize how thirsty you are when you start eating and over hydrate during the meal.

Break Your Fast with Protein

Ideally you want to prioritize wild animal protein, as it is the most nutrient dense food available. When you break a fast with protein, this will increase the glucagon hormone and increase fat burning while insulin stays low. Also, the amino acids in the protein will trigger a hormone called CCK that suppresses appetite and tells you to stop eating. Processed foods and sugary foods trigger your brain to think you are more hungry, leading to overeating.

Simplicity on Your Plate

The more foods you choose to “try” on your plate during a holiday meal will increase the calories eaten. Choose no more than 3 to 4 dishes to taste to keep from overeating and increasing your caloric intake.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Using apple cider vinegar during your meals will help blunt the rise in blood glucose and help with digestion.

Walk for Ten Minutes Before or After a Meal

This will dramatically lower your blood sugar, lower your cortisol or stress hormone, and increase your circulation.

Prioritize Sleep

This time of year creates additional stressors that can impact your immune system, blood sugar, and adrenal health. Sleep can help improve all of these factors and is the cornerstone of health.