Christmas is the time when many of us go all out—shopping, eating, and drinking much more tan usual. With all the indulgence, we often neglect our diets during these days. Not only do we eat a lot, but we also consume things we don’t usually eat. The only downside is that all these Christmas excesses can take a toll on us. In this article, we will show you how to compensate for Christmas binges.
When the holiday season arrives, many families prepare delicious and hearty meals. If Christmas is about enjoying, we can always learn how to make some changes and introduce positive new habits for everyone’s benefit. And that’s exactly what this article is about. This time of the year can also be very stressful for some of us due to the many commitments we have—meetings with friends, office parties, family meals, etc.
How to compensate Christmas binges
During this time, we not only eat and drink more, but we also consume different things like nougat, various sweets, and alcohol.
How do you usually feel after these holidays? Maybe you have gained weight, feel bloated, experience heavy digestion, constipation, lack of energy, or even notice that you catch colds more often. Indeed, overeating and drinking can weaken the body and the immune system.
Doctors from the National Institute of Health in the United States sought to identify if December’s food intake affects weight. They evaluated the weight changes in 195 adults over the six-week holiday period from Thanksgiving to New Year and found that the average weight gained during the holidays was less than expected: an average of 0.37 kg. However, participants who were overweight or obese gained significantly more, averaging 2.3 kg.
Possible Health Issues
The first thing would be low-grade latent acidosis, which is the accumulation of acids in the tissues and plasma, affecting our internal environment, potentially leading to diseases and inflammation.
Overeating, abusing strong seasonings, consuming saturated fats and alcohol can also trigger or worsen existing digestive pathologies. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain, heavy digestion, heartburn and acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. This could mean gastritis or esophageal reflux.
Besides potential digestive problems, we might experience general heaviness, bloating, fatigue, and lack of energy.
And to top it all off, as mentioned above, weight gain.
Some healthy Christmas traditions
Experts from the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) assert that there are also heart-healthy ways to celebrate Christmas without overindulging in alcohol and fats. They remind us that in European countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Italy, and even Spain, there are still Christmas traditions considered healthy for celebrating these special days.
In Austria, there’s a healthy tradition of seeing out the year with a waltz; in Belgium, it’s traditional to engage in sports; in Bulgaria, the New Year’s Eve dinner consists of nine different dishes, which exclude ingredients like meat, fats, or dairy.
In Spain, for example, they take twelve grapes during new year´s eve, which promote blood flow and protect against cholesterol, this is a healthy way to cap off the last dinner of the year; in Finland, they visit the sauna on Christmas Eve to eliminate toxins before dinner; and in Italy, it’s traditional to eat a few spoonfuls of lentils on New Year’s Eve, a food rich in vitamin B9, which reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Another beautiful and ancient Christmas tradition (dating back to 1890) is found in Croatia, where the typical Christmas tree is decorated with fruits, nuts, and almonds, symbolizing the strength of life in contrast to the characteristics of nature during winter, which are later consumed.
So, what can we do to get through these holidays positively and gracefully?
Foods to avoid
Sugar
The numerous gatherings with family and friends increase our consumption of carbonated drinks (colas), shortbread, chocolates, nougat, and other Christmas sweets. To much sugar in our diet, either directly or through foods that contain it, not only leads to weight gain but can also affect our health by depleting our mineral levels (acidosis) or vitamins such as B1, B2, and B5, as their metabolism requires large amounts of these nutrients. Sugar and refined flours, which also have a high glycemic index and spike insulin levels, can increase triglycerides in the blood and their accumulation, potentially can cause cardiovascular diseases
When blood glucose levels rise, the risk of dental diseases like cavities also increases.
If that’s not enough, recent studies have shown that sugar causes premature aging at the cellular and neuronal level and negatively affects testosterone production.
Unhealthy Fats (Trans Fats):
The main problems caused by excessive consumption of unhealthy fats (trans) or saturated fats include weight gain and other obesity-related issues such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and joint and respiratory diseases. High consumption of saturated fats increases the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
Alcohol
During the Christmas holidays, it’s common to overeat and overdrink, but it’s important to remember that excessive alcohol can cause sleep problems and affect the nervous system (depression and anxiety), trigger or worsen existing digestive pathologies as previously mentioned since it directly impacts liver function, intoxicating and inflaming it. Alcohol also depletes B vitamins.
Recommendations to prevent Christmas excesses
Exercise: There’s nothing like moving your body to oxygenate, alkalinize, and activate the metabolism. It improves digestion and fights against constipation. You can opt for walking, running, swimming, doing yoga, Tai Chi, or any activity that also brings you good vibes and peace.
Choose healthier menus: Typical Christmas menus are loaded with abundant acidic, heavy, and often indigestible foods. Better choose a lighter, healthier menu plant based with a gourmet touch which is the best option for these days. You can find recipes here on our blog.
Moderate sweet consumption: These meals inevitably end up with a variety of delicious sweets and desserts. Denying yourself would be a sin, so managing their amount well and doing so in moderation is key to not feeling unwell afterward.
Replace coffee with an herbal tea: After meals, it’s better to take a cup of tea than a cup of coffee. But if you can’t give up your coffee, remember to add 4 drops of PuripHy per cup to counteract the excess acidity it produces.
Alkaline Care recommendations to prevent Christmas excesses
Drink little alcohol: Alcohol adds a lot of empty calories with no Benefits at all. An interesting recommendation is to drink a glass of water with a scoop of Phour Salts for every glass of wine, which helps eliminate alcohol faster and avoids the bloated feeling and hang over the next day.
Essential alkaline supplements: Here are two wonderful alkaline supplements that can help you counteract these excesses. Phour Salts is the best hangover remedy in the world. Take 1 scoop of mineral salts mixed in a glass of water before and after any heavy meal with alcohol. You’ll notice the difference. You can add Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic plant that helps figts againt stress, providing energy and calm at the same time.
Drink green juices/smoothies: To cleanse our body after these indulgent days, I recommend having a green juice or smoothie at some point during the day (preferably in the morning). Try 16 Alkaline Greens a green superfood packed with vitamins, minerals and enzimes it will nourish you in depth. Just ad 1 scoop to a glass of alkaline water or to your daily Smoothie.
Compensate for the excesses: On days when you have a large meal, compensate. How? My advice is to put into practice intermittent fasting. You can also start the day with an ultra-light breakfast made of vegetables and/or fruit: freshly squeezed celery juice, lemon/grapefruit, or a good glass of alkaline water with chlorophyll. This way, the body can get rif of what it doesn´t need and detoxify itself.
Now, you know how to compensate Christmas binges!
