This time of year the clinic is bustling. People are staying up late, drinking more and enjoying huge amounts of chocolate treats and Christmas baking. It can be a lot of fun, but it can also lead to tummy troubles, disturbed sleep and weakened immune systems—and more aches, pains, colds and flus as a result. It keeps us hopping at StoneTree.
Our tools are great for dealing with these issues–IV vitamin C for colds, colon hydrotherapy for tummy troubles and a many wonderful herbs and supplements to help improve sleep. But all those tools are really just dealing with the symptoms and not really getting to the root of things, which at this time of year is seriously increased sugar intake.
It’s hard to resist the egg nog, booze and sweet treats. To make the problem worse, the more you eat, the more you want, and the whole thing escalates in a fight to the finish for the last Turtle in the staff room. But if you can reduce your sugar intake a little, you can help your body stay in balance.
So what can you do to battle these Christmas time sugar cravings?
- Don’t skip meals. The holiday season is ripe with skipping meals – we’re just too busy to eat. So we show up in the staff room at the end of the day and can’t help but eat half a dozen sugar cookies. Use a protein shake or fruit smoothie as a great, healthy option for eating on the run.
- Don’t go to parties hungry. Have a big salad or bowl of soup or both before you got out and socialize. Filling your tummy with wonderful fiber and nutrition will leave less space to fill with crackers and sweet treats.
- Eat protein. At least 1.0-1.6grams per kg of body weight per day. Therefore if you weigh 70 kg – that’s at least 70-112g.
- Sleep. When we a tired we crave more sugar. Lack of sleep messes up our activity levels, our cravings, our appetite hormones and more. Skip that extra episode of your favourite show and head to bed a little earlier.
This holiday season, take a little time to take care of yourself. Your sugar cravings and your immune system will thank you for it!