The festive season is upon us. Some of the holidays have already passed, and we have more ahead with Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve coming up!
We have our Fitness and Wellness Ambassadors as well as our coaches and doctors sharing their personal tips and tricks for getting through this period while remaining healthy, happy and well on our YouTube Channel! So if you haven’t subscribed yet, make sure you do so you don’t miss any of that valuable content!
10-Dec 2020- by Bronwyn MacRitchie
Here I’m going to specifically share some tips for minimizing the impact of a large festive meal.
We never want to encourage rigid thinking, and there will be some festivities where you ARE in control of the meal and can choose sugar free options, like the awesome Keto Goodies Festive range we have available at the moment, or any of your favourite low carb meals, there might also be times where you are out with friends and family and the menu is less in your control.
And hey! You might just WANT that Christmas mince pie, and when you are healthy 90% of the time, one Festive meal will certainly not undo everything you have worked for! BUT, if you take avoiding harmful insulin spikes seriously, and want to minimize the damage after this meal, here are some tips you can try.
Don’t write the whole day off just because you know it’s going to be festive! Try and get a good workout in the morning, Lauren Brush’s recommended 20-30 mins of cardio, some HIIT or a weight training session, so that your cells are singing and prepped for anything!
Keep this magic mix in your pocket and take them about 10 minutes before the meal to counteract the blood glucose impact the meal may have on your system. All three are shown in studies to lower blood glucose and help your body keep it lower in response to a higher carb meal.
Please note if you are diabetic and on medication then you should consult with your doctor before using these supplements.
A shot of ACV before a meal is shown to reduce the glucose impact of the meal. More and more anecdotal evidence of this is collecting too as more people wear CGMs and experiment with their own blood glucose response to meals. It IS acidic though and can be harmful to your teeth, so try to drink it through a straw (glass of course).
Make sure you get lots of the delicious proteins available, some veggies and salads too, and maybe just smaller portions of the carbs you would otherwise have avoided. Then, when you eat, begin with the protein and fat, then the veggies and carbs.
Eating the protein and fat first creates a less pronounced blood glucose curve even when eating the SAME amount of carbs after them. This DOESN’T mean the carbs don’t have an impact, it just means that the impact is notably reduced.
Finding a reason to take even a 10-minute walk, if you can convince someone to come with you and make it 20 even better, after the meal will reduce the blood glucose response significantly, helping your body to clear the excess glucose faster and get back into healthy, healing mode sooner.
So, in the end… ‘tis the season! It’s a time to be connected, to enjoy food and festivities with family and friends, and connection is just as important for our health as food. While this doesn’t mean we have to throw out the healthy habits we have worked so hard to include through the year, we also shouldn’t allow a rigid mindset to turn a joyful time into one that induces anxiety.
Wishing you and your family a joyful end to 2020 and a healthy and prosperous 2021!
