How to Avoid the Holiday Sugar Blues

By Alissa Stein

With the holidays fast approaching, I know that I will have to be extra mindful about my sugar consumption. We are getting to the time of year when people always seem to have candy on their desks, or to be giving out gifts of homemade and store bought treats. While I have always had a sweet tooth, I know that I feel much better when I keep the consumption of sweets to a minimum.

1. Start off the day with a good breakfast. It may be trite and cliché to say it, but if you wait until you are completely famished to eat, your blood sugar has already gone out of balance and it's harder to recover. Personally, if I have eggs in the morning, my energy and mood are more stable and I can get to early afternoon if need be without any snacks. And this is from someone who often eats 4-7 small meals a day so I don't get grumpy.


2. Have some good quality protein. Nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, cheese, fish, chicken or beef can help balance blood sugar, which reduces cravings for sugar. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or an omnivore, please try and get the highest quality protein to which you have access. Look for these words on the label: organic, nongenetically modified, nonirradiated, free-range, no antibiotics or growth hormones, and grass-fed.


3. Increase your consumption of dark leafy greens. Why? Well, the obvious reason is that they are powerhouses of vitamins and minerals. They also happen to be loaded with fiber. This is crucial for helping manage your sugar consumption. Not only does fiber help you feel fuller longer, but also it slows down the absorption of sugar in your body. This helps prevent insulin surges, which means your hormones stay in better balance.
   
   Kale, Swiss chard, watercress, broccoli rabe and collard greens are just a few of my favorites. Experiment. Find out which ones you like, it doesn’t matter which greens as they are all powerhouses of nutrition, just have some and then have some more.
   
   Try cooking them in a little olive oil and garlic and a splash of vinegar, which helps release the minerals in the greens. Check out this link on how to make an energizing, delicious health giving green smoothie. Do you prefer junk food? Try kale chips. They are delicious and easy to make. Click here to learn how to make your own.


4. Drink a glass of water. Sometimes, we think we are hungry when in fact we are just dehydrated. Perhaps you are feeling tired and need a pick- me-up, being dehydrated can make you feel less energetic. Try a glass of water or herbal tea next time. This often works wonders!


5. Eat more sweet vegetables. Winter squashes, like pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash and root vegetables, like parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, and onions are abundant this time of year and have naturally occurring sugars, along with vitamins, minerals and fiber. This makes them a great addition to any diet, but especially for someone who feels the need for extra sweetness to help curb the desire for non-nutritive sweets.


6. Breathe. Sometimes we want sugar because we feel stressed. Before you have that Starbucks latte or those cookies your coworker brought in, take a moment to stop and check in with your body. How do you feel? Take a few slow, deep breaths. It's amazing how stress makes us act quite unconsciously. Aim for 3-5 breaths. If you still need that fix, try one more round.


7. Give a hug. Get a hug. The sweetness of sugar often stands in as a substitute for the sweetness or comfort we want in life. While sugar can taste great, often a hug or a kind word given or received can 'taste' greater than any cheesecake or scoop of ice cream.


8. Forget Willpower, Have the sweets you are craving. What?? You are telling me to actually eat the bad stuff? Well, yes. I am and here’s why. If you can’t stop thinking about that cookie or piece of pie and it’s taking all your energy and willpower to resist, you could be setting yourself up for a big backlash. As one of my clients once said, when her willpower faltered, she didn’t just fall off the bandwagon, she “drove the bandwagon to the nearest bakery!”
   
   Have you ever noticed that the more attention you give to something, the more it grows? Sometimes it is just better to have what you want to have, when you want to have it. However, if you do have that dessert, do it right!
   
   Make it special. No sneaking. No guilt. Take your time. NO RUSHING! Put your dessert on a beautiful dish. Chew slowly. Really taste it. Savor every last mouthful.


9. Be gentle with yourself. Lastly, if you eat more sugar than you meant to, let it go.
   
   What's done is done and condemning yourself never leads to better eating habits, neither does setting rigid expectations. Be kind to yourself and remember that you and your body are in this together. Loving your self is the best road to enjoy a healthier and more vibrant life!


10. Share your story and let me know what worked for you!