With the holidays right around the corner comes an inevitable influx of sugar, carbs, and let’s face it, alcohol – all of which is bound is take a toll on your gut health. But this is your reminder that you can still enjoy your favourite holiday treats while keeping your inflammation at bay. Curious how to manage it? We got you! Check out our tips and tricks below on how to fight inflammation during the holidays.
1. Don’t Skip Out on the Fruits & Veggies
While the holidays are time for you to enjoy festivities with friends and family, you’ll want to find a healthy balance between the endless holiday treats and cocktails to keep tabs on overall inflammation. You can manage this by getting at least one to three servings of leafy greens, cruciferous veggies or berries in your diet every day – and no, cranberries in your cocktails don’t count unfortunately!
2. Find Time for Stress Management Activities
It’s not new that inflammation and stress tend to go hand-in-hand. That’s why going into the holiday season you’re going to want to focus on managing your stress of the season. Whether that’s getting in a workout, getting in a therapy session, or even just having some alone time to unwind.
3. Moderation is Key!
‘Tis the season for overindulgence! Unfortunately, a lot of traditional holiday treats are highly inflammatory. Such foods can include:
- Pasteurized dairy
- Fried foods
- Refined carbohydrates and sugar
- Red meat
- Processed meat
- Trans fats
And I know what you’re thinking – that’s basically a list of all your fav holiday foods. The good news is that in moderation, these can be relatively harmless and won’t lead to massive amounts of inflammation.
4. Pay Attention to What You’re Drinking
Alcohol both increases your appetite and decreases your self-control around calorie-rich food, particularly if you’re drinking on an empty stomach. Extra calories, whether that be in the cocktails or the food you’re snacking on three glasses of wine deep, will lead to increased inflammation. Experts recommend sipping on flavoured seltzer or sparkling water between drinks to reduce your intake and help you stay hydrated.
Do the holidays make you a bit stressed out? Here’s some stress-fighting foods you may want to incorporate into your diet during the holidays (and beyond!) to manage your stress levels.
The post 4 Key Ways to Help Fight Inflammation During the Holidays appeared first on FitMinutes.
