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Now that the holidays are almost here, you may be looking ahead to those family gatherings, office holiday parties, and crammed-full flights, and thinking, “I don’t want to get sick. And I don’t want to gain weight.”
You might be wondering what getting sick and gaining weight have to do with each other – besides the fact that they are both common during the holiday season. Well, a lot in fact.
I can’t tell you how many patients I’ve seen over the years who come in to see me in January with 2 goals: lose those extra pounds and stop getting sick all the time.
I’m here to tell you getting sick around this time of year is not just because we’re inside more, we’re mingling at holiday gatherings, and we’re more stressed than usual. Although those are part of it.
The problem underlying all of those factors is the terrain.
Think about this, what is likely to be around when you see a stagnant pond? Mosquitos, right? Pesticides and poisons can kill off all the mosquitos, but guess what will happen? The mosquitos come back.
Why? Because you didn’t address the true cause, which is the environment and the terrain that created the problem in the first place. Clean the terrain, and like magic, the mosquitos will disappear.
You are only as healthy as the terrain in which you live, and your body is only as healthy as the terrain in which your cells live.
Is that terrain allowing you to thrive with energy, vitality, and strong immunity? Or is that terrain allowing you to easily get sick, feel sluggish and tired, and gain weight more easily?
Staying healthy, fit, and full of energy during the holidays is not as difficult as you may think.
Today, we’ll talk about strategies to keep your immune system strong, prevent holiday weight gain, and get through the holidays with energy and vitality.
And best of all, you don’t have to live in a state of deprivation either! You can enjoy all the goodness the holiday season has to offer and continue to eat nutritious meals that are going to leave you looking as great as you feel.
Just as there’s no need to feel guilty about the way you eat, there’s also no need to feel deprived about the way you eat – if you take a smart approach to the next couple of months.
The Complete Prevention Strategy to Avoid Getting Sick & Gaining Weight
Remember, it’s all about moderation, not deprivation. As you go through the holidays, keep in mind that your goal is NOT perfection. Perfection is a set up for inevitable failure because deprivation never works.
Instead, your goal is to improve your health and well-being over time. Feel free to toss these strategies out window for one night. Or keep them consistently but skip out on one of them. It’s all about finding a balance. That’s how you can enjoy holiday meals without packing on the pounds and getting sick soon after.
- Find New Ways to Enjoy Holiday Favorites.
Maybe you have a cookie recipe you’ve made for decades. Or maybe you always bring a pie to Thanksgiving. Or maybe you can’t wait for potato latkes every Hanukkah.
Traditions don’t need to stop just because you choose to strength eat rather than stress eat! Far from it. One of my favorite things to do as a raw food chef is to find new, alkaline ways to enjoy classic recipes. You can do this too!
Try these strength-eating swaps in your favorite recipes:
- Coconut oil instead of butter
- Veggies like zucchini or cauliflower instead of potatoes
- Mineral salts like Celtic Grey sea salt, Himalayan, or Redmond Real Salt instead of table salt
- Organic stevia, dates, or Lo Han instead of sugar or other sweeteners
- Cashew cream instead of whole milk or cream (find my cashew cream recipe here)
- Exercise More Than Usual.
Listen, I get it. Things get busy at this time of year. It’s harder to make working out a priority, but that’s why it’s even more essential that you do prioritize exercise.
You’re more stressed than usual, and you’re not eating as well as you do during warmer months, so you’re taking on more acid. By getting plenty of exercise, you’ll help fight the acids and inflammation that lead to illness, and fight any weight gain that comes with it.
3.Eat Clean & Green When You Can.
Not every meal at this time of year is a holiday meal, or even a social one. So take full advantage of the meals where you can load up on healthy fats and veggies.
Start each morning off with a green smoothie and make extra so you can have some as a snack during the day. Treat your family to a delicious alkaline dinner like Apple Cabbage Salad with Beetroot on nights where you don’t have activities going on. Keep nutrient-rich, low sugar snacks on hand like pre-cut veggies with hummus or Clean Keto Coconut Oil Fat Bombs.
It’s also even more important than usual to supplement your diet with really high quality greens that your body can’t get enough of as you go through the holiday season. Acid-Kicking Greens will boost your energy, make weight loss easier and/or prevent unwanted pounds, improve skin, hair, and nails, and strengthen your immune system. It’s never easier than by taking 5 whole servings of raw super foods in less than 30 seconds!
4. Drink Plenty of Water.
At this time of year, as the weather gets cooler and cooler, it’s actually harder to stay properly hydrated. During the summer, our bodies crave water to replace what we’ve lost from sweat. But in cooler weather, we don’t have the physical reminder and it often leads to dehydration.
If you’re even a little bit dehydrated, your body will hang on to weight, no matter what you’re trying to do to lose it. And furthermore, if you’ve consumed more acid than usual, water is going to help flush it out of your system and keep your pH balanced.
Aim to drink 3 to 4 liters of pure, filtered water every day, and add lemon, lime, or even a pinch of Acid-Kicking Minerals, to increase the pH.
5. Share Mineral-Rich Foods.
You can’t get away from family get-togethers and holiday parties at this time of year, but you can make them healthier for everyone.
If you’re bringing a dish to share, make it a big salad with lots of colorful ingredients or some sautéed kale and rainbow chard with some lemon juice and garlic.
Choose a mineral-rich food that everyone will enjoy, and even if there aren’t many other nutritious options, you can always load up on what you brought.
Chelsea and I do this anytime we’re invited to a dinner party or family meal. We’re bringing something anyway, so it might as well be a healthy option for everyone to enjoy.
And you never know… you might inspire others at the event to make a healthier choice!
6. Load Up on Antioxidants.
One of nature’s most powerful tools to prevent illnesses from the common cold to serious diseases like cancer and heart disease is antioxidants that reverse oxidative damage at the cellular level.
That’s why we created our new Acid-Kicking Immunity!
I’ve combined 4 potent ingredients that together in one little capsule, keep your immune system primed and ready to fight:
- Vitamin C – Properly formulated (unlike most C supplements), it strengthens the body’s immune system by protecting white blood cells, your body’s defense against viral and bacterial pathogens, and may also help prevent certain cancers, stroke, and heart disease.
- Chaga Mushroom – Known as the “mushroom of immortality” in Siberia, chaga is said to have the highest level of antioxidants of any food in the world.
- Elderberry – A powerhouse of immune-boosting antioxidants that allow you to better fight off infections, such as common viruses like cold and flu.
- Astaxanthin – One of the most powerful antioxidants in the natural world, astaxanthin slows down the aging process and protects us from damaging and pro-inflammatory free radicals with 550 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E.
This simple supplement is the best way to guard yourself and your loved ones from germs, microbes, and bacteria that you encounter everyday to help prevent diseases ranging from the common cold to chronic illness.
Find out more about this powerful tool for your health and immunity now!
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl
