Food as Medicine: Minimizing Sugar During the Holiday Season

The holidays are a season of joy, family, and delicious food — but they can also bring an overload of sugar. Excess sugar weakens the immune system, increases inflammation, and contributes to energy crashes, weight gain, and chronic disease. During the colder months, when we spend more time indoors and gather closely with loved ones, maintaining a strong immune system becomes especially important.

Sharing is a wonderful part of the holiday spirit, just not when it comes to germs! This season of Thanksgiving, Advent, the Birth of Christ, and the Coming New Year is the perfect time to celebrate with intention — nourishing your body so it can do what it was beautifully designed to do: keep you healthy and strong.

🎁 1. Understand Hidden Sugars

Many “festive favorites” hide added sugars under different names: Watch for: cane juice, malt syrup, dextrose, fructose, molasses, honey, agave, or corn syrup.

✅ Tip: Choose foods with under 5 grams of added sugar per serving.

🥗 2. Balance Each Meal

Pairing sugar with protein, fiber, and healthy fats slows absorption and prevents spikes.

Try combining:

• A small dessert with nuts or cheese

• Greek yogurt with cinnamon and fruit

• Veggies and hummus before a meal

• Fiber-rich fruits like apples or pears with nut butter

☕ 3. Choose Smarter Drinks

Holiday beverages are sugar traps.

Instead of eggnog or punch, enjoy:

• Sparkling water with orange or cranberry slices

• Hot green tea with cinnamon

• Unsweetened almond milk chai with stevia or monk fruit

🍬 4. Savor, Don’t Splurge

Mindful indulgence keeps cravings in check:

• Take three mindful bites — enjoy the flavor and texture

• Share desserts or cut smaller portions

• Avoid “grazing” all day

🌿 5. Support Your Body’s Natural Balance

• Cinnamon, chromium, and magnesium help stabilize blood sugar

• Apple cider vinegar before meals can reduce glucose spikes

• Stay hydrated — thirst often mimics sugar cravings

• Get good sleep — lack of sleep raises sugar and cortisol levels

💖 6. Reframe Holiday Treats

You don’t have to skip dessert — just reinvent it!

• Bake with almond or coconut flour

• Sweeten naturally with dates, applesauce, or monk fruit

• Replace frosting with Greek yogurt whipped with vanilla and cinnamon

Minimizing Sugar During the Holiday Season PDF .pdf

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