Five Christmas Commandments for your intestinal flora
Christmas is just around the corner, and we’re getting more and more questions on the blog asking what we think of all the usual Christmas feasting. Should you eat everything, nothing, or some things? What are the worst dietary culprits? How do we sort through it all?
For us, personally, Christmas has become more and more healthy each year – we’ve gone from lapsing into food-comas while filling plates to the brim wiith meatballs and ribs, to being distinctly satisfied by fish, cabbage salads and nut-pâté. Below we’ve listed our top five holiday eating commandments, which, if followed, will ensure that your healthy gut bacteria can have a merry Christmas too.
1st Commandment. Focus on what to eat rather than what to exclude
It’s that easy. Prioritize salads and vegetables before the ham and sausage. Mix any three colors of vegetables as the antioxidants in the different colors enhance each other’s positive properties.
2nd Commandment. Eat slowly and chew carefully
A major problem in general, and especially at Christmas, is that we eat too much food (and it’s not only bad for our health but also makes us tired, which can be a bit boring for whoever is sitting next to you). The trick is to chew slowly. When we wolf food down it’s easy to overeat, because it takes a while before the sense of being full sets in. Many nutrients also require that we chew carefully in order for the body to absorb the nutrition.
3rd Commandment. Teach yourself and the kids to get cosy without all the sugar
Put a lot of nuts and fruits on the table, and replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate, which contains more cocoa than sugar. If you like metaphors, you might say that cocoa is nature’s very own happy-pill, since it contains two substances that are known for their ability to lift the spirits. Very fitting for Christmas Eve!
4th Commandment. Move around, often
Take the whole family out for a lovely walk after Christmas dinner. It helps lower blood sugar, and will make you feel sparkling and refreshed. If you’re feeling more ambitious than just that, you might even take a walk before Christmas dinner. This will improve your metabolism for the entire rest of the evening.
5th Commandment. Enjoy, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Because that is what matters the most
Wherever you are on your journey towards getting healthier, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the final commandment of your intestinal flora: to simply enjoy. Christmas Eve, as you know, only happens once a year, so what and how much you eat on that one night will not matter much for your overall health. Merry Christmas!
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