Getting back on track ASAP after the festive season is a jolly good idea for health and longevity. Fortunately, while you’re still feeling utterly stuffed, it may not be so hard to do.
Have you recently been derailed by mince pies? – or Prosecco, or pavlova, or whatever your seasonal poison may be? I know I have. It doesn’t take long to go off the rails. Fortunately, there’s nothing to stop us getting right back on track – and in the case of Roy and me, that means back on to the Low Carb, No Crap TM eating plan that helped him lose 35kg… and keep it off.
The pics below, taken a year apart, are presented as evidence. (It’s a shame I couldn’t afford a new dress.)
It’s easy to think that one’s particular problem is unique. Actually, millions of others are probably dealing with either the identical issue or something similar.
That’s why Dave Asprey’s The Human Upgrade podcast interview one recent morning with Dr Amy Shah was so timely. (She’s the author of “I’M SO EFFING TIRED: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life”.)
Incremental creep (not Dave, he’s one of the good guys)
Mainly, I liked what Dave and Amy had to say about going off the rails, for example, eating the gluten, dairy, lectins – or whatever it is that your particular body doesn’t tolerate well. The chips, the chocolate, the mince pies, the Christmas pudding, the ice cream, the pile of delicious pavlova. Those sugary cocktails, those extra glasses of wine.
The problem creeps up incrementally, you see. You do it once, and the next day you feel fine. No headache, still plenty of energy. The number on the bathroom scales hasn’t moved (much), and your waistband still fits (sort of). You got off scot free, hurrah! So you indulge in another ice cream cone; you finish off the pavlova for breakfast. (Or is that just me?). Maybe you’re still fine.
And then suddenly – after a few days, a week or more – you just aren’t. It’s like the last margarita that broke the camel’s back.
At my age and stage of life I feel I should know better. But we’re physiologically wired to crave sweetness (as explained in this study), and I still underestimate sugar’s addictive power. Abstinence from it definitely lessens the craving. But over the festive season I’d been letting refined white crap and gluten creep back into our diets – mince pies only happen once a year, right? – and I was hooked again.
Some of the culprits:
But when I woke up one morning in that limbo between Christmas and New Year, the niggling pain in my duodenum told me that all those highly processed Christmas goodies had come home to roost. I know that pain, as it’s exactly where bleeding ulcers were diagnosed and surgically “treated” three decades ago. Everyone has their threshold, and I’d definitely overstepped mine! My h.pylori infection was back – and it was my own fault.
Getting back on track
Fortunately, the body can be highly forgiving. My first task was to clear the fridge of festive detritus and restock it with the wonderful local fruit, veggies, seafood and grass-fed meat that’s so abundant here in WA.
(There’s still some Christmas panettone and tiramisu left over (thanks, Dario and Susie!) – but it’s safely stored at the back of the freezer, out of sight, out of mind, and waiting for a special occasion.)
Here’s how I’m working to get us back on track:
- Both Roy and I find time-restricted eating (in a six to eight-hour window, e.g. between 1pm and 8pm) super-easy to do – and it’s a great way to give the body a break from digestion and some time to heal. We’ve even had a couple of 24-hour fasts, meaning not eating from after dinner until the next evening, except for my herbal teas, and Roy’s coffee (non-negotiable).
- We’re doubling down on alkaline fruit and vegetables – and avoiding gluten* absolutely! Avos, cherries and strawberries are all in season right now – cheap, plentiful and delicious.
- Despite temperatures of 36°C, I’ve just pressure-cooked a pot of gut-healing bone broth using marrow bones sourced online from local Perth business The Naked Butcher (a highly recommended supplier of ethically sourced and produced grass fed and organic meat). Sure it’s hot out there – but that’s what air-conditioning is for, right?
- Instead of a G&T sundowner, it’s just a glass of sugar-free, naturally sweetened Nexba tonic with ice and a slice of lemon.
- Most mornings find me destressing on Burns Beach, walking on wet sand or wallowing in the waves – while keeping a sharp eye out for sharks. Hungry sharks may not be good for either health or longevity.
After a week of this, already I’m feeling so much better.
*I plan to talk more about gluten in an upcoming post. For now, I’ll just say that avoiding it has been one of the best things I’ve done for my health.
