Good food (including lots of sweet treats) are an iconic part of the holidays. So of course you don’t want to miss out (nor should you!)

The important thing to know is that balanced blood sugar is important for more than just maintaining a healthy weight; it also helps to balance hormones, protects the liver, reduces inflammation, and even helps to regulate our mood and energy, playing an important role in preventing anxiety and depression.

Have you ever noticed that you feel more sluggish during the holidays? Perhaps you experience more aches and pains, energy crashes, headaches, skin breakouts, or reduced stress tolerance? That’s the blood sugar rollercoaster, my friends.

Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks we can use to help keep our blood sugar stable, even as we enjoy all of the goodness that the holidays have to offer:

Start your day with a big glass of warm lemon water with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and a dash of cinnamon; this combo will not only keep you hydrated (which is also important for balanced blood sugar), cinnamon is a natural blood-sugar regulator, and vinegar slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, and gives the body more time to remove glucose from the blood, preventing blood sugar spikes; you can also try to incorporate vinegar throughout your day, as a salad dressing, in dipping sauces, or even in mocktail mixes.

Always eat breakfast (and make it a savoury one)! Although intermittent fasting has its benefits, if your goal is balanced hormones and blood sugar, it is in your best interest to eat a breakfast that is rich in protein and healthy fat. Eggs and avocado toast is a good example, or a smoothie with protein powder, lots of greens, and a spoonful of nut butter (easy on the fruit). This will keep you fuelled and your energy levels up far longer than that coffee and donut will!

Avoid eating “naked” carbs. When you do indulge in those cookies, cocktails, or crescent rolls (and you will), try and make sure they are coupled with a healthy fat, protein, or fibre source to serve as an “anchor”. These nutrients help to bind the sugar and slow the release of glucose into the blood stream. Try a roll with ghee (clarified butter), enjoy that eggnog with a snack of veggies and hummus, or have an apple with almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Finally, try Berberine. Berberine is a plant alkaloid that is found in herbs like goldenseal, barberry, and tree turmeric, and has been used in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to naturally treat diabetes. It does this by improving insulin sensitivity, decreasing sugar production in the liver, and slowing the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut. One of the most impressive studies on Berberine showed it to be able to control blood sugar and lipid metabolism as effectively as metformin. Due to its antimicrobial properties, it is not recommended to take Berberine for long periods of time if it’s not necessary, but it may be a good supplement to incorporate even for just a couple of weeks over the holidays. You can purchase Berberine supplements at your local health food store.

The holidays should be about enjoying your time with friends and family to the fullest, and this includes feeling your best! This doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself, or “make up for” those extra indulgences at the gym (although exercise is another way to mitigate blood sugar spikes). Above all else, just like anything in life, it’s all about balance.

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

                                                        – Epictetus

This old adage has perhaps never been so well encapsulated as it is in the idea of “Germ Theory vs Terrain Theory”.

In 1892, a Russian immunologist named Elie Metchnikoff was living in Paris, France, where a deadly cholera epidemic had broken out. Being a good and ever-curious scientist, Metchnikoff figured the best way to study the pathogen was to drink a broth of cholera himself, and see what happened. Much to his surprise, he did not get sick. One of his colleagues, however, when administered the broth, fell deathly ill and nearly died.

Eager to discover the reason his colleague had taken ill while he himself was spared, Metchnikoff examined a bacterial profile from both of their digestive tracts under a microscope. What he found was that the “microbiome” (or bacterial composition) of his own sample was in fact very different from his colleague’s, despite the fact that both were infected with cholera, and that it was specific strains of benign bacteria in Metchnikoff’s sample that were helping to fight off the cholera.

This story is a perfect example of something we now call “Terrain Theory”.  

The way that much of the Western world views illness (and the way modern medicine treats it) is largely based on the idea that microorganisms and other pathogens are the cause of most diseases. This approach is rooted in the idea of “Germ Theory”, first popularized in the 1800’s by a French chemist named Louis Pasteur.

By contrast, Pasteur’s friend, physiologist Claude Bernard, posited that the “terrain” of the human body was more important than the pathogens that infect it. Unlike Germ Theory, Terrain Theory explains why some people get sick while others, when exposed to the same pathogens, do not.

Indeed, about 95% of the human body is made up of bacterial cells (making us, in actuality, only 5% human). These bacteria form a microbiome that is as diverse as the Amazon rainforest, and which is responsible for the same number of mental and physiological functions as our brains (some say even more!). We now know that 80% of our immune function is performed by our gut bacteria. They are also responsible for 90% of our seratonin production (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter), much of our memory and cognitive function, hormonal balance, and of course our digestive health and nutrient absorption.

Germ Theory, unfortunately, acknowledges none of this, and focuses much of its attention instead on killing infectious bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens through the use of antibiotics, disinfectants, and other harsh antimicrobials, not only ignoring the role of a healthy internal terrain, but destroying much of it in the process.

It’s true that soaps and sanitizers can help protect us during a particularly bad viral or bacterial outbreak, and antibiotics (when used appropriately), can be life-saving. When used excessively, however, or without the proper accompaniments of nutrition, probiotics, stress-management, and other immune-building tools, they run the risk of damaging the natural defense system of our internal “terrain”, leaving us more vulnerable to infection in the long run.

So what can we do to help build up our Terrain?

Nutrition, sleep, stress-management, and exercise are all fundamental to a healthy immune system. We can ensure we are getting enough immune-boosting vitamins and minerals by investing in a high-quality multivitamin, or even taking some extra Vitamin C, Vitamin D, selenium, and zinc in the form of supplements. Of course, all that nutrition isn’t going to do us any good if we aren’t absorbing it! This is where a good-quality probiotic (or digestive enzyme, if you have tummy troubles) comes into play.

If you live a very active or high-stress lifestyle, you may also want to consider B-vitmains, magnesium, GABA or L-theanine to relax the nervous system, which is important for the body to “rest, digest, and repair”. And natural sleep supplements like melatonin or passionflower can help ensure you are getting enough “zzz”s.

On his deathbed in 1895, it is said that Louis Pasteur admitted, “Bernard was right: The pathogen is nothing. The terrain is everything!”

In this podcast episode, I had the supreme honour of interviewing with holistic health consultant, Rebecca Leonardes. Rebecca is a certified life coach, ayurvedic consultant, essential oil educator, and an all-round empowering and vibrant soul inspiring others to bring forth their best selves.

Together, we discuss how learning to listen to our bodies is the key to building strength and vitality without restriction, how to build a lifestyle and way of eating to support your unique needs, and the best path to a balanced and awakened life.

Enjoy!