Staying Healthy This Holiday Season

7 ways to combat inflammation this Holiday season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are some of the best time of year - filled with love, joy, family, and friends.  It can also be a season filled with stress, lack of movement, and over-consumption of sugar and alcohol. This leads to systemic inflammation - and the consequences are not fun! In this article, we’re going to discuss 7 ways to combat inflammation during the holidays.


1.  Stay hydrated. 



Water is the most important nutrient in your body! It flushes toxins, enables cellular hydration, and transports nutrients, which all play a huge factor in managing and combating systemic inflammation. 

As a general rule of thumb, aim to drink half your body weight in fluid ounces of hydrating fluids each day. For example, if you’re a 140lb person, your daily goal is 70oz of hydrating beverages. These hydrating beverages include high-quality filtered water, coconut water, bone broth, and uncaffeinated herbal tea. 

Keep in mind, for every 8oz of dehydrating beverage you consume (coffee, tea, juice, alcohol, soda) you’ll want to add another 12oz of hydrating beverage to your daily baseline. 

2. Move your body. 

Moving your body is crucial for a variety of reasons. Regular physical activity has health benefits that includes stress reduction, weight control, strengthening of the heart, bones, and muscles, and reducing the risk of certain diseases1 — all of which are vastly important for combating inflammation. Additionally, exercise is critical for the movement of lymphatic fluid that is responsible for filtering out bacteria, viruses, and toxins, which, if left stagnant, causes high levels of inflammation. 

3. Slow down and breathe. 

While we cannot go three minutes without oxygen, too seldom do we sit and focus on breathing deeply. Our respiratory system is responsible for filtering out fumes, allergens, mold, and airborne toxins, all of which are highly inflammatory to our system. Focus on breathing in deeply to oxygenate your cells and breathe out completely to remove carbon dioxide and other accumulated toxins in the lungs. In addition to the oxygenation of our system, this deep breathing slows down our nervous system and allows the body to enter a parasympathetic state so we can “rest and digest”. 

4. Chew your food.  

While this may seem like an odd suggestion, it’s a small but powerful habit to combat inflammation. When we eat too quickly, we swallow air and large chunks of food, which can cause digestive dysfunction and therefore systemic inflammation. 

Aim to chew your food 20-30x per bite or until the food is a liquid-like consistency. This tiny habit will vastly improve digestion and combat inflammation.

5. Sleep

Sleep is a time where we restore and repair! Ensuring you get 7-9 hours of deep restorative sleep per night is especially key during times of excess stress and overindulgence of sugar and alcohol (i.e. the Holidays!).

6. Avoid too many sweets. 

A high sugar diet can have harmful effects on your health and can result in chronic inflammation, where the body’s immune system activates, resulting in damage to healthy cells2.

To reduce inflammation, aim for an overall healthy diet filled with nutrient-dense whole foods. During the Holidays, do the best you can to avoid overindulging in sweet treats filled with refined sugars. If possible, enjoy a dessert made with naturally sweet ingredients like maple syrup or honey!

7. Cook with high-quality oils. 

Hydrogenated oils like vegetable, canola, and soy, are highly inflammatory and should be avoided at all costs. These industrial seed oils come from genetically modified plants that are toxic to our systems, full of additives, and have been linked with a variety of health problems. 

For high heat cooking choose animal fats or ghee from pasture-raised sources and for medium heat cooking choose extra virgin olive oil or butter. These fats and oils are critical for our health as they boost the immune system and reduce systemic inflammation!

Ensure your days will be merry and bright by following these seven ways to combat inflammation during the holidays!

 SOURCES

1. “Does Sugar Cause Inflammation? What the Research Says.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326386. 

2. “Exercise ... It Does a Body Good: 20 Minutes Can Act as Anti-Inflammatory.” UC Health - UC San Diego, health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2017-01-12-exercise-can-act-as-anti-inflammatory.aspx.

Immunity Boosting Superstar: Zinc

Immunity continues to be top of mind for just about everybody these days (and with good reason as we inch closer to winter!). One of the very best ways to encourage immunity is to ensure you’re consuming an optimal amount of nutrients and minerals. While they all serve their unique purpose within the body, there are are a couple that are absolute rockstars when it comes to immunity. Today, let’s chat about one of my favorites: zinc!

Zinc is an essential trace mineral that is vital for human health. It is a component of more than 300 enzymes and hormones and plays a crucial part in the health of our skin, teeth, bones, hair, nails, muscles, nerves, and brain function. (1) Zinc controls the enzymes that operate and renew the cells in our bodies and regulates the sensory organs for sight, smell, and taste. (2, 3) While this essential micronutrient is significant throughout life, it is especially important for times of rapid growth, such as childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy, due to its role in helping cells grow and multiply. (4) 

For the duration of this article we’re going to discuss the daily requirement for zinc, how to find it in its most absorbable form, why a deficiency may occur, and different signs and symptoms you may experience if a deficiency exists.

According to the National Institute of Health, the daily requirement of zinc will vary depending on your age. On average, babies will require approximately  2 mg/day, children 3-5 mg/day, teenagers and adults 9-11 mg/day, and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers 11-13 mg/day. As always, it’s best to consult with your healthcare provider to determine your precise bioindividual need.

In terms of where to find it, zinc is present and readily absorbable from many types of food. Number one on the list is oysters! A typical oyster weighing approximately one ounce will contain about 8-9 milligrams of zinc which is close to the daily requirement for an adult! (5) Following oysters, the richest food sources of zinc include the organs and meat of pasture-raised beef, chicken, and lamb, as well as wild-caught fish and crustaceans, like crab and lobster. (6) While other good sources of zinc include nuts, seeds, Shiitake and crimini mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, quinoa, and oats some of these plant-based sources of zinc come with a caveat. (7)

Many of these plant-based sources have a substance within them, commonly referred to as an anti-nutrient, called phytic acid. While these phytate-rich foods are typically healthy, in terms of zinc absorption, they pose a problem. The phytic acid in seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts actually binds to minerals like zinc, iron, and calcium which greatly inhibits their absorption. 

One way to reduce phytic acid content is to soak and sprout your seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts before consumption. Another way to increase zinc absorption is to ensure the consumption of animal proteins with any phytate-rich food as they improve zinc absorption. (8)

Unfortunately, zinc deficiencies are far too common among populations whose main food sources come from grains, cereals, and processed foods (hello, Standard American Diet!). Due to the many roles zinc plays in the human body, there is a broad range of physiological signs of a potential deficiency. Organ systems known to be affected by such a deficiency include the epidermal (skin), gastrointestinal, central nervous, immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems. (9) Signs of a zinc deficiency can vary depending on the severity of the condition but may include things like frequent infections, loss of hair, poor appetite, lack of taste or smell, skin sores, slow growth rate, trouble seeing in the dark, or wounds that take a long time to heal. (10)

There are two other important things worth noting about zinc. First, for women on birth control, a side effect of the pill is inhibited zinc absorption. For this population, it’s especially important to incorporate zinc-rich foods. Second, too much zinc, whether from diet or supplementation, can impair copper status. Here, the recommendation is to focus on food sources that are rich in both zinc and copper.

Zinc is critical to every aspect of our biology and must be incorporated into our diet on a daily basis. As always, be sure to focus on high-quality, nutrient-dense whole foods that include a variety of macro and micronutrients to ensure adequate balance and absorption!  

SOURCES

1.       Sharma, Dr. Archana. “http://www.iosrjournals.org/Iosr-Jdms/Papers/Vol16-issue4/Version-4/C1604041315.Pdf.” IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, vol. 16, no. 04, 2017, pp. 16–19., doi:10.9790/0853-1604041619. 

2.      Ibid.

3.      “Zinc.” The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=115.

4.      “Zinc.” The Nutrition Source, 20 Oct. 2020, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/zinc/.

5.      The World’s Healthiest Foods. 

6.      Brown, Kenneth H., et al. “The Importance of Zinc in Human Nutrition and Estimation of the Global Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency.” Food and Nutrition Bulletin, vol. 22, no. 2, 2001, pp. 113–125., doi:10.1177/156482650102200201. 

7.      The World’s Healthiest Foods. 

8.      Sharma, IOSR Journal.

9.       Roohani, Nazanin, et al. “Zinc and Its Importance for Human Health: An Integrative Review.” Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : the Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, Feb. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724376/. 

10. “Zinc in Diet: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002416.htm.

Common Food Cravings and What They Mean

Food cravings can be an easy signal from your body, often indicating a need for a certain vitamin or mineral (late night chocolate craving, anybody?). While the signal may be clear, deciphering the actual message can sometimes be a bit tricky! Fortunately, nutritional therapy helps bridge this gap by offering insight on cravings and the nutrient deficiency they may indicate. Let’s jump into some of the top ones…

+Chocolate - Perhaps the most common craving, chocolate can indicate a need for magnesium. Try adding some nuts or seeds (soaked or sprouted, of course, for optimal digestion!) or legumes into your diet for a good magnesium boost. Taking magnesium baths or applying topical magnesium is also a great choice as it tends to be very well absorbed through the skin.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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+Sweets - This one is a little more broad, but if you are craving sweets it may be tied to multiple nutrient deficiencies including chromium, carbon, phosphorous, sulfur, or traptophan. Eating a properly prepared, whole foods diet is the first step to addressing these deficiencies. Depending on the severity, however, that may not be enough. Working with a trained FNTP to help address your body’s specific imbalances through a Functional Clinical Assessment would be the best next step in this scenario.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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+Coffee - While I love coffee just as much as the next gal (and look forward to my morning cup every day!), if you find yourself truly craving coffee (or tea) all day long, it could indicate a need for phosphorous, sulfur, or iron. Dialing into your body’s queues and truly listening to them can tell you a lot about your health! (If you’re reaching for that coffee around 2 p.m. when your hitting your afternoon slump, that is another indicator that you may have some nutritional imbalances that could benefit from additional support!).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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+Salty Foods - This craving is often simple and tied to a chloride deficiency. Adding in unrefined sea salt (Celtic sea salt and Himalayan sea salt are my go-tos), goat cheese and fish are great sources of chloride. Be sure to avoid satisfying this cravings with refined salt (found in most processed foods) as it has been stripped of nutrients and doesn’t offer any of the health benefits real, unrefined sea salt does. A simple way to tell if the salt you are using has been refined? Look at the coloring! Real sea salt options get their coloring from their minerals, so an unrefined version should have a slight coloring - in Celtic salts this tends to be grey and in Himalayan it’s pink.
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+Bread - This may be tied to a need for nitrogen. Incorporating high protein foods like fish and meat are great sources of nitrogen!

While these may be the top ones, there are truly hundreds of cravings that can offer insight onto the specific nutritional needs your body is experiencing. The next time you feel a craving coming on, pay attention and you just may be surprised to see how clearly your body is communicating with you!