Christmas Holiday Season

Over the years health during the Christmas holiday season has not changed much. The average American gains 1-5 lbs each Christmas holiday season and most people don't lose that extra weight so after 10 years it accumulates.

One way to help prevent this weigh gain is by putting lots of dip and vegetable platters out at Christmas time to help keep your eating on track. I found that each time at our church functions when I take a vegtable platter and many others take sweets that my vegetable platter is almost empty by the end of the evening. I can conclude from this that many of the people also appreciate the fresh vegetable platters as well so I know that it should be a very successful food to add to your "Holiday Feasts."

Christmas Health - Immune System

The Christmas holidays is one of the busiest times of the whole year where we're thinking about others and neglecting ourselves. We celebrate the holidays with lots of Sugar cookies, candies, etc which puts lots of sugar into your body. Sugar raises the insulin level in your body. The insulin level raised inhibits the release of growth hormones which depress your immune system. This makes it easier for people to get the flu or colds over the Christmas holidays.

Every time that you eat a lot of sweet high sugar products the sugar goes into your blood stream and unsettles your body's blood sugar balance which causes your body to gain weight quicker and also elevates your triglyceride levels which are linked to cardivascular disease.

Studies have shown that glucose and Vit C have similar chemical structures so when your sugar levels go up they go into your body's cells and leave less Vit C in the cells so each time you eat sugar you commpletely slow down your immune system making you more susceptible to colds, flu and all diseases.

This Christmas season try to take more Vit C to replace the Vit C that you're losing from the sweets you're taking as it may help your body's immune system. I know that it's hard to do at Christmas time but if you can cut back or cut out sugars, pops, candies and have more fresh, live foods to eat you will get through the Christmas season healthier.