Over the Fourth of July weekend, it is estimated that Americans will consume 150 million hot dogs, 700 million pounds of chicken, and 190 million pounds of beef.
They’ll spend over $1 billion on beer and another $568 million on wine. That doesn’t account for the number of soft drinks, chips, crackers, and tasty desserts that will be consumed over the long holiday weekend.
Celebrating the holidays with family and friends and sharing snacks, meals, desserts, and beverages of all kinds are great ways to relax, release tension, and rejuvenate our minds.
But depending on what we eat and drink, and how much, and what we do before and after, a long party weekend can take its toll on the body.
To make the holidays healthier, we recommend a few ways to prepare your body for any overindulgences, moderate your consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages, recover any ground lost in your efforts to be healthy, and return to your diet and exercise routines after the holidays.
Below, we break down our tips into three stages: before, during, and after the holiday.
Before
First, get motivated by reminding yourself of the risks inherent in holiday celebrations:
- Increased weight gain
- Increase in liver enzymes (from alcohol)
- Guilt after overindulging
- Heartburn
- Feeling burnt out or tired
- Returning to old, unhealthy habits
The last risk is perhaps the most serious. Breaking healthy diet and exercise routines for three days isn’t so bad in itself, but it tends to throw people off their health game, so they return to their old bad habits, which creates a downward spiral.
Suppose they were avoiding gluten and, all of a sudden, they are drinking beer and eating hot dog buns and potato chips. The body response can be stomach upset, intestinal pain, bloating, and the return of all the symptoms that were going away while they were avoiding gluten.
Next, prep your body in anticipation of any unhealthy foods or beverages you’re likely to consume by taking the following supplements:
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Liposomal glutathione (for the alcohol): Glutathione is the mother of all antioxidants, as mentioned in our previous two-part post, “Glutathione Treatments 101.” Liposomal glutathione is encased in fatty acids that improve the delivery of glutathione to the cells that need it.
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GlutenFlam: This supplement contains enzymes and amino acids that can protect the intestinal lining against any inflammation caused by gluten, which is in most baked goods.
If you have celiac disease or moderate gluten sensitivity, taking Gluten Flam does not mean you can consume any amount of gluten.
However, it does help with accidental ingestion of gluten and can help those with leaky gut or those who are avoiding gluten because they know of its health risks but don’t want to be singled out at parties.
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GlutAloeMine: This combination of four natural ingredients protects the stomach lining from all acid-forming foods, limiting your exposure and helping you heal from acid reflux.
The four ingredients are a concentrated extract of licorice processed to remove glycyrrhizin (to reduce any negative side effects), glutamine, arabinogalactan, and aloe vera leaf extract.
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Methyl B vitamins: Methyl B vitamins are in liquid form, making them easy for the body to absorb and assimilate. These vitamins will be depleted by all that partying you’re about to do.
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Xymogen Probio Daily: These probiotics help keep the immune system strong in the face of all the danger it’s about to enter.
All of these supplements can be purchased at BioDesign Wellness Center at 3200 Henderson Blvd, Floor 1, Tampa, Fl 33609 or by calling (813) 445-7770. We are currently offering a 20% holiday discount.
Also, drink plenty of water. You’ll tend to dehydrate, especially if you’re partying outside on a hot day and drinking soft drinks or alcohol, so get hydrated before the weekend starts.
During
Here are a few suggestions to limit the damage caused by any unhealthy eating or drinking over the holiday weekend:
- Avoid chips and processed meats. These have oils that can really cause weight gain and clog the arteries.
- Eat the burger but not the bun that has all the processed chemicals and white flour.
- Choose the steak or chicken over the hotdog. As an alternative, you can buy grass-fed and nitrate-free meats and hotdogs.
- Fill up on the salads — not the pasta or potato salad!
- Eat the sauerkraut; it has good probiotics.
- Stay hydrated. If you drink alcohol, consider alternating each drink with an eight-ounce glass of water. Use electrolyte packets to help you stay hydrated.
If you have a chronic health condition that limits the consumption of certain foods and beverages, decide what you’re going to eat and drink ahead of time. How much can you afford to drink or eat?
If you used to eat three hot dogs, have one. If you like to drink like a fish, drink more like a bird. Have one cocktail instead of six. Enjoy your life and time with family; excess is short-lived and will reduce the time you have to spend with loved ones.
Whatever you do, avoid sweets and desserts; the rest of the food and any alcohol you consume already contain plenty of sugar.
Stay in control. You are the only one in control of your condition; the medications will not counterbalance all the sodium and sugar. No pills can substitute for a healthy diet.
After
Here are a few tips to recover after a long weekend of partying:
- Exercise. Sweating will help you detox.
- Drink plenty of water with electrolytes, especially if you’re exercising.
- Continue taking the liposomal glutathione, GlutAloeMine, methyl B vitamins, and Xymogen Probio Daily to restore depleted antioxidants and B vitamins and restore gut health.
The above protocol, which may produce positive results in as little as a day or two, can be followed for 10-14 days or longer if needed or recommended by a licensed medical professional.
I always tell patients you can have a holiday, but don’t make it a holy week or holy month; that’s when they get into trouble. Enjoy yourself over the holiday weekend and then return to healthy living; that’s how you thrive.
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Disclaimer: The information in this blog post about Fourth of July holiday eating is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect current medical thinking or practices. No information contained in this post should be construed as medical advice from the medical staff at BioDesign Wellness Center, Inc., nor is this post intended to be a substitute for medical counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate medical advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a licensed medical professional in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.