First, let me assure you that you are not alone—especially this holiday season. From passed appetizers to holiday cookies, temptation abounds. The best part of working with my Golden Goddess plate is that there are no off-limits foods. No guilt, no shame, just honoring your body, recognizing you craved some sugar and working back toward balance. And maybe asking yourself, why the craving? Have I been eating balanced meals, did I get enough sleep, am I stressed out? Then your story will start making sense.
Next, let’s look at what happens to your body with a sugar binge. Within a few minutes, your pancreas secretes a surge of insulin to manage your blood sugar levels. While glucose is the main source of energy for your muscles, it’s toxic when it stays in your bloodstream. If there’s room in the muscles for the glucose some will get transported there; the rest is stored as fat. In reaction to this quasi-emergency that looks like life-threatening stress, the body works to achieve homeostasis by releasing both epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol from your adrenals (which tells our body to store even more fat). Your heart is racing, you’re starting to feel uncomfortable, maybe even sweating. And that’s just within the first hour after that holiday treat.
There’s more, though. Your immune system gets involved, and you may have trouble falling or staying asleep from the adrenaline and cortisol surge. You may even curse yourself in the middle of the night for eating all that decadent food. It’s a downward spiral—but let’s get you back on track.
That starts with a Golden Goddess Smoothie, which includes protein, healthy fats, fiber, greens and your liquid of choice (usually almond or coconut milk). But you really want to refuel with quality protein and fats, and I especially like Vimergy’s barley green juice powder, as this is a great detoxifier rich in vitamins and minerals. And drink tons of water and coconut water! I also recommend exercise the next morning to get you back on track. Your mind may be saying forget it, but just remember how good you will feel. Grab a friend and go—it doesn’t need to be an intense workout just get moving. And refuel afterward with your Golden Goddess Plate to balance out your blood sugar.
