Holiday tips

Dear Friends, 

2021 flew by in a whirlwind… can’t believe it’s that magical time of year already!

I will be on vacation next week, but my wonderful staff, Alex or Allexis, will be in the office, so you are welcome to stop by for any supplements or call for a mail order.  If you have any urgent health concerns, please visit your local urgent care or ER for prompt attention. 

Holidays can be challenging since temptations are abundant!  Cookies, cakes, pies, cocktails, wine, and heavy dishes are the custom!   We all want to enjoy some of the festive holiday food.  How can we do so and still feel healthy?  The last thing we want is to feel bloated and sluggish!  

Here are my top 7 tips:  

1) Eat mindfully.  Do you really need to eat a large slice of pie?  Or can you be satisfied with just 2-3 forkfuls?  The first few bites we eat are the most tasty and satisfying.  Most of us just go on eating out of habit.  If you eat slowly and savor each bite slowly, you may be surprised to be satisfied with less!  Mindful eating helps prevent overeating and improves digestion, keeping IBS at bay.  Also, taking digestive enzymes like Digestive Enzyme Pro before heavy meals can make a world of difference!

2) Protect your Gut Microbiome.  Unfortunately, stress, sugar, and alcohol all promote the growth of bad bacteria in our gut!  Our microbiome is so important to our overall health, metabolism, hormones, and energy.  Be sure to protect your microbiome by taking a high quality probiotic daily in the morning on an empty stomach.  We carry 5 excellent probiotics to choose from: Spore Probiotic IgG (for SIBO), Orthobiotic (maintenance), Orthobiotic 100 (stronger), and Probiotic 225 (strongest microbiome reboot), and S. boulardii (for yeast and fungal issues).

3) Intermittent fasting.  Give your body and liver more time to focus on detoxification pathways by NOT eating for a 14-18 hour window.  For example, eat dinner by 6 PM and then wait till noon the next day to have lunch (18 hour fast).  An easier 14 hour fast is finishing dinner by 8 PM and eating your next meal at 10 AM the next morning.  Do this every few days and feel the difference in your energy and mental clarity!

4) Be sure to MOVE after dessert.  If you do indulge in a dessert, I recommend staying active to help promote blood sugar utilization by your muscles.  So go for an evening walk, climb some stairs, or play with your kids or grandkids!  You could also take Berberine Pro, which contains berberine and alpha lipoid acid.  This supplement has been an extremely effective and popular supplement in my office for promoting insulin-sensitivity and blood sugar uptake.  

5) Holiday Green Smoothies!  Start the day with some clean, nutrient-dense ingredients!  These are my 2 holiday favorites:

Holiday Peppermint Smoothie:
2 handfulls of organic baby spinach
½ ripe avocado
1 frozen banana
¼ cup of walnuts
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 pitted dates
2 drops of pure essential peppermint oil (recommend by Doterra)
¼ cup ice cubes
Optional collagen or vegetarian protein 1 scoop

Cinnamon Pear Smoothie:
½ frozen banana
1 ripe pear, cored and seeded – recommend cutting up ripe pear and freezing
2 tbsp of raw almond butter (or ¼ cup soaked whole almonds)
8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Handfull of organic baby spinach
¼ cup ice
Optional collagen or vegetarian protein 1 scoop

6) Promote Detox Pathways —  For all the stress, toxins, sugar, etc, I highly recommend taking Glutathione, the master anti-oxidant and detoxifier.  Some like Liposomal glutathione (2-4 pumps), which is taken first thing in the morning since it goes right through the mucous membranes in your mouth into your body, bypassing the gut.  If you prefer capsule, you can also take L-glutathione.  We also cary transdermal glutathione which can be sprayed right on the skin with superior absorption into the body (the unpleasant sulfur smell lasts only 1 minute).

7) Plan for a week long detox in the New Year!  Start the year fresh by cleaning out your body and liver.  We carry a simplified liver detox kit called “Core Restore” which makes it easy to follow and provides all the vitamins and shakes needed for the week along with an anti-inflammatory diet plan.  Most patients find they loose 3-5 lbs and feel less inflamed and more energetic.  

Wishing you all a wonderful and healthy holiday season and a bright start to 2022!

Warm regards,  

Rajsree Nambudripad, MD