Every year, my family packs up and heads to Moscow, Idaho, where we celebrate Christmas with extended family and friends…
…while stuffing our gullets full of holiday food and cheer (i.e. alcoholic beverages).
For example, on Christmas day, I will probably start the morning with eggnog and champagne…
…then move on to bacon, eggs and a variety of breakfast casseroles…
…followed by a second breakfast of waffles (gluten-free of course) and sausage, likely along with more booze …
…and then I’ll have just a couple hours to recover before indulging in a Christmas feast of meats, wines, cheeses and a wide assortment of very calorie rich hor d’ oeuvres drenched in butter and fatty sauces.
When the smoke has cleared, I’ll probably have consumed somewhere around 6000-8000 calories on Christmas day – much of it alcohol, fat and carbs.
And although you gotta “live a little” (as you learned in the article 3 Simple Big Meal Strategies To Maximize Fat Loss, Control Appetite and Limit The Damage From Overeating), this type of gluttonous scenario can cause:
-Increased blood insulin levels, which decreases fat mobilization and ability to burn fatty acids as a fuel.
-Increased storage of fat and carbohydrate and conversion of sugars into fats (even with a big meal as low as 750 calories).
-Increased sympathetic autonomic nervous system activity from a release of norepinephrine and epinephrine, which can significantly increase blood pressure.
-Increased percentage of energy coming from carbohydrate oxidation with a decreased percentage of energy coming from fat oxidation.
-Significant reduction in endothelial (blood vessel) function for up to 4 hours (even in healthy, low cholesterol subjects) due to big accumulation of circulating triglycerides.
Here’s a serving of eggnog, BEFORE any booze is added.
-Changes in the blood that allow it to clot more easily, combined with increased workload and blood flow to the stomach and intestines, thus raising the risk of heart attack.
-Clusters of solid food material that can get stuck in the narrow duct that connects your gallbladder to your intestine, causing potential for gallstones.
-And the list goes on and on…including increased inflammation from overstuffed fat cells, reduction in sensitivity to appetite control hormones, and large vacuoles of triglyceride based fat building up in the liver (fatty liver).
So in today’s post, I’m going to tell you the 5 things I’ll be packing when we head down to the family for the holidays to keep me from getting fat and sick. Let’s jump right into the first one (and even if you don’t have this stuff on hand, take some notes and hook yourself up with it for the next time of indulgence, for example, New Year’s!) – and as usual, I promise to answer any of your questions below the post, so fire away if you have thoughts or feedback as your read!
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