Surviving the Holidays, Nutritionally
by Dr. Steve Silverman • Roslyn & Hauppauge

For many, the holidays are a happy, joyful time of year when family and friends come together and celebrate. But along with the festivities come the food, drinks and treats of the season. It is no wonder that I see more episodes of fatigue, headache, stomach-ache, flare-ups of irritable bowel, muscle and joint pain and irritability this time of year. Knowing your body and what it works well with just might help you enjoy the holidays more this year.

If you're the lucky type who never has any of the above health issues, then you are truly blessed with superior genes. You are a wonderful detoxifier and your body can process whatever you throw at it. You have what I call European Stock Genes. Unfortunately, we can't all be so lucky. If you have periodic episodes of not feeling well or symptoms that create discomfort, you should be aware that any exposure to highly processed foods can potentially trigger an episode. Our exposure to overly processed foods is generally higher this time of year, and if you overload your system, you will suffer. Most of us have to be mindful of what we throw into our bodies or be prepared to pay the price. Mapping out a strategy in advance may save you some punishment.

Let's start off with beverages and alcohol. Many holiday drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. For many people, this almost guarantees going into a hypoglycemic state within a few hours of ingestion. That means fatigue, headache, irrita- bility and an increase in hunger. Stick with filtered or bottled water or juices that do not add high fructose corn syrup. Avoid Pina Coladas, Frozen Daiquiris and fancy drinks– they are hard on the system due to the chemical processing of the mixes used along with ridiculously high amounts of high fructose corn syrup. If you must drink, stick with alcohol mixed with juice or tonic water– the simpler the better.

Generally speaking, meats and vegetables do not create problems for most people, but processed meats like sausages and cold cuts do contain high amounts of nitrates and nitrites. These can trigger headaches, stomachaches and severe fatigue for those susceptible. They are fairly easy to avoid by sticking with fresh meat that has not been deep-fried or breaded. Breaded meats such as chicken cutlets usually contain partially hydrogenated oils (in the breadcrumbs) which generate free radical release in the body. Free radicals damage the immune system and are suspect as triggers of cancer. They also have a tendency to trigger fatigue and are unhealthy for the heart.

Desserts are often the most difficult to resist, since they're usually placed right in front of you. The best thing to do is to eat a lot of fresh fruit if it’s available. Even though it may not seem as appealing as the baked goods, by the time you're done with the fruit, your craving for the processed sweets will be dramatically reduced. It's hard to know which sweets will do the most damage to you. Baked goods use baking powder and most commercial brands of baking powder contain aluminum. Between the quality of the water that the flour was mixed with, the hydrogenated oils and the type of oils used (cottonseed being the most offensive,) artificial colors and flavorings, preservatives and additives, desserts pose the biggest potential for an adverse reaction. Eater beware!

There are several ways to prepare yourself if you know you can't resist temptation. If you're not an extremely sensitive person, you can probably protect yourself with a B complex vitamin. This helps tremendously with carbohydrate metabolism and energy utilization. Milk thistle herb helps with liver detoxification in the event your liver does not tolerate the various substances and toxins it encounters in the food. Gluatathione or N-acetylcysteine (the latter converts to gluatathione and is a less expensive and more efficient way to increase gluta-thione levels) encourage improved liver detoxification. Gluta-thione is needed for carbohydrate metabolism. In the event that you do have a reaction to something you ate and you feel wiped out, get rid of the processed foods in your house. Don't continue to eat the cookies, cake or pie that put you in this state. Eat plenty of high water fruits the next day, like watermelon or grapefruit, which will help the reaction pass more quickly.

If you're an extremely sensitive individual, you may be sensitive to the very vitamins, minerals and herbs that are supposed to help you. You must exert discipline and eat some safe food at home before going to dinners or outings. If you're not so hungry when you arrive you will be less likely to eat the wrong foods. Sensitive people can also benefit from liquid homeopathic formulas that encourage detoxification and drainage, but these work on such an individual basis that it would be impos-sible to recommend one here. For more information, you could read Ellen Cutler's new book The Food Allergy Cure. This technique can dramatically alter a person's health.

So, eat sensibly, know your body and have a wonderful and healthy holiday!

Dr. Silverman is a chiropractor and state certified nutritionist who has been in prac-tice for 22 years. He has taught college courses in holistic health and nutrition and has appeared on TV and radio. He has offices in Hauppauge (631) 724-6780 and Roslyn (516) 484-0776.