Key points
- Holiday stress can make sugary foods more tempting, especially when you’re tired or skipping meals.
- Your defense against holiday sweets may begin hours before the first craving hits, with what you put on your breakfast plate.
- Planning for your favorite holiday treats can help prevent weeks of unplanned nibbling.
- UNI KEY Health’s GLP-1 Formula is designed for blood sugar and appetite support, while their GLA-90 supplies the black currant seed oil that has long been a cornerstone of my Fat Flush plan.
- Skipping meals after an indulgence can leave you hungry again. Return to your regular eating routine at the next meal.
You walked past the Halloween candy all morning without a second thought. Then the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, dinner ran late, and someone needed one more favor. Now you’re at the kitchen counter, unwrapping another piece of candy. Why does chocolate suddenly seem like the answer to everything?
Before you blame yourself, I want you to look at the day you’ve had.
Holiday stress has a way of following us into the kitchen. Family expectations, extra expenses, and too little sleep can make sweets more tempting, especially when you’ve been taking care of everyone but yourself.
That’s why my holiday advice begins long before the dessert tray comes out. Let’s look at what’s making those cravings harder to resist, and how to get ahead of them.
Why Does Stress Make You Want Sugar?
Your body can respond to holiday pressure by releasing stress hormones, including cortisol. A sudden fright may take away your appetite. But when stress stretches into days or weeks, hunger can increase and sugary, calorie-dense foods may become more appealing. Stress affects people differently, but changes in appetite are a recognized part of the response.
Now add a missed lunch, a breakfast that consisted of coffee only or maybe a sweet treat, and an afternoon spent running errands. By the time you get home, the cookies are on the counter and you’re too hungry to wait for dinner.
Maybe you think of this as “intermittent” fasting. But I’m not a fan.
I’ve heard women describe this as having “no control” around sweets. My first question is always: What have you eaten today?
If you’ve been running on coffee and a few hurried bites, let’s start there. Your body needs a meal, and the candy bowl happens to be closer than the cutting board.
Don’t Let Five O’Clock Catch You Empty-Handed
Before the holiday calendar fills up, give yourself a dinner you can put on the table in minutes.
A pot of hearty soup, like my Fat Flush Soup, can be a tremendous help. Leftover chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and carefully washed vegetables also give you something nourishing to work with when you open the refrigerator.
Choose two or three dependable meals and keep the ingredients on hand. Knowing what’s for dinner means one less decision at the end of a demanding day.
And please eat your regular meals before a holiday party. “Saving up” all day can leave you so hungry that you’ve filled up on appetizers before you’ve even greeted the hostess.
Give Breakfast Some Staying Power
A cup of coffee and a promise to eat later won’t carry you through a demanding morning.
I want you to have protein in the morning. Try eggs with vegetables, or make one of my Fat Flush smoothies for a breakfast you can blend in minutes. Choose a recipe that fits your Fat Flush phase, if you’re following the plan.
Make the decision the night before. Have the eggs ready or measure your smoothie ingredients and refrigerate anything perishable so breakfast doesn’t become one more thing you have to figure out.
You’re going to spend plenty of time thinking about what everyone else will eat this holiday season. Give your own breakfast a little of that attention.
Make Room for the Holiday Foods You Truly Love
There’s a difference between enjoying your favorite Thanksgiving dessert and eating candy every time you walk through the kitchen.
Decide what you’re looking forward to. Perhaps it’s a slice of your sister’s pumpkin pie. Have it, sit down, and enjoy it.
The foods I want you to reconsider are the ones you barely notice eating: broken cookies while you’re baking, candy from the office bowl, bites of leftovers while you’re cleaning up.
Put treats away between occasions. If having Halloween candy in the house is a struggle, wait until you need it to buy it. Send guests home with leftovers you don’t want calling to you all week.
In other words, make your kitchen easier to live in.
Your Holiday Secret for Cravings and Weight Control
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a holiday treat without thinking about the next one before you’ve finished the first? When cravings keep demanding your attention, blood sugar and appetite support may deserve a place in your holiday plan.
UNI KEY Health’s GLP-1 Formula was developed to support healthy blood sugar and appetite balance as part of your weight-management routine.
You’ve probably heard of GLP-1. It’s a hormone your body naturally produces that helps regulate blood sugar and signals fullness after eating. This formula combines dihydroberberine, (or DHB), with fenugreek extract, alpha-lipoic acid, and AstraGin®. It’s a nutritional supplement, distinct from prescription GLP-1 medications.
Think of it as additional support for the habits you’re building: eating a real breakfast, keeping satisfying meals ready, and making time to rest. Follow the label directions and check with your healthcare practitioner before adding it, especially if you take blood sugar medication or other prescription medicines.
A Longtime Fat Flush Favorite: GLA-90
The right fats have always been a foundation of my Fat Flush approach. That’s why I want you thinking about the quality of the fats you’re getting as you head into the holidays.
UNI KEY’s fat-burning GLA-90 supplies gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, from black currant seed oil. It’s been part of my Fat Flush nutritional recommendations for years, providing targeted fatty acid support alongside the nourishing foods on your plate.
If you already follow Fat Flush, keep those nutritional foundations in place when life gets busy. If you’re new to my approach, choosing your fats thoughtfully is a good place to begin.
Before adding either GLA-90 or GLP-1 Formula, follow the label directions and review the ingredients with your healthcare practitioner, especially if you take blood sugar medication, blood thinners, or other prescription medicines.
Give Yourself a Pause Before the Pantry
Sometimes you’ve eaten enough, but you’re overwhelmed and want a little relief.
Before reaching for food, take a few minutes to check in with yourself. Are you hungry? Upset? Exhausted? Trying to finish three jobs at once?
Step outside. Call someone who helps you feel settled. Take a few slow, comfortable breaths. Deep breathing and other relaxation practices may help reduce stress. NCCIH
If you’re hungry, eat. If you need a break, give yourself permission to take one.
And consider taking something off your holiday list. Buy the gift bag. Simplify the dinner. Let someone else bring a dish. Your well-being belongs on the calendar, too.
Protect Your Sleep as Best You Can
Everything feels harder after a poor night’s sleep, including walking past the cookies.
Research has found that sleep restriction can increase hunger and food intake. Giving yourself adequate time to sleep is one practical way to support appetite management during the holidays. Study on sleep restriction and hunger
I know that “get more sleep” can sound frustrating if you wake during the night. Start with what you can control: a more consistent bedtime, less late-night work, and a wind-down period before bed. If sleeplessness keeps happening, bring it up with your healthcare practitioner.
After a rough night, make the next day easier. Have breakfast planned and lunch available. Tired days are the days you most need those simple routines.
What If You Overdo It?
If you eat more Halloween candy than you intended or keep picking at Thanksgiving leftovers long after dinner, please don’t turn one evening into a verdict on your willpower.
Eat your next meal as usual. Make it nourishing and satisfying, with protein and vegetables. Skipping meals to compensate can leave you hungry and reaching for sweets again.
And don’t let “I’ve already blown it” become permission to put yourself last until January. You can take care of yourself at the very next meal.
I want you to enjoy the holidays, including the foods you look forward to all year. Give yourself the meals, rest, and support that make it easier to enjoy a treat and move on with your day.
What’s your biggest holiday craving trigger: stress, missed meals, or having treats within reach?
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
