The holiday season is here, and it’s a time for celebration, connection, and…desserts! From sugar cookies to hot cocoa, holiday treats are everywhere. While it’s important to enjoy the festivities, these sugary delights are horrible for our health—particularly our menstrual health. Eating a lot of refined sugar and indulging in desserts between meals can cause significant blood sugar spikes, which may lead to unwelcome side effects like acne, PMS, and mood swings.
But I wouldn’t have the heart to tell you to avoid holiday treats altogether. Instead, I’ll give you my favorite strategy so that you can savor your favorites while keeping your blood sugar stable and your menstrual health in check.
Why You Want to Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes
When you eat sugary foods on an empty stomach, your blood sugar levels can rise rapidly. This sudden spike is often followed by a crash, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, and craving more sugar. Over time, frequent blood sugar spikes can:
Worsen PMS symptoms:
Fluctuating blood sugar levels can increase mood swings, irritability, and fatigue.
(If you normally get PMS or cycle symptoms, check out this page.)
Contribute to hormonal imbalances:
High sugar intake can elevate insulin levels, which may interfere with other hormones like estrogen and progesterone, affecting your cycle.
Increase acne and inflammation:
Sugar is inflammatory and can exacerbate skin issues like menstrual-related acne
Cause energy dips:
The crash after a sugar spike can leave you feeling drained and less able to enjoy holiday activities.
Raise the risk of chronic diseases:
Repeated blood sugar spikes can lead to insulin resistance, increasing the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Harm gut health:
Excessive sugar can disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut, potentially leading to digestive issues and weakened immunity.
Affect mental health:
Frequent sugar highs and lows can contribute to anxiety and depression, making it harder to maintain emotional stability.
OK, so let’s talk solutions!
The key to enjoying holiday treats without the negative side effects is to pair your sweets with foods that help stabilize your blood sugar. Healthy fats and proteins slow down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, preventing those roller coaster spikes and crashes.
1. Eat Desserts After a Meal or Snack to Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes
Instead of reaching for a cookie mid-morning or snacking on candy between meals, save your desserts for after you’ve had a meal or snack containing healthy fat and protein. For example:
Pre-dessert snack: Have a handful of nuts or seeds (like almonds or sunflower seeds) before diving head first into that tray of cookies. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s important to do this before having anything with sugar.
Meal pairing: Make sure all your meals include sources of healthy fat and protein, such as salmon, avocado, eggs, or tofu. That way, you can enjoy your dessert after, knowing you’ve avoided a spike in blood sugar.
2. Snack Ideas to Eat Before Dessert
If you’re about to dive into a dessert tray and haven’t had a balanced meal recently, grab one of these quick snack options first:
- A handful of nuts (mixed nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc)
- A boiled egg or two
- A small serving of Greek yogurt with no added sugar
- A slice of avocado drizzled with olive oil and sea salt
- A piece (or three) of cheese
These snacks will provide the protein and healthy fats you need to stabilize your blood sugar before enjoying your treats.
If you want to create your own snacks, here is a list of some common healthy fats and proteins:
- Healthy fats: Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel), spinach, seaweed, brussels sprouts.
- Proteins: Eggs, lean meats, tofu, tempeh, legumes (like chickpeas or lentils), goat and sheep dairy, and protein-rich nuts and seeds (like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, and pistachios).
3. What to Do When You Don’t Have Healthy Fat in Your Meal
Sometimes, you don’t have control over what’s being served—like at a holiday party or family gathering. If the meal lacks healthy fat, you can still get some by:
- Drizzling olive oil or avocado oil over your salad or vegetables.
- Adding a small side of guacamole or hummus if available (or bring some to share as a side).
- Bring a small container of mixed nuts and seeds to put on the table for dessert.
Why This Matters for Your Health
Stabilizing your blood sugar isn’t just about avoiding the crash. It has huge benefits for your menstrual cycle and overall health. Just some benefits include:
Reducing PMS symptoms:
Stable blood sugar helps regulate mood and energy levels, which can reduce irritability and fatigue during your cycle.
Lowering inflammation:
Lower inflammation levels can mean clearer skin, milder period cramps, healthier aging, and can help the body fight off infection and illness.
Balancing hormones:
Keeping insulin levels steady supports a healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone.
Improving energy:
Consistent energy levels mean you’ll have more stamina to enjoy holiday traditions.
Lowering the risk of diabetes:
Stable blood sugar reduces the strain on your pancreas and helps prevent insulin resistance.
Supporting heart health:
Balanced blood sugar levels can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Enhancing mental clarity:
Avoiding sugar crashes can lead to improved focus and mood stability.
A Holiday Season That Feels Good
This holiday season, you don’t need to deprive yourself to protect your health. By making simple adjustments like pairing treats with healthy fats and proteins, you can keep your blood sugar stable and your menstrual health on track.
Enjoy the holidays, savor the desserts, and prioritize your well-being. Happy holidays!
– Arya