Know When to Say When: Alcohol and Your Liver
APR 02, 2024The liver normally breaks down alcohol, but if the amount of alcohol consumed exceeds the liver's ability to break it down, toxins can build up to cause liver damage over time.
Read MoreFor many, the holidays are a signal to eat with abandon, sort of like "vacation eating." Holiday eating and vacation eating are defined, by me, as eating as if there's no tomorrow. This could mean eating fat and calorie-laden foods as if they don't really count. Or, eating beyond fullness or lots and lots of foods that might typically be seen as off limits. We convince ourselves that, because grandma's cookies or the offices party treats happen only once per year, we should load up. Then we convince ourselves that we'll start changing this naughty behavior after the holidays are over.
Many gain weight over the holidays because of the over-abundance of yummy treats, the emotional connection or possibly even disconnection to loved ones, and just the sheer madness of the season itself. It's an emotionally difficult time of year for many, and food can be used or misused as a way to cope. Sometimes we use food to fill up the areas of our lives that feel empty. In short, we are pulled in a million different directions this time of year, and it's easy to get off track, and stop paying attention to quality and quantity of our food choices.
What can we realistically do about this? There's good news and bad here. I'll start with the bad news: The yummy treats and the emotions attached to them are going to show up. There's no way around it. But, here's the good news, we can prepare for it! We can mindfully, thoughtfully, and realistically plan for what we know is going to happen. While it's true that sometimes foods show up at home or work unexpectedly, most of us know what events we are going to and can give it some thought ahead of time.
So what can be done ahead of time to prepare for all of this? Here's a few ideas ...
The liver normally breaks down alcohol, but if the amount of alcohol consumed exceeds the liver's ability to break it down, toxins can build up to cause liver damage over time.
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