Biohacking Holiday Indulgence
"Everything in Moderation, Including Moderation"
Eating too much and too rich
I love eating and am a total foody, so this is something I often do and find myself, pant button and fly open holding my stomach and groaning "never again!" at the end of a Christmas feast. Shortly after that, the food coma sets in and I do my best to roll to the couch in the hopes that when I lie down, my stomach will spread out and not look so big. Here are some tips to keep you feasting without bursting:
1) Use digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes will help your body break down your food more fully and effectively. This takes the burden off your stomach, pancreas, liver and even your immune system (which is recruited when our caloric intake is higher than normal), letting everything work more efficiently with less energy output. Then end result is cleaner digestion and better energy!
2) Chew a bit slower. This one's a classic and works like a charm. When you chew more slowly, your digestion is more efficient and it gives your stomach a chance to tell your brain that it's getting food so it can lay off the hunger signals!
3) Combine cinnamon and protein with sugary foods. The biggest issue with sugary foods is that they cause a spike in blood sugar (the infamous sugar high), followed be an insulin spike of even greater magnitude (which triggers systemic inflammation), which finally leads to acute hypoglycemia and fat production (the sugar crash) which in turn causes further cravings for sugar. Dang that's nasty! A good biohack for this issue is to reduce the intensity of the sugar/insulin spike by consuming protein and cinnamon with your sweets. Both of these will reduce the spike and rebound cravings that occur. So have a bit of cheese with your desert or a sprinkle of cinnamon on your coffee!
4) Fast the morning after a big meal. It takes some serious energy to digest food! By giving your body an extra 4 hours to digest last nights meal, your system will be running more efficiently and your stomach will reduce back to its unstretched state which will keep you from overeating at the next meal. Additionally, it will even out your insulin and reduce any immune system stress brought about by overeating.
Drinking Too Much
Another holiday favorite! After all, if 1 glass of wine helps you live longer, then with 4 glasses and a shot of Bailey's I'll be immortal! If only it worked that way...
Here are some hacks to help with the hooch!
1) Drink water. Alcohol is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. A hangover is part dehydration. Since your brain is 98 percent water, it's very susceptible to dehydration, causing the brain fog and headaches that often go with a hangover. Aim for half a glass of water for every drink before you go to bed. Sure you may need to pee like a race horse in the middle of the night, but being functional the next day is worth it!
2) Thin your blood. Between dehydration and increased inflammation (a side effect of alcohol metabolism), your blood gets sticky. Sticky blood has a tougher time getting to where it needs to be. Less blood means less oxygen which means less energy. Vitamin E, fish oil, white willow bark extract and baby aspirin are all good ways to thin your blood.
3) Get some fat with your booze. A little bit of fat will slow the absorption of your alcohol, giving your liver a chance to work with it without getting overburdened.
4) Take care of your liver. Your liver is the organ that breaks down alcohol so you can excrete it. If it's overburdened or "clogged up" it won't be able to handle too much Christmas Cheer. Two simple things you can do is take milk thistle (as a tea or a tincture), a herb that actually protects the liver while its doing its job and eat dark greens, which help the liver and gall bladder secrete bile.
5) Nux Vomica and Activated Charcoal. Nux vomica is a great homeopathic hangover remedy. Take it in a 6C potency the morning after if you need it. One of the intermediary byproducts of alcohol metabolism is aldhehyde, which is quite neurotoxic if it builds up. By taking activated charcoal, you can essentially vacuum up this and other metabolites that may be giving you a hangover; 1-2 grams is the usual dose.
Toking Too Much
Why should Justin Trudeau have all the fun ;-)! Or as one of my patients put it "Doc, if you knew my extended family, you'd know why I toke more during the holidays!". If you're going to enjoy the herb over the holidays, here are some tips to prevent a "weedover".
1) Mix your strains. When you over use 1 strain, you can create an imbalance in your neurotransmitters that can make you a bummer, dude. With over 400 strains available, try to have several available so you don't overdo any one of them.
2) Use nutrients to replenish your neurology. Any drug (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, prescription and cannabis) exerts its influence on our physiology by pushing it in a certain direction. Usually our body can rebound and balance, but if we're run down or take things to excess (two things that often happen over the holidays!) then our system will be slower to recover. Marijuana tends to deplete two major neurotransmitters; acetylcholine and dopamine. If your focus and memory are off (dude, where's my car!), it's likely you've suppressed your acetylcholine. If you're a grumpy bear, you've likely pushed your dopamine too hard. The two major supplements you can take to even these issues out are:
Lecithin - a precursor to acetylcholine. Taken in the liquid capsule form, this supplement will reverse fog brain in as little as 15 minutes. I don't recommend the granular form as it tends to be really, really constipating (big turkey dinner + constipation = bad time!).
Tyrosine - is an amino acid that is a precursor to both adrenaline and tyrosine. It will help boost any bad attitude or motivational drop that can sometimes happen with excessive cannabis use. Do not use this supplement if you are on tricycyclic antidepressants, dopamine blockers (antipsychotics) or beta-blockers as they will alter their effects.
Both of these supplements tend to be stimulating so I would recommend them in the morning or early afternoon. They are also excellent for brain fog and focus in general!
I hope you've enjoyed this article. I believe in everything in moderation, including moderation! Sometimes its fun to overdo it a bit, and when we do, we need to recharge ourselves with the best fuel possible.
Have a great holiday!
Dr. Peter
I love eating and am a total foody, so this is something I often do and find myself, pant button and fly open holding my stomach and groaning "never again!" at the end of a Christmas feast. Shortly after that, the food coma sets in and I do my best to roll to the couch in the hopes that when I lie down, my stomach will spread out and not look so big. Here are some tips to keep you feasting without bursting:
1) Use digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes will help your body break down your food more fully and effectively. This takes the burden off your stomach, pancreas, liver and even your immune system (which is recruited when our caloric intake is higher than normal), letting everything work more efficiently with less energy output. Then end result is cleaner digestion and better energy!
2) Chew a bit slower. This one's a classic and works like a charm. When you chew more slowly, your digestion is more efficient and it gives your stomach a chance to tell your brain that it's getting food so it can lay off the hunger signals!
3) Combine cinnamon and protein with sugary foods. The biggest issue with sugary foods is that they cause a spike in blood sugar (the infamous sugar high), followed be an insulin spike of even greater magnitude (which triggers systemic inflammation), which finally leads to acute hypoglycemia and fat production (the sugar crash) which in turn causes further cravings for sugar. Dang that's nasty! A good biohack for this issue is to reduce the intensity of the sugar/insulin spike by consuming protein and cinnamon with your sweets. Both of these will reduce the spike and rebound cravings that occur. So have a bit of cheese with your desert or a sprinkle of cinnamon on your coffee!
4) Fast the morning after a big meal. It takes some serious energy to digest food! By giving your body an extra 4 hours to digest last nights meal, your system will be running more efficiently and your stomach will reduce back to its unstretched state which will keep you from overeating at the next meal. Additionally, it will even out your insulin and reduce any immune system stress brought about by overeating.
Drinking Too Much
Another holiday favorite! After all, if 1 glass of wine helps you live longer, then with 4 glasses and a shot of Bailey's I'll be immortal! If only it worked that way...
Here are some hacks to help with the hooch!
1) Drink water. Alcohol is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. A hangover is part dehydration. Since your brain is 98 percent water, it's very susceptible to dehydration, causing the brain fog and headaches that often go with a hangover. Aim for half a glass of water for every drink before you go to bed. Sure you may need to pee like a race horse in the middle of the night, but being functional the next day is worth it!
2) Thin your blood. Between dehydration and increased inflammation (a side effect of alcohol metabolism), your blood gets sticky. Sticky blood has a tougher time getting to where it needs to be. Less blood means less oxygen which means less energy. Vitamin E, fish oil, white willow bark extract and baby aspirin are all good ways to thin your blood.
3) Get some fat with your booze. A little bit of fat will slow the absorption of your alcohol, giving your liver a chance to work with it without getting overburdened.
4) Take care of your liver. Your liver is the organ that breaks down alcohol so you can excrete it. If it's overburdened or "clogged up" it won't be able to handle too much Christmas Cheer. Two simple things you can do is take milk thistle (as a tea or a tincture), a herb that actually protects the liver while its doing its job and eat dark greens, which help the liver and gall bladder secrete bile.
5) Nux Vomica and Activated Charcoal. Nux vomica is a great homeopathic hangover remedy. Take it in a 6C potency the morning after if you need it. One of the intermediary byproducts of alcohol metabolism is aldhehyde, which is quite neurotoxic if it builds up. By taking activated charcoal, you can essentially vacuum up this and other metabolites that may be giving you a hangover; 1-2 grams is the usual dose.
Toking Too Much
Why should Justin Trudeau have all the fun ;-)! Or as one of my patients put it "Doc, if you knew my extended family, you'd know why I toke more during the holidays!". If you're going to enjoy the herb over the holidays, here are some tips to prevent a "weedover".
1) Mix your strains. When you over use 1 strain, you can create an imbalance in your neurotransmitters that can make you a bummer, dude. With over 400 strains available, try to have several available so you don't overdo any one of them.
2) Use nutrients to replenish your neurology. Any drug (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, prescription and cannabis) exerts its influence on our physiology by pushing it in a certain direction. Usually our body can rebound and balance, but if we're run down or take things to excess (two things that often happen over the holidays!) then our system will be slower to recover. Marijuana tends to deplete two major neurotransmitters; acetylcholine and dopamine. If your focus and memory are off (dude, where's my car!), it's likely you've suppressed your acetylcholine. If you're a grumpy bear, you've likely pushed your dopamine too hard. The two major supplements you can take to even these issues out are:
Lecithin - a precursor to acetylcholine. Taken in the liquid capsule form, this supplement will reverse fog brain in as little as 15 minutes. I don't recommend the granular form as it tends to be really, really constipating (big turkey dinner + constipation = bad time!).
Tyrosine - is an amino acid that is a precursor to both adrenaline and tyrosine. It will help boost any bad attitude or motivational drop that can sometimes happen with excessive cannabis use. Do not use this supplement if you are on tricycyclic antidepressants, dopamine blockers (antipsychotics) or beta-blockers as they will alter their effects.
Both of these supplements tend to be stimulating so I would recommend them in the morning or early afternoon. They are also excellent for brain fog and focus in general!
I hope you've enjoyed this article. I believe in everything in moderation, including moderation! Sometimes its fun to overdo it a bit, and when we do, we need to recharge ourselves with the best fuel possible.
Have a great holiday!
Dr. Peter
