Cheryl Sew Hoy explains how holiday eating habits damage your gut: more sugar, less fiber, disrupted sleep. She recommends anchoring meals with protein and fiber, eating dessert after food instead of alone, and protecting sleep and walks to keep your immune system steady.
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Welcome back. If you are already dreading that feeling of being stuffed after the holiday meal, you're not alone. It can be tricky not to overeat when there's so many rich and delicious foods on the holiday table that we often only indulge in once a year. Add to that the promises you may be planning to make for the new year, like eating right or getting in shape. Let's bring in Cheryl Suhoy, founder of Tiny Health, a health tech company that offers gut microbiome testing for mothers and babies. Merry Christmas and thanks for being on the show this morning.
So happy to be here, Elle.
Well, what is it about the holiday meal that can make us feel sluggish afterwards, biochemistry wise? What's happening there?
Yeah, I mean, during the holiday, it's not just what we eat, it's how our routines change. Right. More sugar, less fiber. You know, you're traveling, you have more stress, less sleep. All that actually affects the gut. And we now know that 80% of our immune system lives in the gut. So it plays a big role not in just digestion, but also energy and immune function.
Well, when we're about to sit down at the table, what are some of the top things we need to keep in mind if we don't want to feel uncomfortable afterwards? If we want to think about our gut health as part of the equation?
Yes. Keep it to three simple things. First, anchor your meals. Try to include protein, fiber, and healthy fats at meals. Remember, I didn't say carbs and sugar. It doesn't mean you can't eat it. Just anchor it around those protein, fiber and healthy fats. Fiber feeds the good bacteria and protein and healthy fats keep you fuller, so that keeps blood sugar steady and reduces those energy crashes. Yeah.
Probably keeps you from snacking too much throughout the day as well.
100%. And then number two, don't have sugar on an empty stomach. My kids was just running to me this morning and they were like, can I eat this chocolate? I told them, yes, you can enjoy dessert, but. But have it after a meal instead of on its own. That one change can make a big difference.
What are some examples of some healthy fats? You know, avocado usually comes to mind, but you don't see a lot of those and they're not really in season over the holidays.
Yeah, yeah. I try to keep some avocados around, but you can also do, you know, bone broth and tallow. We cook a lot of food and tallow, olive oil. So those are healthy fats for sure. And Then my last tip here, number three, is to protect your routine where you can, you know, sleep, getting six to eight hours at least. Hydration. Always remember to drink. And also movement matters. Even a short walk after all that meal and all the cakes and chocolates can help with digestion, energy and immune function to protect your gut health.
What does all that sugar and salt, what effect does that have on the body, even the day after the meal?
Yeah, I mean, sugar feeds the bad bacteria, right? And yeast and all that. So, you know, obviously holiday is all about balancing. It's not about not eating it at all. Just remember to balance sugar with water and especially fiber because, you know, sometimes you just snack all day long and you don't remember to feed your good bacteria. So as you're feeding your bad bacteria, also feed the good bacteria.
Of all the things that you just. All the good advice you just gave us is if we remember one of them, what do you think is the most important?
Well, I think it's all about balance, right? It's not about restricting. It's all about being mindful when you're eating, but also, frankly, de stress, enjoy your family, enjoy your food, and, you know, it'll all like, you know, be about balancing to protect your gut health.
All right. Cheryl Suhoy, founder of Tiny Health, thank you for that good advice. Always something to keep in mind before we sit down to that delicious holiday meal for some of us later today. We appreciate your time this morning. Merry Christmas to you.
