Vitamin B is vital for our immune system, skin, brain function, energy levels, digestion/metabolism, hormone production, cell function and blood.
The prevalence of stress and alcohol are common during the holiday season. Let’s
look at how both of these factors diminish our Vitamin B levels.
- Stress has a huge impact on our health. It is essential to address stress if we realise that this is occurring. Eating healthily supports with managing stress as it ensures we get the nutrients needed to deal with any extra stressors. Unfortunately, we tend to drop healthy eating to seek comfort with unhealthy or junk food once we experience any form of stress. This can mean that the body can struggle to handle the extra stress load that it could otherwise deal with. The more stress you have, the more nutrients you will use or excrete, and the more malnourished you can become. Simply put, stress causes nutritional deficiencies.
- Alcohol is often used in times of both celebration and stress. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar; it is a poison and immunosuppressant. It can cause liver damage and cause or increase inflammation, along with other side-effects that occur even with half a glass.
In summary, A lifestyle that is high in alcohol, stress, sugar, junk food will likely lead to low levels of B vitamins. In addition to a nourishing diet and eating light (food that is easy to digest, doesn’t take a long time to digest, leaves no strain/toxic footprint, including lots of veggies, legumes, fruit), you may consider taking a high quality B-complex supplement if needed.
Popular Australian Christmas Foods
The ‘festive season’ has its traditional foods. Below we explore foods that typically seen at Christmas gatherings.
Cherries
Cherries are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals (including vitamin C, A and K, potassium, magnesium and calcium). Cherries are also high in sugar, particularly if not the fresh type (syrup or dried), so best if eaten fresh and in small quantities.
Prawns
Prawns are rich in selenium, zinc and protein. As prawns are bottom feeders, they accumulate toxins. This is partly why some people are allergic to prawns (and other shellfish). So, eat in moderation and choose wild caught options over farmed if or where possible.
Oysters
Oysters are abundant in B12 and Omega 3, however are high in cholesterol and can contain heavy metals. When eaten raw, they can cause digestive issues due to harmful bacteria.
Turkey
Turkey contains B vitamins, selenium and zinc. Unprocessed turkey is the better option over smoked or marinated turkey due to salt content and artificial additives. Turkeys are given antibiotics to protect them against disease which creates antibiotic resistant bugs that are harmful to our health.
