November 4, 2024
Feel the Benefits of Sticking with Low Carb Over the Holidays

With the holiday season in full launch, many of us tend to throw in the low carb towel with intentions to reboot our wellness goals in the New Year. But here’s the thing: you will feel better if you maintain your low net carb commitment instead of powering down and allowing yourself to veer off course. No one has ever lamented over prioritizing eating foods that make them feel good over the holiday season.
Like, ever.
Friends—this is NOT the time to space out! This is when we show ourselves what we are capable of and what we deserve: a healthy body and mind all year round.
Here’s why Carbonaut thinks you should consider staying on track during the fall and winter months when it comes your low net carb health journey:
Immune Health
Germs and bacteria associated with colds and flus love to spread out and become their happiest, most productive selves throughout the fall and winter seasons. Indoor gatherings combined with artificial heat and moisture means our bodies are exposed to more germs during this time of year—which makes it even more important to maintain a healthy fitness and nutrition schedule. Since food is the number one way to influence your immune system, it’s imperative to focus on maintaining healthy habits throughout the holidays.
Germs and bacteria associated with colds and flus love to spread out and become their happiest, most productive selves throughout the fall and winter seasons. Indoor gatherings combined with artificial heat and moisture means our bodies are exposed to more germs during this time of year—which makes it even more important to maintain a healthy fitness and nutrition schedule. Since food is the number one way to influence your immune system, it’s imperative to focus on maintaining healthy habits throughout the holidays.
When we lose our focus on healthy foods and succumb to the plethora of simple sugars over the holidays, we cause damage to our immune systems and are more likely to get sick1.
Mental Health
The holiday season can also be notoriously tough on mental health. Between navigating competing family events, darker skies, colder weather, and a general lack of vitamin D (dubbed the happiness hormone2), our bodies and minds take a huge hit. Now add foods high in carbohydrates and late nights that correlate to insufficient sleep. Left unchecked and without a plan, it can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to healthy brain function!
(And if you’re an introvert, the situation can be full S.O.S.)
Choosing healthy, low net carb foods can help you navigate many of these mental health issues. Proper nutrition keeps your digestive system (when more of your immune function originates) healthy3, promotes better quality sleep4, clarity of the mind, and an overall sensation of wellness.
If you need some low net carb recipe inspiration, you can find a universe of recipe ideas on our website!
The Science Behind Consistency
Consistency is the new motivation. While motivation often wanes, consistency is the product of conscious habit-building. Building healthy habits and rituals that you can be consistent about will produce more long-term success than motivation.
Why? Because we are what we consistently do.
If you consistently maintain a low carb diet, then that becomes your lifestyle. If you always go to the gym each week, then you’re somebody who works out. If you build the habit of practicing gratefulness each day, then you can call yourself a mindful individual.
It’s the small habits over time that build a lifestyle you love.
Try to stay consistent with your low carb goals over the holidays. Don’t count on motivation, because you may not always be motivated—none of us are. But if you are already in the habit of maintaining a low net carb diet on a day-to-day basis, just keep going. Don’t stop!
It’s also important to maintain consistency in meal intervals. Eating a small low carb meal every few hours will keep sugar cravings in check, and your health goals within sight. And remember, it’s okay to have a blip or a bump in the road every now and then, if you consistently get back on the low carb rocket ship.
Friends, you got this.
Learn more by signing up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the low carb inspiration.
- Fang, Han et al. “Dietary sugar lowers immunity and microbiota that protect against metabolic disease.” Cell metabolism vol. 34,10 (2022): 1422-1424. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2022.09.006 ↩︎
- Mentis, Isidoros. “The effects of vitamin D on mood alteration in women’s life: Focus on depression.” Acta neurobiologiae experimentalis vol. 83,3 307-316. 29 Sep. 2023, doi:10.55782/ane-2023-2436 ↩︎
- Wu, Hsin-Jung, and Eric Wu. “The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity.” Gut microbes vol. 3,1 (2012): 4-14. doi:10.4161/gmic.19320 ↩︎
- Tavakoli, Atefeh et al. “Association between low carbohydrate diet (LCD) and sleep quality by mediating role of inflammatory factors in women with overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study.” Food science & nutrition vol. 9,11 6252-6261. 28 Sep. 2021, doi:10.1002/fsn3.2584 ↩︎