S P E C I A L E D I T I O N :

H O L I D A Y G U I D E

2

Do you feel overwhelmed around the holidays and the mere thought of juggling your health with all of the fuss this time of year makes you want to pull your hair out? Don’t pull your hair out – I have a much better solution for you!

You can remain calm, beautiful, healthy and balanced this holiday season and it all has to do with establishing the right rhythm. With the simple components of Glow15, you will establish the right type of rhythm your body (and mind) needs to stay sane and lustrous all season long.

But I get it – being on any program, even one as simple and short as Glow15 can still be challenging. When your plate is already filled with work and family obligations, it can make following anything difficult. Wherever you are in your health journey, I want to help you enjoy the holiday season in the context of staying true to your health and beauty from within goals.

Whether Glow15 is completely new to you or you just want to ensure you maintain the promises of health and longevity you’ve already set in motion with previous rounds of Glow15, this guide will break it all down and show you how to simplify and adapt the program for your holidays.

In this guide, I will break down the key components into more manageable pieces, so you can do your Glow15 one step at a time, at a pace that is right for you. I don’t want your Glow15 journey to add any stress during what can already be a stressful time of the year. Instead, I want the Glow15 tools and principles to be important self-care practices that provide you an easy way to nourish yourself through the holiday season and really, for your life. It is a beautiful practice in self-care to go slow. Let’s take it one step at a time!

Holiday Guide Overview

3

Some of the most critical components of Glow15 also present some of the most challenges. But as the saying goes, if it doesn’t require effort, it probably wasn’t worth it to begin with. And that applies to three of the lifestyle practices you will adopt on Glow15: AutophaTea, Intermittent Fasting and Combining Intermittent Fasting with Protein Cycling.

1. AUTOPHATEAIf you are new to AutophaTea and blending fat into your beverages, start slow and work up with these easy three steps!

Step 1. Try AutophaTea by itself. Use hot, not boiling water and brew for 2-3 minutes. If you are a coffee drinker, you can try AutophaTea in place of coffee a couple days per week to start. Or perhaps drink AutophaTea in the morning and if you still yearn for coffee, have a cup a little later.

Step 2. Once you get into your rhythm of including AutophaTea in your day, try adding 1 teaspoon of MCT oil. Notice how this feels in your body.

Step 3. Once you’ve mastered AutophaTea with MCT oil, work on increasing the amount of MCT oil you add. First increase to 2 teaspoons and then to one 1 tablespoon.

Tips: • Make a ritual out of brewing your tea. Pick a favorite mug. Smell the aroma. Know

the powerful polyphenols you are receiving that help to activate autophagy. • Carry your AutophaTea bags and MCT oil with you on the go. Keep some at work

or in your purse/bag.

AutophaTea Overview

4

2. FASTINGNext, let’s take the fear out of the word fasting by breaking down intermittent fasting into smaller, easier steps.

Step 1. Identify the days you want to intermittent fast. Mark it on a calendar. Remember you can always adjust your schedule based on how your body feels or as your holiday plans evolve, but it’s good to have a plan to start with.

Step 2. Start with a 12-hour fast (and make sure you count the time you sleep!). For example, if you finish dinner at 7:00 pm, don’t eat again until 7:00 am. That sounds like a reasonable place to start, right?

Step 3. When you’ve mastered your 12 - hour fast and have fit it into your schedule a few times per week, work on increasing your fast to 14 hours.

Step 4. When you’ve got a 14-hour fast under your belt a few times per week, work on increasing your fast to 16 hours.

Tips: • Adjust your fast to your schedule. You can fast from 7:00 pm until 11:00 am or

from 5:00 pm until 9:00 am, for example. Make the timing work for your schedule and your body!

• Take advantage of your 8-hour eating window. If you eat two meals in your window, make sure you are getting balanced, nutrient-dense meals that include veggies and fat. If you feel better with smaller meals or more food, you can certainly continue to eat three times per day, just put it in a shorter window.

• Fat First, Carbs Last! Break your fast with a fat-based meal and save carbs for your last meal.

Fasting Overview

5

COMBINING INTERMITTENT FASTING AND PROTEIN CYCLING If intermittent fasting and protein cycling are both new to you or it feels overwhelming to figure it out together, try getting one in place and then adding the other.

Step 1. If fasting first, use the guide above to get your fasting practice in place. If protein cycling first, practice having lower protein meals (with plenty of good fat and veggies) every other day.

Step 2. Once you have intermittent fasting in your routine, start practicing protein cycling on the days you fast. If you have protein cycling down, start adding in an intermittent fast three times per week.

Tips: • Incorporate Fat First, Carbs Last every day. • Find a schedule that works for you – such as fasting and/or protein cycling on

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. • Listen to your body’s feedback as you incorporate each step and new tool.

Now that you have some ideas and tips about the key Glow15 principles, take a few minutes to decide what is a reasonable and achievable first step for you. Remember the holidays are a perfect time to begin focusing on your own self-care and taking your time to implement these tools will reinforce them as long-term habits.

Let me assure you: You’ve got this!

IFPC Overview