From the Desk of Carolyn Dean MD ND
I’ve been educating people about intestinal health and the importance of supporting your microbiome in my books and blogs for decades. As more people search for sugar-free holiday appetizers for gut health, I’m glad to see the world finally catching up!
According to NielsenIQ’s Global State of Health & Wellness 2025 Report, gut health is the #1 nutrition priority this season, with a 25% rise in gut-focused searches.
I’ve been educating people about intestinal health and about the importance of supporting your microbiome, in my books and blogs for decades. I’m glad that the word is getting out there and the world is catching up!
According to the pretentiously-worded NielsenIQ’s Global State of Health & Wellness 2025 Report, gut health is the #1 nutrition priority this season with a 25% rise in gut-focused searches.
Why Holiday Eating Challenges Gut Health
70% of Americans plan gut health resolutions post-holidays according to a 2025 IFIC survey but why wait for the New Year? Yes, December, the holiday party month, is a challenge – the time of year when your gut health is put at risk as you navigate yeasty, sugar-laden feasts and treats that threaten your microbiome.
And while interest in fermented and prebiotic foods for microbiome support is surging, I’m offering some simple recipes from my new book, The Sugar-Free Kitchen, that are perfect for countering holiday indulgences.
How Flora ReVive Supports Gut Balance During the Holidays
In fact, I’m so committed to supporting your gut health, I’ve gone as far as inventing a soil-based probiotic (RnA ReSet’s Flora ReVive) specifically formulated to keep Candida albicans and gut bacteria in balance. Actually, I’m not that heroic, I had to make the formula to save my own gut health. I’ve suffered yeast overgrowth since I was a kid, and I finally got relief with Flora ReVive and Pico Silver – and I just passed the formulas on to my customers.
The Sugar Surge: Why Holiday Treats Trigger Candida and Bloat
If you’ve been conscientiously taking care of your gut health and starting to feel better by starving the Candida yeast of sugar, please don’t feed the yeast beast this holiday season and undo all the progress you’ve made! You can still enjoy sugar-free holiday appetizers that support gut health and protect digestion, rather than triggering your symptoms.
Imagine yeast spores lurking in your microbiome (because they’re always lurking), on the prowl for something sweet and you decide you’ve been depriving yourself (and the yeast) of sugar for so long, that a little indulgence won’t hurt. Spoiler Alert: a little sugar indulgence will hurt, remember yeast is lurking!
A single sugar spike will send dormant yeast dancing, rekindling your symptoms and disrupting your gut that you’ve worked so hard to bring into better balance. Why risk potential bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea and even a holiday yeast infection when you can continue to support your gut health with some sugar-free recipes from my book, The Sugar-Free Kitchen.
Healthy Holiday Snacks: Prebiotic, Sugar-Free Recipes to Bring to Parties
Before you go to the party, try this high-fiber prebiotic boosting snack. Better yet, bring it to your holiday gathering and share the sugar-free goodness.
These Almond Butter Energy Balls and Cauliflower-Spinach Dip are perfect sugar-free holiday appetizers for gut health, giving you delicious, satisfying flavors without feeding Candida or disrupting your microbiome.
Sugar-Free Almond Butter Energy Balls with Gut-Boosting Fiber
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (gluten-free)
- ½ cup ground flaxseed (remember to keep flaxseed in the freezer, they go rancid fast)
- ⅔ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut Pinch of salt
When you’re wondering how to increase your veggie intake and you ran out of ideas for that head of cauliflower idly sitting in your fridge, you have to try this dip that pairs perfectly with your collection of sugar-free holiday appetizers for gut health, offering probiotics, fiber, healthy fats, and creamy flavor.
Cauliflower-Spinach Dip: A Sugar-Free, Microbiome-Supporting Appetizer
For this decadent, healthy sugar-free dip, you’ll need to pull some equipment out of the cupboard:
- Steamer Basket
- Pot with Lid
- Food Processor/Blender
- Storage Container with Lid
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves
- ½ cup basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp. tahini
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 coarsely chopped small garlic clove
- ½ avocado, cut into small pieces
- Salt and pepper
For step-by-step instructions, go to the Sugar-Free Kitchen Cookbook
Pro Tips from Dr. Dean:
In addition to addressing what you eat over the holidays, let’s be mindful of how you eat when you’re feasting:
- Don’t load your mouth with food; give small amounts room to be coated with saliva to aid digestion.
- Chew your food well, about 30 times per mouthful until the food is liquid.
- Do not drink water, especially ice water, with your meals; it dilutes your stomach acid and hardens fats and oils in your food.
- Eat slowly and under as little stress as possible.
- Do not eat until you are full. Loading your stomach leaves little room for digestion.
- Boost the probiotic power of both of these recipes with the contents of a capsule of RnA ReSet’s Flora ReVive soil-based probiotic for enhanced candida control. Your gut will love you for it!
- Apple cider vinegar (organic) has butyric and acetic acids which seem to stimulate stomach acid to help digest food, relieve bloating, assist in detoxification as they balance your pH and act as a prebiotic for friendly intestinal bacteria. Dilute one Tbsp. with about 12 ounces of room-temperature water and drink in the morning, or drink 2-3 ounces before meals.
Bottom Line:
By focusing on mindful eating and choosing sugar-free holiday appetizers for gut health, you’ll make it through the holiday season feeling lighter, clearer, and more energized—not weighed down by sugar spikes and gut imbalance.
If you want to stay bloat-free and balanced this December, focus on gut-friendly holiday recipes that stabilize digestion rather than spike sugar and feed Candida. Simple swaps like sugar-free energy balls, cauliflower-based dips, and prebiotic fiber snacks can dramatically improve gut function, immunity, and overall comfort throughout the season. These easy, delicious recipes make it simple to support your microbiome without missing out on holiday flavor.
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Carolyn Dean, MD ND
The Doctor of the Future
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