Top Reasons to Pamper your Pancreas During the Holidays and Beyond

Annie picked up her athletic shoes and quietly slipped out her home’s front door. Stopping on the porch, she put them on and began walking briskly to the hiking trail. It was cold, but the early morning sun’s warmth promised a pleasant experience. Ten minutes later, she arrived and paused to take in nature’s beauty. Ironwood, mesquite, and Palo Verde trees flanked the trail. Interspersed among them were pink and purple prickly pear, a variety of chollas, barrel cacti, and of course, the giant saguaro, unique to the Sonoran Desert. Some cacti still bore their summer fruit, giving the birds an added food source. The stream running alongside the trail would be raging in a couple of months; now, it lazily flowed by the succulents on its banks, that would produce gorgeous flowers in springtime. The old crow always perched on the ancient saguaro at the beginning of the path greeted her with his usual caw.

“Thanks for the salute.” Annie thought. She adjusted the water bottle holding her favorite infusion of mint, ginger, and cucumber water on her shoulder and proceeded down the trail.

An hour later, she opened the door and was greeted by Dexter Gordon’s jazzy Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

LJ was in the kitchen making breakfast. He greeted her with a kiss. “How was the hike?”

“Beautiful as usual. I didn’t want to wake you. This was one of those times when I wanted to be alone to enjoy nature.”

“I understand. Solitude can strengthen and deepen your appreciation for nature, helping foster a sense of well-being and gratitude.”

“That is well said, sweetheart. Thank you. Hey, what’s for breakfast?”

LJ smiled, “I’ve been thinking about the pancreas lately, so I meal prepped our breakfast last night by making Overnight Sweet Potato Oatmeal.”

“It looks good, but why the focus on the pancreas?”

LJ popped the oatmeal in the microwave, “this is the time of year when we get exposed to a lot more sugar than normal because of all the holiday parties. Too much sugar can be hard on the pancreas. I’m making sure our home meals support it in case we give into the temptation of Christmas cookies, a second helping of pie, or a…