As a health coach at a functional medicine practice, I get this question a lot:
“What do I do when I want to celebrate… but also stay true to my wellness goals?”
Whether it’s a slice of birthday cake or a night out with friends, it’s totally possible to live in balance without throwing your body into a spiral of inflammation, sugar crashes, or self-blame.
That’s where the Sandwich Method comes in — a mindset and strategy I share often with clients.
This approach helps you enjoy the things you love and take loving care of your body before and after.
Let me show you how it works.
🍫 Scenario 1: Chocolate Cake on Your Birthday
You want to enjoy dessert on your birthday — beautiful! The goal isn’t to skip the celebration. It’s to create a health-supportive container around it.
Here’s how the Sandwich Method works in this case:
🥬 Step 1: Pre-Treat with Nourishment
Before your celebration, add in something nourishing that you may not otherwise do:
- A green smoothie with spinach, hemp seeds, and spirulina
- A grounding yoga class or nature walk
- A fiber-rich salad with bitters to support digestion
This preps your blood sugar, supports your gut, and tells your nervous system: “We’re safe. We’re in charge.”
🎂 Step 2: Choose a Better Treat
Go for a version of chocolate cake that respects your body whenever you are able to:
- Use raw cacao, rich in magnesium and antioxidants
- Sweeten with coconut sugar, maple syrup, or raw honey, which have a gentler glycemic impact and are more whole foods
- Bake with almond or coconut flour for better digestion
- Choose organic ingredients whenever possible
And don’t forget to chew well and eat in a relaxed state. (See our Eating Hygiene 101 blog for tips on mindful meals.)
🍵 Step 3: Follow Up with Gentle Support
After your sweet treat, instead of diving into guilt or snacking more:
- Take a slow evening walk to regulate blood sugar
- Sip on dandelion root tea to support liver detox
- Do a 5-minute breathing practice or legs-up-the-wall pose to calm your system
Boom: you’ve sandwiched your indulgence between two acts of care. Your body and mind will thank you.
🍷 Scenario 2: Drinking Alcohol (Mindfully)
Let’s say you’re attending a wedding or girls’ night and want to enjoy a drink. Here’s how to buffer that impact:
☀️ Step 1: Prime Your Detox Pathways
In the morning:
- Dry skin brush to stimulate lymph flow
- Do a sauna session or light sweat-inducing walk
- Support your liver with a beet + lemon juice or milk thistle tea
🍸 Step 2: Be Smart While You Sip
- Bring a toxin binder like our Modern Toxin Binder, featuring:
- Activated charcoal to bind alcohol byproducts
- Bentonite clay for pulling heavy metals
- Chlorella to bind and nourish
- Go 1:1 or 1:2 with your drinks and lemon water- or at least water
- Add electrolytes (like Redmond Re-Lyte) to your water before bed to replenish
😴 Step 3: Post-Treat Recovery
- End your night with some magnesium glycinate or Magnesium Powder like from Pure Essence Labs
- Sleep with blackout curtains or an eye mask
- The next morning: hydrate, nourish, and avoid inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy and sugar
No shame. Just intention.
🌿 Why the Sandwich Method Works
- It reduces guilt and all-or-nothing thinking
- You’re setting your body up for success, and providing padding that safe-guards you from the brunt of less than ideal circumstances
- It supports your detox pathways naturally
- It teaches your body to feel safe around food and celebration
- It helps prevent blood sugar crashes and digestive stress
Most importantly, it honors the whole you — not just your health goals, but your joy, your community, your experiences.
You are not a robot. You’re a beautifully complex being. And life is meant to be lived.
🧡 A Final Note
If you struggle with knowing how to balance food, celebration, and your healing journey — I see you. Many of our patients are navigating autoimmune issues, gut healing, MTHFR, or chronic fatigue and wonder: “Will I ever be able to live normally again?”
The answer is yes. The Sandwich Method is one way to start doing that — lovingly, intentionally, and holistically.
Need help personalizing it? I’m here. Let’s build your buffer.
Jade Green, TNC, CHHC
