6 tips to keep your health this Christmas

I’ve decided to repost last year’s Christmas blog because every silly season is the same. We eat and drink too much, stay up late and rush to get everything done before the end of the year. Even though it can be tiring, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are a few tips to keep it together. Happy Christmas!

1. Water – There’s no doubt most of us drink more alcohol than usual during the party season. An extra champagne, wine or beer and everyone’s having a great time. The problem is alcohol coupled with hot weather(and dancing;) can lead to dehydration. Make sure you drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day and if you remember, between each alcoholic drink. The rule of thumb on a regular day is 1 litre per 30 kg body weight but when you add the dehydrating effects of alcohol you need to increase this by another litre. If you really want to safeguard against a hangover take a vitamin b complex before bed with a big glass of fresh juice or water.

2. Wholefoods – Sometimes it’s healthy to let moderation off the hook and just indulge. Christmas puddings, chocolate tarts, raspberry trifles are Christmas delicacies that should be enjoyed – but hopefully not for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead of throwing all caution to the wind, try to keep your other meals simple and nutritious. Try a green coconut smoothie or fresh fruit salad with chia seeds for breakfast. Maybe a quinoa salad or vegetable wrap for lunch. A simple home made vegie soup for dinner. If you’ve eaten way too much in one day, skip the next meal and have a watermelon, cucumber, ginger and mint juice instead- it will aid digestion and give your intestines some timeout.

3. Exercise – It’s true, we have much less time for our usual exercise regime during the festive season but neglecting this area of our lives will only lead to an expanding waistline. If you can’t manage your usual classes or gym workouts, get creative. Walk or cycle to work, kick a ball around the park with the kids, dance vigorously at your family Christmas party;) Just keep moving!!

4. Sunshine – There is a very real epidemic going on – Vitamin D deficiency. Don’t believe the media hype regarding the sun, it’s crucially important to get some sun on our skin and through our eyes. Responsible sunbathing is the key. People with dark skin need more sunlight to produce Vitamin D than people with light skin so it’s important to understand your own needs. Other benefits of sunlight include, fighting depression and insomnia, balancing hormones, clearing skin and stimulating circulation.

5. Sleep – Feel like you need a holiday after your holiday? Maybe you’re trying to pack too much in? Burning the candle at both ends can be unavoidable, but take the time to rest up because before you know it, you’ll be back at work. Fatigue and stress are two well known contributing factors in digestive disturbances. When you’re tired the digestive process is weakened, meaning you won’t process, assimilate or eliminate your food properly. The stress response aka fight/flight response begins to shunt blood from the digestive organs to the muscles of the body in preparation for “fight or flight”. This is a problem in cases of long term, chronic stress where the digestive system is continuously compromised.

6. Cleansing – If any of the above tips fail, it’s time for a cleanse. Sometimes we have overdone it to the point that the body is unable to effectively rid itself of waste and toxins. When this happens we start to feel tired, bloated, constipated, gassy and generally miserable. This might be the time to embark on a 3-6 day juice cleanse including colonics, infrared sauna and dry skin brushing. Doing this allows the digestive organs to rest and gives the body an opportunity to redirect the energy it would normally use in digestion to heal itself.