Post- Christmas and Pre -New Year’s eve Health Recovery Tips

How are you feeling after a few days of festive celebrating? Have you over- eaten, drunk too much, had way too many chocolates or savory snacks? Is your body giving you signs of this over- indulgence? Maybe you feel bloated and lethargic. Maybe you have some heartburn or excessive wind. We have a little lull now before New Year’s celebrations kick off so it’s a good opportunity to implement some post-Christmas health recovery strategies which you can pick up again in early January.

TRY A MORNING FAST - give your digestive system a rest by eating later in the morning than you normally do. Have some warm water with half a lemon squeezed in or an herbal tea when you wake up for hydration and then don’t eat till later on.

DRINK HERBAL TEA – there are various teas to help with different problems. Mint or ginger tea will ease nausea and digestive pain; fennel, chamomile and lemon balm are effective for heartburn; and fennel, caraway and peppermint can reduce wind.

KEEP HYDRATED – good hydration helps prevent your body mistaking thirst for hunger and helps with digestion and other body recovery functions. See my tips here.

HAVE SOME PROBIOTICS – these are good bacteria which help with digestion. Have at least one of these foods daily: yoghurt; kefir; sauerkraut; tempeh; kimchi; miso; pickles; and drink some kombucha.

MANAGE PORTIONS – no need to starve yourself or go on an extreme detox just have smaller portions and include some lots of vegetables and some fruit at each meal. Fresh smoothies and soups for meals with provide you with lots of vitamins and minerals and will be easy on your digestive system.

WIND DOWN – celebrations can take a toll on your nervous system which in turn affects your digestion and mood. Take some time to relax for a few days: sit in a warm comfortable spot and read, watch a movie, journal, do a jigsaw puzzle or some crafting, listen to or play some music. Put a heat pack on any tense muscle areas. Have a bath with essentials oils. Add 4-6 drops of an essential oil to a carrier oil such as almond, jojoba, grapeseed or olive and then swirl in your bath. For relaxation choose lavender, chamomile, frankincense. For a mood boost try any citrus oil plus rosemary, thyme or basil. For tense muscles choose lemongrass, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender. For colds include tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme or oregano.

GET MOVING – some light movement will get things going with your digestion. Go for a walk or do some dancing. Google some Tai chi or yoga moves for good digestion and try them out.

GET SOME SUN ON YOUR FACE – get outside or sit near a window. We all know sunlight enhances our mood and it also helps to moderate eating. In addition, the Vitamin D will help your immune system to function well.

SLEEP WELL – good sleep helps your body repair and helps prevent over-eating. See tips in my sleep article here.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF – don’t be too hard on yourself for over-indulging. Once every now and then is fine as long you can reign it back by implementing one or more of the strategies above. Have a few healthy days, then enjoy New Years and then plan for a healthy January and beyond.