How to keep your health on track this festive season
Eat, drink and have a guilt-free Christmas with these wellness tips
Text: Dr Poorna Menon
As we inch closer to the end-of-year festivities, there’s a certain lightness in the air – the prospect of getting time off, parties and celebrations with loved ones, goodies, presents… and endless piles of the most delicious food and drink. Indeed, reading this last line might be when that lightness takes an about turn and scurries to hide itself under layers of guilt and anxiety... but as you contemplate the weeks of temptation ahead, don’t let these guilty thoughts take away from the otherwise pristine joy of this festive season. The truth is, we all want to celebrate the holidays in the happiest way possible. In support of that, here are some tips for balancing your health through this most fun yet decadent time of year!
5 Tips to Support You Through the Festive Season
1) Stick to your established routine
Routines provide an anchor to your mind & body. If you already have an established routine, this is the time to stick to and honour your routine, as it will continue to provide the grounding your mind and body yearns for amidst the holiday activities. Continue to have that nutritious breakfast, go for your regular workouts and stick to winding down by a certain time of night whenever you can! Such routines give your body a foundation from which you will be able to deal better with the disruptions to sleep, rest and diet that typically accompany the festive season.
2) Portions
Avoidance can feel like deprivation and this festive season we want to support you in filling your soul through balance – not deprivation! One of the tricks to having your cake and eating it too – without your balance being thrown off too intensely – is portion control. Know your body’s capacity and its digestive capabilities: if 1 whole slice of Christmas pudding will wreak havoc, eat only as much as you can handle well (whether it be 1 tbsp or even ½ a slice). Serve out this portion onto a beautiful piece of crockery and then truly savour every morsel and mouthful to its fullest. Indulge in being mindful with what you are eating – look at it, smell it, taste its layers of flavour and deliciousness. When you engage your senses in this way, you tap into mindfulness and being fully present with your food. This feeds your mind whilst also feeding your body – allowing you to have your cake and eat it too.
3) Digestive Aids
Digestive enzymes help to break down our food better so that we can digest and assimilate what we eat with more ease. If your body is not used to eating large amounts of oil, fats, sugar and protein – digestive enzymes could come to your aid this festive season. Foods that contain natural digestive enzymes are things like papaya and pineapple, which you can consider having a small serving of about 15-30 minutes prior to your meal. Alternatively, digestive enzymes are sold as supplements and if you feel supplements might work better for you, do reach out to a healthcare practitioner who can guide you in buying the best choice for yourself.
Drinking plenty of water between drinks is key
4) Drinking, Alcohol and Hangover Aids
Amongst other things, drinking alcohol is a chronotoxic process – meaning, it’s toxic because it interferes with the body’s natural biorhythms. I generally advise avoiding alcohol overall for such reasons, but since avoidance becomes harder during the festive season – what are some things you can do to support your health whilst still indulging in the odd drink?
· Try not to consume more than 1 unit of alcohol/day
· Ensure you are well-hydrated and drink plenty of water before and after alcohol
· Pair with food, to slow down absorption and reduce irritation to your gut mucosa
· Take activated charcoal prior (Speak with your complementary healthcare practitioner around how to dose this and side-effects of activated charcoal)
· Take the Homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica: a famous remedy for over-indulgences (Speak with your complementary healthcare practitioner on how to dose this)
5) Liver Support
Your liver has many important roles, one of which is metabolising what you have ingested. During the festive season, supporting your liver is an important way to hence support your overall health. One of the best herbs for your liver is milk thistle (Silybum Marianum), which is both a liver protector as well as a liver restorative. Milk thistle should be taken in powdered form so that your body can actually receive its important active ingredients (that are called lignans). You might find milk thistle sold in liquid forms (alcoholic tinctures/emulsions etc), but because alcohol does a less effective job of extracting these lignans, such liquid-forms of milk thistle are not as effective vs eating it in its ground form. (Speak with your complementary healthcare practitioner on how to dose this herb specifically)
Bonus Tip: Dry January & A New Start
Overall – don’t be hard on yourself this festive season. Enjoy the festivities, follow the tips above and know that come January – you can abstain, restart and reset yourself for a fantastic 2023! If you would like to schedule a consultation to nail down some of the dosage specifics mentioned above or discover how to tune yourself up for a healthy 2023, please contact me anytime via this form.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare practitioner before making any changes that may impact your health.
About Dr. Poorna Menon
Dr Menon is a Naturopathic Consultant, with a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University. She specializes in complex, chronic health conditions, including mental health, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, and extensively uses herbs, Mind-Body Medicine and clinical nutrition in her guidance to clients. She works Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at the Balanced Living Clinic in Singapore, and also sees international clients on Zoom.
