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Christmas time is beautiful for many, but it can also be stressful. The running around, constant busyness, overeating and drinking (and often lack of exercise) can take a toll on our bodies.
After Christmas (and New Year), we often don't feel our best. We may have put on some weight (pervasive) and have a low mood, less energy and even less motivation. I call it a "Christmas comedown".
Our digestion may be off also.
It could be time to focus again on your wellbeing and how you want to feel this coming year.
Too many carbs, sugar, processed goodies and alcohol can be fun, but the price we pay is with our vitality, poor gut health, low mood & energy, liver function and lowered brain function.
These things affect many aspects of health, and while it's fun for a short time, it's not good to keep these bad habits up throughout the year. Our daily choices add up to a lot regarding health and disease prevention.
Let's get you back on track today with a few simple suggestions. The tips I'm about to share are easy to do and don't cost a fortune.
Tip # 1
Get into Cold Water
In the morning, upon rising, take a cold shower or get into a cold plunge, an ice bath or a body of water (like the ocean). A cold shower is acceptable and beneficial if you don't have access to the others.
Cold water profoundly affects your wellbeing as it helps reduce fatigue, inflammation, pain, muscle soreness and stress. It has even been shown to help the mind; some say it has helped with depression and anxiety.
I agree with that.
Cold water is incredibly energising and can give you a positive boost to how you feel for the morning. It helps to set a good tone for the day.
Give it a try if you're yet to.
Tip # 2
Drink Water Before Your Morning Cuppa
If you drink tea or coffee in the morning, that's fine, but drink water first.
You don't want your body's first source of nourishment to be caffeine; your cells would prefer h2O to start the day!
Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or some raw ACV (apple cider vinegar) to help get digestion going. Alkalising your water (by adding these things) is an excellent practice for building stomach acid naturally and boosting liver function.
If you're yet to invest in a good water filtration unit, this could be the year you do. Filtered water is much healthier for you as it doesn't contain harmful chemicals in tap water.
Just ensure that the system takes out these things. We wrote a blog about this, which you can read here.
Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles as the water will be contaminated with plastic. Most bottled water has sat in the sun at some point during transit, meaning the plastic has leached into the water.
Plastic has no place in the human body and can disrupt hormones and cause many health issues.
Invest instead in a refillable stainless steel water bottle or a glass bottle. You can buy VOSS water bottles in most supermarkets which can be refilled.
Tip # 3
Take High-quality Nutritional Supplements
You can add some nutrient-dense supplements to your diet to regain wellness and vitality. Eating a wholefood diet is important (and recommended), but sometimes, you may need more support.
That's where we can help you.
In our store, you will find a wide range of nutritious and pure supplements to help you get back on track. We could recommend many, but we suggest only four to keep it simple after Christmas.
Below is a list of my top 4 supplements to consider after the festive season. Some of their benefits are detox, energy, multivitamin, digestion, mood and brain health. Detoxification is critical after overindulging.
- Organic Chlorella (powerful detoxifier, blood cleanser, wellness booster)
- Organic Spirulina (powerful energy booster, multivitamin, source of protein and much more)
- Liver Detox Support (to help support the liver through phases 1 & 2 of detoxification and help remove excess oestrogens from the body)
- Beef Liver (for energy, iron, protein and dense nutrition)
Tip # 4
Fast Until 10 am or Later
Depending upon your schedule and individual needs, fasting can be a great tool to get you back on track.
Eating your first meal at 10 am or after (if you get up at the average time of 6/7 am) and then your last meal at 5 pm allows for plenty of time for fasting. Tailor these times to suit your needs but not much later than 6 pm (unless you're a shift worker).
Fasting allows your digestion to rest, encouraging healing.
Intermittent fasting also helps to increase energy, improve brain health/prevent neurodegenerative diseases, control blood sugar, reduce insulin resistance, less inflammation, enhance heart health, aid weight loss, improve metabolism, and much more!
Check with your health practitioner before fasting, as it's essential to ensure no contraindications.
Tip # 5
Move Your Body
Movement/exercise is crucial to feeling good, especially after the holidays. We can feel sluggish after Christmas and new year, so moving the body is a great way to feel energised and motivated!
Find an activity that best suits you; there's little point in doing exercises you hate; movement needs to be sustainable.
Tip # 6
Look at Your Gut Health
Christmas can affect your gut health (remember, everything you put in your mouth affects your gut microbiome). Alcohol, sugar, and processed carbs disturb the gut flora, encouraging bad flora to proliferate.
Look to reduce your intake of these things and also any gut irritants such as:
- Alcohol, recreational drugs & Cigarettes (including vaping)
- Xylitol, erythritol, stevia and artificial sweeteners
- MSG and other flavour enhancers, food additives/preservatives
- Xanthan gum, carrageenan,
- Drugs of many kinds (including pain medication, antibiotics, and antacids)
- Gluten
- Stress
- Vegetable/seeds oils (such as canola), margarine
- Junk food, takeaway, and processed foods
- Caffeine (sorry)
- Too much fibre
- Environmental toxins
- Certain infections
- Poor sleep
- Spicy foods*, dairy*, stevia*, FODMAPS*,
*For some people.
You can add a good probiotic (such as this) to help repopulate good gut bacteria.
Feed and nourish the gut flora with prebiotic fibre that is gentle on the gut. We recommend organic baobab powder for this. Baobab fibre is much easier on the tummy than raw kale/raw veggies (which we would never advise you to consume). It is challenging for the body to break down raw vegetables.
Lastly, look at your stress levels and how you deal with things, as stress is incredibly irritating to the gut and brain. Learning various ways to relieve stress (meditation, breath work, EFT, somatic bodywork) can help you immensely.
It can be easier said than done, but awareness is the first step. You've got this!
Tip # 7
Gentle Detox
Ok, so if you're on board with the recommended detox supplements, that is great, but you'll need to get your detox pathways working to remove toxins from your body effectively.
You can learn more about this on our other blog, 'Open Detox Pathways Before You Detox'.
I'm not a big believer in the popular practice of juice cleansing (for many reasons).
Firstly, you usually consume a lot of sugar in concentrated amounts (unless you add fat to it to help balance things out). I occasionally make fresh juice, but I add egg yolks or other fat (coconut oil, avocado, MCT oil or ghee). Fat is essential to help with blood sugar balance.
Second, you may consume plant toxins such as lectins and oxalates, which can be problematic in concentrated amounts. Plant toxins are the chemicals plants produce as their defence mechanism, so when we consume too many plants (especially vegetables), we take in many plant chemicals.
We'll speak more about this soon, so stay tuned to our blog.
Tip # 8
Have a Healthy Mindset
Whilst our food can affect our mood (and mind), how we think significantly impacts our well-being and how we feel each day.
Cultivate a positive and grateful mind and a "love for life" attitude; your days will become more joyful, and your health will improve.
It's been proven that expressing gratitude (being thankful) improves health both mentally and physically.
A grateful heart leads to an abundant life.
I could share many more tips, but we've covered some great ones here. I hope you can incorporate some of these practices to improve your feelings of vitality.
Your Health is Your Wealth!
Tam
References:
https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/7-incredible-things-intermittent-fasting-does-for-your-brain/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fasting-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-things-that-harm-gut-bacteria
https://paleoleap.com/what-is-a-gut-irritant-anyway-a-beginners-guide/
https://burtsrx.com/surprising-causes-gi-irritation/
https://chriskresser.com/gut-inflammation-12-causes-and-12-effects/
https://www.thecarnivoredietcoach.com/plant-toxins.html
https://www.doctorkiltz.com/plant-toxins/
Disclaimer:
This article is strictly informational and not intended as health advice. Statements made have not been evaluated by the TGA and are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent. One should always consult with their trusted health professional before adding a new supplement to their diet.
