The festive season should be just that: festive! But during this busy time, many of us tend to overeat, overindulge and get stressed. This can have a significant impact upon your gut.
Here are 10 simple tips to see you through the silly season with a little less stress– and hopefully a little less discomfort on the digestive front!
10 tips to help you ‘stomach’ the silly season:
- Stock up on a liver tonic, vitamin B Complex and zinc. These are all essential to help your liver detox any ‘excesses’ of the season, whether that be too much party food, too many late nights or even a few too many glasses of bubbles (Saltuary also stocks a ‘hangover kit’– for those in need, you know where to find us to get your hands on one!).
- Keep some digestive enzymes/a bottle of Saltuary’s Digestive Tonic at hand. For all those times when there’s been a bit too much meal in your meal! Our Digestive Tonic will ensure your tummy suffers less bloating and discomfort after all those rich festive foods!
- Opt for organic/preservative-free wines. Often it’s the preservatives in wine that make us feel ‘bleh’ the next day. Opt for organic/preservative-free wines wherever possible and you’ll wake up healthier and happier.
- Join Margaret for our ‘Food Is Medicine’ workshop this Thursday, Dec 3rd. Learn how to quickly make some uber yummy, very healthy, easy and quick Christmas treats from ingredients that won’t bloat you! This is a free workshop, being run at Saltuary from 6 – 7pm.
- Ensure optimal water intake (preferably filtered). I always ask my clients to invest in a glass bottle to carry around with them as ‘another limb’. It’s one of the best tricks to ensure you do actually drink enough throughout the day.
- Opt for fermented foods like sauerkraut. Instead of opting for greasy, fatty foods ‘the morning after’, try fermented foods. They will keep your liver and gut happier, speeding up your recovery. Ironically, the fatty, greasy foods most people opt for only stress your liver further, meaning it takes longer to feel better.
- Start your meals with bitter salads. The more bitter, the better! Not only will bitter salads fill you up a little more, so you’re bound to eat less of the other stuff, but bitter salads eaten ideally before (or during) meals will stimulate digestive secretions, ensuring you feel a lot more comfortable at mealtimes.
- Hydrate with coconut water. For a super hydration booster, keep a bottle or two of coconut water in the fridge and at work.
- Be conscious of your emotional state. Ensure you take time out to simply ‘be’ and to ‘breathe’. This can be as simple as a bathroom meditation! We all find ourselves in the bathroom at multiple times throughout the day, so why not use this time to focus on your breath. Take some deep, slow breaths in and out to calm and slow your nervous system down. For those of us who are a little more committed to this, try yoga, 20 mins of stretching per day, an early morning walk etc.
- Carry healthy snacks with you. Being prepared with healthy snacks allows you to fill up (at least a little) on nutrient dense, good for you snacks prior to arriving at functions where you’re bound to meet all manner of un-healthy snacks! Things like a small handful of nuts, a protein / bliss ball etc are fantastic.