Over-indulgence usually goes hand in hand with under-nourishment. You may be eating more, but often it's not more nutritious. The party foods combined with the increased alcohol consumption can lead to Christmas misery, as our bodies' become exhausted by the time Christmas day actually arrives.
If you live in a temperate climate, the wintertime can increase your susceptibility to coughs and colds and the run up to Christmas can be a stressful experience for many families. Combine that with the possibility that you have been working hard all year, and you have a recipe for a depleted immune system, possible burn-out, or a case of the Christmas sniffles.
Go for lots of fresh vegetable sticks and healthy dips, like guacamole and hummus. This will increase your fresh, raw vegetable intake. Avoid the crisps and refined crackers that are often placed alongside the dip bowl.
Good additions to the nibble plate are fresh fruits, raw nuts and seeds, avocados, asparagus, olives and finger food delights, such as nori seaweed rolls, roasted vegetables, celery sticks filled with almond butter, fresh sushi, seafood and other quality proteins, like bean salad. Try to eat in moderation, or avoid completely, the readymade, processed snacks that you buy from the supermarket, e.g. Sausage rolls, pork pies, dips made with salad cream or mayonnaise and rich fatty cheeses.
Tranquilising Turkey
Providing it's organic, turkey is a healthy, lean protein and a brilliant source of tryptophan, the amino acid precursor to our feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin, making us feel even happier during the festivities. It's also a mild sedative, so may be one of the reasons why, after a big turkey dinner, you slump into the chair for a Christmas snooze.
Load your Christmas plate up with a colourful variety of fresh vegetables. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and green leafy vegetables are all loaded with beneficial plant nutrients and aid liver function. Limit your intake of potatoes and other starchy foods. Try roasting a combination of garlic, parsnips, sweet potato, beetroot, carrot, red peppers and aubergine with a glug of olive oil and rosemary.
Post lunch indigestion
If you do over-indulge and feel awful afterwards, get yourself outside for a walk to help get things moving. Take a few deep breaths to energise yourself. Just in case, have a pot of digestive enzyme supplements to hand to support your overworked digestion. Take one with the Christmas lunch and at parties.
- First step is to eat healthily before you start on the drinking. It's getting drunk too quickly that burdens the liver, setting you up for a horrible morning after. Ensure you eat some good quality fats, like oily fish or avocado, alongside some protein to help slow down the absorption of alcohol.
- Alcohol is an anti-nutrient as the body uses up many nutrients to process it. B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium are the first to go, so supplement with a quality multivitamin the day before and after to ease the body's burden and replace the lost nutrients.
- Take a B Complex vitamin and 2000mg of vitamin C before you start drinking and again when you get home.
- Stay hydrated. Dehydration is the main reason for a hangover, as alcohol massively dehydrates the body. Drink lots of water before you start drinking and continue drinking water throughout the evening in between alcoholic drinks. The day after, drink at least 2 litres of water and some fresh lemon in water upon waking.
Not all alcoholic drinks are the same. Some could be considered healthier than others. Think natural, unflavoured, unsweetened drinks like vodka, gin, good red wine and champagne. Alcopops, sweet processed drinks like Malibu, and unhealthy mixers, such as tonic water and cola, will ensure a nasty hangover the next day. With your gin and vodka, go for soda and fresh lime, instead of tonic and cola. Campari with soda and fresh orange slices is a bitter aperitif that will help stimulate digestion. Good red wine has its health benefits due to its antioxidant content, and get creative with cocktails using fresh juices and herbs. Try vodka with fresh lemon, lemon peel, fresh mint and a little soda, or gin with orange slices, a dash of cinnamon, fresh ginger and fresh orange juice.
Milk thistle to the rescue
This wonderful herb is a must for the festive season. It's botanical name is Silybum marianum and the active component is silymarin, a flavanoid known to help liver function. It works wonders to cure, or prevent, a hangover. Take before drinking and most definitely after.
Christmas bling
To look your best for the parties, your skin may need a little extra support. Drink lots of water to help the kidneys and bring a healthy glow to your skin. Avoid saturated fats and sugary foods and include lots of colourful vegetables, particularly the yellow and orange ones, berries and green tea. They are packed with antioxidants for a radiant glow. Drink nettle, dandelion and peppermint tea for their cleansing effect.
'Tis the season to be jolly
Above all enjoy yourself, have fun, be merry, but also be kind to your body. Choose to skip into the new year with a spring in your step after a healthy, balanced Christmas ready for the year ahead, instead of dragging your depleted, sluggish body into a miserable January as you try to recover from your excesses. If all the above fails, consider checking yourself into a detox spa for a thorough new year cleanse!
Article by Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, nutritionist
www.awakeninghealth.co.uk
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