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12 ways to stay healthy(ish) over Christmas
December and early January can be tempting times of year to fall off your usual health regime. In some ways it’s ok to give yourself a little bit of a break and not feel too guilty about it, but there are certainly things you can do, to ensure you don’t fall too far!
Following are some tips I like to follow over this silly season, that’s right, even a Naturopath is tempted at this time.
1. Eat before you go out.
It’s hard to know what sort of food is going to be available at your Christmas party, so it helps to have a light and healthy snack before you go out. This will line your stomach to help absorb the alcohol, stop you from overeating, and ensure you still get some healthy food into you.
2. Natural hangover helpers.
If you do happen to overindulge.. and let’s be honest, it may happen at least once, following are some natural hangover helpers;
a. Coconut water is excellent for rehydrating, as it’s a natural source of electrolytes.
b. B vitamins, as a lot of these are depleted by alcohol consumption.
c. Zinc containing foods or a supplement, zinc helps alcohol dehydrogenase, which is a liver enzyme that helps to break down alcohol.
d. No beer until your wee is clear – actually it’s much better to not drink the day of a hangover, but do drink a lot of water until your urine is clear.
e. Consider taking a herbal supplement of St Mary’s Thistle before you go out, this herb does wonders for protecting the liver.
3. Work for that tart.
If you have something coming up and you know you will be likely to indulge, earn it first with a workout and then look at it as a reward and enjoy!
4. Well hydrated throughout the day.
It’s important to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day that you will be drinking so you are well hydrated before you have your first drink. Then alternate 1 drink for 1 water, you can also top your wine glass up with mineral water for a spritzer – nice and refreshing in summer, half the calories and alcohol content.
5. Eat well earlier in the day.
Sometimes when you go out it can be hard to control what you eat, and what is available. Eat all your fruit and vegetables earlier in the day, this way you know you’re getting all of your vitamins and minerals. If there is more in your dinner it is an added bonus.
6. Weight loss.
So the truth is, it’s unlikely that you are going to lose weight over Christmas and New Year, but set yourself a challenge to maintain your weight, rather than gaining any. Enjoy yourself on the days you have to such as Christmas Day and any parties, but try to keep things under control on the other days, with lots of healthy eating and exercise.
If you know you are going to have a really big dinner, then try to cut your caloric intake back for breakfast and lunch.
Don’t fall into feeling that you can eat what you want and start again in January, whatever you put on now will take those extra few weeks to come off in January
7. Keep special occasion special.
Don’t drink and indulge everyday, try to give yourself at least 2-3 days of not drinking at all.
8. Tips for eating well on holidays & when out to dinner.
It is possible to go on holidays and not pile on the kilograms. Base most of your meals around lean protein, with lots of fruit and vegetables. Try not to overindulge in carbohydrates, alcohol and desserts. Keep in mind there are 245 calories in a pina colada, so while it’s nice to enjoy yourself on holidays, the calories really add up if you have too many cocktails.
Make the most of exploring the town you are in… on foot! The walking will help balance out those extra calories.
9. Take a healthy plate.
You may not be able to control what everyone else takes/makes, but at least if you take a healthy plate you can control at least one of them to provide a nutritious meal or snack.
10. The 20 minute rule.
Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly, and allow your body 20 minutes to register before going for seconds. Another helpful tool is to consume fibre 30 minutes before eating, this could be either psyllium, chia seeds, flax or slippery elm mixed in with water. The fibre will bulk up in your stomach and you should get full before you eat too much.
11. Eat liver cleansing foods.
Eating liver cleansing foods regularly is beneficial for everyone, but even more so over this silly season when you will be putting an extra load on your liver. Eating as many of the following foods as possible – onion, garlic, broccoli, beetroot, egg yolks and lots of water.
12. Enjoy yourself.
The holidays are not just about eating and drinking, it is also about spending quality time with those that you love. So find a good balance, have the occasional treat, and enjoy this special time with your friends and family.
Naturopathic approach to alleviating morning sickness in pregnancy
Morning sickness is the acute, transient nausea associated with pregnancy. ‘Morning sickness’ is a misnomer – it may occur at any time of the day, though it most commonly occurs soon after waking. It is thought to be caused by increased levels of oestrogen being produced by the placenta and/or by increased levels of human chorionic gonadotropin. Morning sickness usually starts in the first month of the pregnancy, peaking in the 6th week, and continuing until the 16th week. For 50% of all sufferers, it ends by the 16th week of pregnancy. For the other half, it may take up to another month to get relief but some women will have morning sickness off and on for their entire pregnancy.
Risk factors
Some women suffer terribly from morning sickness, while others sail through with minimum nausea. The following factors are thought to play a part in morning sickness:
- An increase in the circulating level of the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen levels may increase by up to a hundredfold during pregnancy.
- An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin.
- Low blood sugar during pregnancy.
- An increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles in the uterus, which prevents early childbirth, but may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to nausea.
- Intake of alcohol, sugar, oils and meat, which have been postulated to cause a natural trigger of morning sickness in the body as a way of discouraging ingestion of less healthy foods.
Signs and Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of morning sickness include
- Nausea, vomiting
- Retching, belching, vomiting of sour fluid
- Poor digestion with abdominal distension exacerbated by eating
- Poor appetite
- Fatigue—especially after meals
Diet and Lifestyle tips to help alleviate morning sickness
- Pregnant women are making the greatest nutritional investment of their lives. It is important to ensure adequate nutritional intake by eating a diet based on fresh, organic wholefoods, incorporating protein, fruit, vegetables, good fats and high fibre foods.
- Avoid an empty stomach. Eating small regular meals helps to maintain energy levels and may prevent morning sickness.
- Don’t overeat – large meals can drain energy. Instead of eating three big meals per day, try six mini-meals to spread your kilojoule intake more evenly. This will result in more constant blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Ginger, in capsules, tea, ginger ale or ginger beer.
- Peppermint leaf tea, can help relieve nausea and morning sickness or gas.
- Raspberry leaf tea, also relieves nausea, however is recommended after the first trimester only.
- Fulfil food cravings.
- Drink plenty of water – a dehydrated body functions less efficiently.
- Eat iron rich foods – make sure diet includes iron rich foods such as lean red meat.
- Ensure adequate, regular, and consistent amounts of sleep each night.
- Effective relaxation is essential – try techniques such as yoga or meditation.
- Maintaining a reasonable work and personal schedule is important.
- Address chronic pain and/or depression.
- Cut down caffeine.
- Some women find that aromatherapy can help – with essential oils of lemon, lime, orange and peppermint (a few drops in a vaporiser) can ease nausea.