Natural solutions to help with Christmas overindulgences…
It’s easy to get carried away and overindulge at this time of year! Christmas is full of tantalising treats but unfortunately many festive delicacies are heavy, hard to digest, mucous forming, liver inflaming and Kapha increasing…. The end result leaves us feeling bloated, foggy and a bit worse for wear by the New year. If this is something you would like to avoid this Christmas why not try a few simple natural solutions to enhance your digestion…
Survival guide for your digestive health over the holidays
- Breathe, take your time and tune in: You can still indulge in the culinary delights of Christmas without overburdening your digestive system. Take time to savour the flavours and remember to listen to your body, eat at a slower pace, only fill your tummy to 80% capacity & only eat when you’re hungry. By simply being a little more mindful you can avoid many digestive health problems.
- Good Combinations: In Ayurveda, it’s often not just what you eat but how you combine foods. This has a deep impact on your ability to digest foods & on your long term health. Generally try to keep it simple and avoid combining fruit with dairy and other foods, dairy with meat and proteins with starchy carbs.
- Support your GIT with herbal remedies: There are lots of herbs, spices & Ayurvedic formulations that can enhance your digestive health. There are herbs for: increasing appetite (Ginger, Gentian, Filipendula), relieving heartburn (Avipati, slippery elm, filipendula), bloating (ajwain, fennel, peppermint), constipation (Triphala), nausea (ginger), liver support (dandelion root, milk thistle, burdock root, chicory, artichoke leaf and turmeric), etc.
- Stay Hydrated: With the heat cranked up, the alcohol flowing and late nights, we often feel dried out, rough and ultimately dehydrated. Think of yourself as a Christmas athlete and stay hydrated with electrolytes during this time of year. You can make your own sports drink by adding fresh juice to your water with a pinch of Himalayan rock salt. Keep sipping away at this mix during the day and also the following morning when water won’t quite cut it.
- Fall in love with Christmas spices: The spices synonymous with Christmas are cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. These spices are used frequently in Ayurvedic cooking as they are very helpful for digesting heavy foods, maintaining a healthy digestive system and balancing blood sugars. Use liberally!
- Don’t forget to move: On cold dark wintry days it’s easy to avoid going out. Movement & moderate exercise are necessary for good digestion, try to incorporate at least a small walk daily to keep things flowing. If you break a mild sweat all the better for your health.
All herbs and formulas are available from the Satmya Herbal Dispensary in various forms (teas, tinctures, powders, etc)
The information used in this article is not meant to replace advice from a qualified health care practitioner. This is meant purely for information purposes alone and should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please seek professional care when needed and always use natural remedies with caution & care.