How to Survive the Festive Season | Practitioner: Katie Faile

If you’re going to try to get through the holiday season with your sanity, credit card and waist line intact—you will need a few strategies to help you deal with the stressors this time of year brings.   Christmas can polarize people, those who love it and those who don’t.  Some may feel overwhelmed by the commercial pressures to spend your way to perfection and happiness, only to feel stressed and morose to the max.  Some strategies you may need to help you successfully navigate your way through this Christmas include:-

1. Drink plenty of water, prior to partying and between alcoholic drinks, always finish your night on 2 large glasses of water to help re-hydrate your body.  Keep your blood sugar levels balanced.  This helps to balance the emotions and energy levels.  Eating makes a big difference to how the body absorbs alcohol.  Eat a meal which includes proteins, nuts, seeds or slow release carbohydrates like vegetables and beans.
2. Make sure you give yourself a night off. Reschedule catching up with friends in the new year and go for a picnic or bush walk instead.
3. Take a strong multi vitamin/mineral supplement that contains at least 50 mg of        Vitamin B6.  Vitamin C helps to metabolize alcohol and reduces harmful effects to the liver, try 500 mg of slow release vitamin C. Remember not to drink coffee at least 2 hours after taking a Vitamin supplement as their full benefit reduces during this time.
4. If you wake up with a sore head, activated charcoal soaks up about 80 times it’s weight in   toxins, this will reduce the ill    effects of the previous evenings indulgences.
5.  Look after your liver.  Start the day with 1/2 a lemon squeezed into body temperature water.  A liver tonic, tea or supplement that includes St Mary’s thistle can actually regenerate liver cells.
6. If the festive season gives you the blues, ask for help. If symptoms are relatively new and you are not taking any medication St John’s Wort is helpful in reducing some forms of depression. (not for those on anti depressants, organ rejection drugs or hormone       replacement).  You can also try Omega 3 oil supplements, chamomile tea or burn             deliciously scented oils such as rose or lavender .

 Above all be gentle and compassionate with yourself and others, after all this is the true meaning of the “Spirit of Christmas” .

Christmas greetings, hope and happiness to you all from the team  at your local Calanna Pharmacy