When facing something like the Festive Period, a long holiday or any event which is likely to throw you off your normal routine, it is important to make your body strong and resilient beforehand.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and it is never truer than in health matters.
At the Taymount Clinic, our advice is based on the 80:20 rule. If you are doing the right things for your body 80% of the time, then it can cope with a 20% onslaught at times. But watch those figures, it is easy to slide to 70:30, 60:40 and before you know it, you spend half your time being destructive and half your time trying to recover from it. That is not how it should work.
So before you start on the path to Festive Destruction, make sure you do some of these things:
- Dry skin brushing – at least 3 or 4 mornings per week (more if you can), dry skin brush before your bath or shower; it unblocks the pores, brushes away dead skin cells, waste products and dried minerals which might block the pores or even feed surface bacteria. Your skin will feel smooth, fresh and younger after just a few sessions.
- Drink more fluids – it doesn’t have to be plain water. Slice some lemons and limes or cucumbers into a jug of water overnight (cover it to keep dust out) and in the morning, you have infused water to drink to give your kidneys a little gift. Try the ritual of a small teapot of boiling water with slices of lemons in – steep for a few minutes and then pour into small cups. It is delicate, nourishing and so very warming. Try it after dinner to stop you needing a pudding.
- Health can often be about what you add to your diet rather than what you focus on depriving yourself of. For just one week, try leaving everything the same; just add one green fruit and veggie juice, preferably at breakfast. One green smoothie or juice will add nutrients, minerals and make your taste buds want more fresh and juicy stuff instead of processed carbs and sweet stuff. It is a small step to a bigger difference; see if you can do it.
- Add more good quality fats to your diet to help your hormones, nerves and appetite control. Instead of a large pot (or two) of low-fat artificially sweetened yogurt with jammy sauce, take a small pot of full-fat, live, organic dairy yogurt and sit somewhere quiet to savour the rich, creamy taste and smooth mouth-feel. You will only need one small pot and you will enjoy it more.
So get ready, get healthy before you get indulgent and remember some of the tips above; health is about lots of good little things done repeatedly over a long regular habit, rather than grand gestures that you cannot sustain!
Found this interesting? Please check out our article for tips on how to beat sugar cravings