Feeling bloated?
So many people feel like absolute rubbish over the lead up to Christmas, into Christmas and out of Christmas with the excessive food and alcohol consumed. Here are some tips on natural ways to help alleviate the discomfort.
Herbs and spices to help over festive and New Year season:
Ginger:
Ginger acts as a digestive tonic and calms stomach upsets, cramps and flatulence when taken with lime juice; it stimulates digestion when taken with rock salt and keeps intestinal muscles toned and increases bile flow.
Lemon:
Drinking fresh lemon with water can enhance digestion and reduce sluggish and bloated feelings, and aid daily eliminations.
What’s more, lemons are high in antioxidants , so can help combat free radicals and give your skin a radiant glow.
Cinnamon:
Weight management – Mix ½ tsp cinnamon with 1 tsp honey as a paste and have on an empty stomach in the morning with a little warm water.
Urinary tract infections – A great ingredient to prevent urinary tract infections. Taking ½-¾ tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp honey with a glass of lukewarm water can destroy bacteria in the bladder.
Cumin:
Bloating and gas simply chew 1 tsp of cumin seeds really well and washdown with warm water. Alternatively, combine with fennel and cardamom and have it as a tea infusion.
Black Pepper:
A great powerful jump start for the digestive system. It helps to burn away toxins and cleanse the digestive tract.
It is great to have on raw foods to help balance the coldness of the food. It is useful for chronic indigestion, sinus congestion and colds. Add black pepper to increase the absorption of turmeric.
It tones and lines the intestines, and its heating properties help stimulate digestion and enhance the metabolism of food and medicines.
Nutmeg:
This spice calms the mind. It increases the absorption in the small intestines, relieves indigestion, wind, bloating and muscle spasms. (also good for painful menstruation).
Cardamom:
Removes excess mucus from the digestion and relieves stomach aches.(It opens the flow of energy throughout the body, bringing clarity to the mind and joy to the heart).
Fennel:
Chewing on a teaspoon of fennel seeds is great for all digestive upsets. Great as a post-meal digestive.
Garden mint:
This herb is soothing and cooling. It is useful to the nervous system and digestion. It can be helpful for irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion. Mint can gently clear any stagnation in the stomach and digestive tract.
Tips at meal times:
- Take your time eating your meals, chew your food as much as you can.
- Don’t snack between meals
- Use smaller plates
- Wait 20 minutes before you decide for a second serving, allow food to digest
- Be mindful of the amount of alcohol you consume
- Go for a gentle walk after your meals
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas, enjoy the time you have either with loads of family and friends, or enjoy the serenity of some peace and quiet.
If you want to start the New Year with some new goals and some new training or accountability structure – reach out and contact me
