​Top Tips For Staying Healthy During the Party Season

How to stay healthy during the holiday season?

The holidays, whilst joyous and full of fun, can be a time when we let healthy habits slip and our own self-care may end up at the bottom of our priority list. We've all felt the dreaded winter slump, but fear not, it doesn't have to be this way!

We sit down with Jenya Di Pierro, leading Herbalist, Naturopath and founder of Cloud Twelve, to discuss the best nutrition and lifestyle habits to adopt as we move into the busy festive period, to keep you feeling balanced, energised and ready to tackle all of those Christmas parties...

What nutrition/lifestyle hacks do you have that help you stay energised in the festive period?

My favourite way to support my energy levels during holidays is taking adaptogens and sticking to the Paleo diet. Herbs, such as Siberian Ginseng, Astragalus, and Rhodiola grow and survive in the harshest climates on the planet and this is what they do to our bodies, giving us more energy and vitality and making us more resilient to disease and stress. My Kickstarter Remedy is packed with Adaptogens providing much-needed support during holiday season.

If you are watching your weight, what are some of the best and most effective ways to keep calories in check over the festive period – any hacks/secret tips you swear by?

As I often say, in order to maintain good health, we need to be 80% good 20% bad. Over the holiday times it’s good to balance overindulgent days with gentle detox the next day. During your ‘good day’ try to stay off sugar, dairy, gluten, alcohol, white carbs and processed, deep fried foods, to give a break to your liver and pancreas and skip an evening meal to shed some extra weight and let your body rest, repair and detoxify.

If you have a dinner out or a big meal on the cards, do you have any tips for what to eat for breakfast/lunch to prepare the body for more indulgent food – any simple meal ideas or nutrients to prioritise?

Make sure you have enough nutrients first thing in the morning to give an extra support to your body

You can start your day with a medicinal smoothie packed with fiber (kiwis, flax seeds, blueberries), superfoods (hemp, raw chocolate, goji berries) and good fats (nuts, avocado). Fiber will help rid the body of toxins, antioxidants in superfoods will offset free radical damage from inflammatory foods and drinks, while fats will help keep blood sugar levels stable and avoid constant snacking. Check out one of my favourite recipes!

How do you support your organs of detoxification – liver, lymph, kidneys, bowel?

Add B and C vitamins and glutathione to your protocols to support your liver throughout this period. Liver is an important organ of detoxification. In addition to supplements, bitters such as chicory, rocket and radish, stimulate bile production, which is the major excretory route for harmful toxins. Probiotics are crucial for bowel health and will also provide a boost to the immune system. In addition, foods rich in potassium, such as apricots, bananas, lentils, sweet potato, leafy greens, and diuretics such as dandelion leaf and cleavers help regulate fluid balance and reduce water retention supporting kidney and lymph detox.

Bitter Helper is one of the most popular products with Cloud Twelve Clients during this time of the year. It contains digestive bitters, that support liver, lymph, bowel and kidneys, speed up metabolism and facilitate gentle detox. It is also super tasty and can be added to salads to taken as a shot before meals.

What are some of the most common nutritional mistakes you see women making over the festive period and how can they tweak this to be healthier?

One of the biggest mistakes people make in England is drinking without eating, because eating slows down alcohol absorption into the bloodstream and offsets some of its harmful effects on our body.

What are some great nutrients/foods to add to the diet over Christmas? What are some of your favourites, and how do you like to eat these?

As many fruits and vegetables are out of season in autumn and winter, exploring fermented and sprouted foods will provide you with the most nutrition. Most of your food, however, needs to be warm, cooked and easy to digest, as our body is sluggish and does not metabolise as effectively in the cold months of the year. It is a perfect time for healthy comfort food, but if you are craving a salad, spice it up with ginger, garlic or cayenne pepper.

In Ayurvedic medicine, winter is often linked to the Kapha dosha characterised by cold, heavy, damp and stagnant qualities and hot spices are extremely useful for balancing these states. Mushrooms are another great ingredient to add to your meals. They contain high amounts of polysaccharides that are known for their ability to boost the immune system, fight inflammation and positively modulate gut flora. Eating cooked mushrooms, such as shiitake, maitake and others, at least twice a week, is an easy and powerful way to maintain and build resistance against pathogens. Finally, don’t forget about root vegetables. They are packed with fibre, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Ask yourself at each meal whether vegetables make up 70% of your plate as it is the fibre from the vegetables that provides nutrition for the beneficial microbiota that fights pathogens and is responsible for serotonin production, a very important nutrient for keeping our spirits high.

Alcohol – do you have any advice for sensible drinking over Christmas? Are some drinks better than others? If so, what should you drink, if you are drinking?

Sadly wine contains too many chemicals, and for this reason, spirits are the cleanest form of alcohol. Having a couple of shots or glasses of vodka soda is the ‘healthiest’ option as long as you stop at a couple!

What is your top tip for dealing with a hangover? What really works?

Don’t go over your limit the night before whether it’s one glass or half a bottle, depends on the individual. Sweat it out the day after while jogging or in a sauna. Don’t forget to drink water during the party, the more the better.

HERBS FOR IMMUNE SUPPORT

BOOK 15 MIN COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION WITH JENYA

EMAIL: [email protected]

02033011012 

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Author: Jenya Di Pierro

Founder, Naturopath & Herbal Medicine Practitioner

BSc, MSc, DipCNM, AMH, ANP