How to recover from festive season over-indulgence
How to recover after overindulging too much.
Daleen Totten, Publishing Editor of Natural Medicine World, writes that overdoing it with wine, bubbly and all that delicious food is pretty much par for the course when it comes to the festive season. The good news is that there are a number of ways you can get back on track, naturally.
Here’s how:
• Liver
The most important organ in your body that you need to consider when you overindulge is your liver, which plays a key role in the processing and detoxification of chemicals, alcohol, drugs and cholesterol. The liver removes toxins from your body through the production of bile. Any waste is either transported by the bile into the intestine where it mixes with your faeces and leaves your body or enters the blood stream to be excreted through the kidneys. If you do not look after your liver and it becomes sluggish and produces less bile, constipation will set in and toxins will be reabsorbed – and you will indeed feel grim!
Give your liver extra TLC:
Try to cut down on alcohol and coffee as they both interfere with liver function.
Some foods such as beetroot, garlic, carrots, leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, parsley, rocket, avocados, apples, blueberries, peas, pumpkin and squash help your liver to produce more bile, and the antioxidants found in colourful berries such as blueberries and raspberries and fresh veggies repair and protect liver cells from damage caused by toxins.
A cup of hot water flavoured with the juice of half a lemon and a little cayenne pepper half an hour before eating gently detoxifies the liver.
• Kidneys
Drink plenty of water to flush out your kidneys. Herbs, used under the supervision of your health practitioner, detoxify the liver and improve its function.
Milk thistle is an extremely popular herb used to protect the liver from toxins and other chemicals. It also aids liver function.
Dandelion root encourages the liver to produce more bile and is a great liver detoxifier. The dandelion leaf is useful for kidney detoxification.
Turmeric protects liver cells and stimulates the liver to produce and excrete bile.
• Skin
The skin is our largest organ and it too plays a large role in detoxification. There are several ways in which you can support detoxing through the skin.
Dry body brushing boosts circulation and stimulates the lymphatic system to release toxins. Before you shower, use a body brush with firm natural bristles and brush your skin all over in circular movements towards your heart.
A hot apple cider and Epsom salts bath (one cup of each) draws toxins out through the skin.
A natural clay mask applied to the face and area over the liver encourages the release of toxins. You can even use the clay over your whole body.
Taking a sauna makes you sweat, and sweating helps release toxins.
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