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So here are the things that will help make this silly season as joyful as possible:

FLUIDS:

•    Make sure you drink plenty of water each day, including fresh water, herbal teas, fruit & veggie juices as well as a diet rich in fruit & vegetables.
•    Aim for between 1-2 litres of fluids/day, more if you are exercising.
•    Minimise caffeine especially if you are drinking more alcohol – not only does caffeine exhaust your system, but it also flushes out essential vitamins & minerals.
•    When drinking alcohol, try to alternate between alcohol and water to avoid dehydration, which is the main cause of the hangover headache!
•    Try squeezing a whole lemon in cool or warm water each morning on rising to stimulate your digestion. If sitting down to a rich meal, try doing it 15-30 mins before eating.
•    Try grated fresh ginger in warm water if feeling nauseous or queasy.
•    Make a strong cup of chamomile or peppermint tea if you feel bloated or crampy after a big meal (but avoid peppermint if you experience acid reflux)
•    Try roasted dandelion root tea to stimulate liver and digestive function – Southern Light Herb Roasted Dandelion root tea is the best quality and taste. You can find this in many health food shops either pre-packaged or loose
•    Keep a jug of cool water with freshly squeezed lemon and chopped mint in the fridge. Alternatively slices of orange or slices of cucumber can make it a refreshing drink. These are just some ways to make water more appealing if you have trouble drinking enough!

NUTRIENTS:

•    Get stuck into all that fabulous summer fruit – mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pineapple, apricots, cherries & berries for their water content and cell-protecting antioxidants.
•    Try to choose fresh, light, nourishing meals – fish, vegetables, lean meats, free range/organic chicken, salads. Try to avoid too many rich or fatty foods and sauces, sweet treats and refined processed cakes, pastries, breads & pasta.
•    Choose good quality nutrient dense carbohydrate sources instead of refined processed ones with low nutritional value: quality sourdough or sprouted breads (from the health food shop), whole grains, chickpeas, dried beans, kidney beans, lentils
•    Include bitter foods to promote digestion and liver detoxification – these include broccoli and cabbage, salad greens such as rocket, radicchio, mustard greens & mizuna, asian green vegies such as bok choy, pak choy & choy sum
•    Try to consume a variety of coloured fruits and veggies every day for a variety of vitamins & minerals

SNACKS:

•    Snacks: brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, seeds, dried & fresh fruit, dates, avocado and salad on crackers, olive, nut butters on quality bread or crackers, carrot and celery sticks dipped in nut butter (e.g. almond)

ENJOYING YOUR FOOD:

•    Aim for smaller meals, eaten more slowly, shared with family or friends – you will feel more satisfied, digest your food more efficiently and enjoy what you eat!
•    When eating out in Melbourne, there is such an incredible array of quality foods to choose from. There is never any need to eat junk food!

TAKE A LOAD OFF:

•    Try to eat lightly at least one day/week to take a load off your system – consume only rice, veggies, small amounts of fish, salads, vegetable juices and whole fruit.
•    Detox juice: beetroot, carrot, apple, pineapple, grapefruit, ginger
•    To protect your liver from the effects of alcohol and to help reduce any unwanted side-effects of an indulgent lifestyle, you can take a liver tonic – visit a naturopath for a personalised herbal mix or visit a health food shop and ask for a liver tonic. Liquid tonics are best as the bitter taste is an important part of how they work. However there are good tablet/capsule formulas containing herbs such as St Mary’s Thistle (or Milk Thistle), Dandelion Root, Schizandra, Gentian, Greater Celandine & others.
•    Multi-vitamin & Mineral Formula with decent amounts of B vitamins and antioxidant nutrients will support your system during times of stress, which includes having to deal with rich foods and alcohol!
•    You can also find homoeopathic combination remedies for hangovers in health food shops

Joanna Murray ND
NATUROPATH
B.Sc. (Health) Naturopathy
Nicholas Building
7th Floor, Studio 19
37 Swanston St,
Melbourne, Victoria,
Ph: 03 9663 2213 or 0404 162205