Detoxify the natural way this Christmas

Posted under female workout

Have an even more joyful yuletide season by knowing how to detoxify after the holidays the natural way!

The yuletide season is filled with fun, food and drinks! It’s time to celebrate and be merry!

The tradition of Noche Buena (Christmas feast on the eve) among Filipinos has long been observed where family clans unite and prepare family recipes that make Christmas extra special. We enjoy all the delectable food served on the table and feast on other scrumptious foods. The merry making season often leads to overindulgence of food. We stuffed with stuffing, filled with ham, crammed with cakes and saturated with sodas or alcohol.

Food overload
Chinese medicine views proper digestion as the most important component in living a long and healthy life. The digestive function is composed of numerous organs that work together to break down, absorb, and process the nutrients in the foods you eat. You can become malnourished in the absence of a healthy digestion. As toxins build up in your system, it leads to degenerative diseases and rapid aging down the road.

The cause of indigestion is even made worse by overeating rich, fatty, spicy foods as well as alcohol, coffee and other acidic foods.

We may call Christmas and the New Year as a good time to let go and indulge on delicious food. Before overeating and ultimately diarrhea get in the way of fun celebration. We managed to come up with ways on how to detoxify and recover from overindulgence in a natural way. Here are remedies to soothe digestion and help it get on the right track.

Walk it off
After a large meal, take a stroll for a good 10 to 20 minutes. Walking is a perfect, gentle exercise that promotes digestion and encourages the cleansing of the lymphatic system. Walking also aids in moving the food along the digestive tract, improving digestion and absorption. An effective way to maximize your walk is to walk while massaging your abdomen with your palms, in a circle around your belly button.

Herbal tea brings relief
Relieve the feeling of fullness by sipping herbal teas to aid digestion. Make your own mix of herbal tea through a blend of mint, rose mint, oregano, cilantro, sage, and basil one teaspoon each. Mix them all in one cup of hot water. Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating. Sip your favorite tea flavors such as peppermint, chamomile, and four red fruits to help settle your stomach.

You can also start your morning with apple cider. Apple cider vinegar is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar with 12 ounces of warm water, and drink it in the morning in an empty stomach. You can also add a small amount of honey or maple syrup to mask the sour taste. Lemon can also help.

Alcohol overindulgence
The liver is one of the hardworking organs in your body. It performs a wide variety of functions. The liver processes nutrients, produces bile to help digest food, eliminates wastes, and cleanses the blood of toxins namely alcohol and other dangerous substances.

The liver has the ability to regenerate itself but the effects of alcohol eventually wear down the liver. It is strongly recommended to keep alcohol drinking to a minimum for the longevity of your liver and your health.

Ginger tea to the rescue

Ginger is an ancient remedy of Chinese used to minimize the symptoms of hangover. It has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices thus making a great remedy for overeating. You can even drink ginger tea in between alcoholic beverages.

Ginger tea comes in commercially prepared bags but if you want to go natural, follow this recipe. Cut a 2-inch piece from a fresh ginger root. Slice the ginger into thin strips. Bring three cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add the sliced ginger and reduce heat to a low simmer. Brew for about five minutes. Strain the ginger. Sip the freshly made ginger tea slowly. You can add honey to taste.

Drink up!
We are not talking about chugging down the mugs of beer! Drink up water. It is hardly a secret remedy for combating hangover so it bears repeating. Alcohol intoxicates and dehydrates your system so neutralizing its effects with water can reap good effects too. It can help combat some of the unpleasant hangover symptoms and rehydrate your body and flush out toxins. Drink a few glasses of filtered water at room temperature after a night of drinking spree.

When you wake up the next day, drink lemon water as a starter. Drink one lemon squeezed in 12 ounces of warm filtered water. Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and cleanses as well as move the roughage left in your intestines. Make sure to drink at least 8 ounces of glasses of water to flush toxins out of your system.

Detoxify with herbal tea
Chinese traditional medicine uses natural substances to help support the healthy functions of the liver, lymphatic system, bowels, urinary tract, and skin. You can try these herbs as teas to cleanse and eliminate buildup of toxins and wastes in your body.
- Chrysanthemum flower is traditionally used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins.
- Hawthorn berry is used to cleanse the blood of plaque and other toxins.
- Turmeric supports the detoxification process of the entire body by increasing bile production, releasing and eliminating toxins. Add a tablespoon of the spice in a pot over medium heat. Stir for five minutes.
- Milk thistle protects and restores the liver thanks to its content called silymarin.
- Dandelion roots have been found in studies to enhance the flow of bile thus relieving liver congestion.

Heal your aching head
During times when you wake up with a “morning-after” headache, try this herbal tea to lessen head pressure. Boil 2 tablespoon each of chrysanthemum flowers and mint leaves in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes. Drink throughout the day until your headache subsides.

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