Christmas is a special time of year that brings together friends and families. It is a time to reflect on the year that has very nearly passed as well as look forward to the year to come. The festive food plays a pivotal part and the lavish Christmas lunch unites everyone together. With the table covered in dishes, each one containing a different type of food, we eat until we can no longer eat anymore and then settle down for the post-Christmas lunch bloat which typically lasts all throughout Boxing Day too.
This Boxing Day, why not try to avoid that uncomfortable bloat by taking some simple steps to aid digestion and give your gut a helping hand.
Hot Honey, Lemon and Ginger
Ayurveda teaches us that each morning we should embrace a set of rituals designed to detox the body from toxins that have gathered up overnight. Drinking a hot honey, lemon and ginger is a simple yet truly beneficial way to detox and cleanse the body. Which will aid digestion and ignite a healthy metabolism. The lemon is used to reduce indigestion, acid reflux and toxins from the liver. This also promotes healthy looking skin due to the high quantity of Vitamin C. Ginger is best known for its ability to boost digestive health. And it has been made into stomach soothing teas for centuries. Honey contains natural sugars which contain important vitamins and minerals to purify the blood as well as get rid of fat deposited in our bodies.
We suggest drinking this healing hot drink first thing in the morning to cleanse the stomach before food, as well as in between and after any meals to promote healthy digestion.
Enjoy your Christmas Lunch
We are often told to eat a well-balanced meal. This involves a source of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates. The Christmas lunch features all three of those things and is actually an extremely healthy and varied meal. It is not often that there are different kinds of vegetables on offer all at once so fill your plate with parsnips, carrots, cabbage, brussels sprouts and delicious roast potatoes. To avoid feeling bloated, eat slowly to enjoy your food and then listen to your stomach. As you feel fuller, ease off and leave some room for an indulgent pudding. After all, it is Christmas.
Yoga
Find some natural relief for digestion through the power of centuries old practice, Yoga. Stretch out the stomach muscles and kick start the digestive system with poses designed to twist and stretch the middle area of our bodies. Enjoy a practice that soothes the stomach and the mind as well as detoxing the blood and organs as you deeply inhale oxygen.
The renowned Downward Dog is a Yoga staple. And works to relieve uncomfortable gas build up in the stomach as well as improve circulation to stimulate digestion. Include a Cat/Cow pose which gently warms up the spine. It also reduces bloating by stretching and contracting the abdomen which helps our bodies to digest the food within us. Try out a Seated Twist Pose too. This position improves blood flow to vital organs and squeezes out any trapped air within the abdomen. Breathe deeply in this pose and switch to the other side.
We suggest a morning yoga flow before food to prepare the stomach and digestive system. End your day with the same practice and enjoy the feeling of beating the Boxing Day bloat.
