Festive season tip #1 Drink water

The festive season is upon us! Hurrah!

How are you feeling?

In the celebratory swing? Staying healthy(ish) through it all? Hope so.

Last week one of my neighbours commented on how hard he’s finding it to keep up with all the Christmas events: work functions, social catch-ups and family parties. He’s enjoying the fun of these festivities, but also finding them taxing on his energy and a challenge for his liver! I’m sure he’s not alone…

There is a LOT of information out there on how to keep well through the Christmas and New Year period. This in itself can be overwhelming. Last year I wrote down some ideas on how to best manage the season, intended as a general guide on easy at-home management. For those interested, however, I’d like to give you some more detail on the whys and hows for avoiding festive season fallout.

TOP TIP #1

Drink water

Hydration is an incredibly important factor in good health. Honestly.

If you don’t drink enough fluids (namely, water) you will be dehydrated. If you’re dehydrated, your body won’t work quite as well as it should and you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:

• Thirst (it seems obvious, but I can’t not mention it)
• Dry mouth
• Bad breath
• Headaches
• Feeling faint and/or light-headed
• Irritability
• Poor cognition (i.e. ‘fuzzy head’)
• Fatigue
• Hunger (that’s right, sometimes a glass of water is all you need!)

Hydration is even more important over the festive season as not only is the weather warm (meaning we lose water through sweat) it is also a time where there tends to be a larger than average consumption of alcohol, fizzy drinks and rich foods.

Delicious, maybe. Good for you, not so much.

Drinking water helps our bodies to flush out the extra load of sugar, alcohol, fat and additives we consume during this time. Without it, we place our bodies under significant strain and often end up feeling generally unwell by the season’s end.

Many people tell me they find it difficult to drink plain water – finding it boring or unpalatable. While I can’t do much about your perception of water, I can suggest ways to make it more interesting and therefore easier to drink:

• Add a squeeze of lemon, a wedge of lime, or a small handful of frozen berries to your glass or bottle
• Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices – diluted or straight – are lovely on a hot day and will contribute to your fluid intake
• Choose a wine spritzer (half wine half mineral water) rather than a straight glass of Chardy
• Also aim to intersperse alcoholic drinks with at least 1 glass of still or sparkling water
• Have a pot of herbal tea (such as rosehip, lemongrass or rooibos) in the fridge and sup on that when you’re thirsty (this has the added benefit of exerting a therapeutic effect, as well as helping to keep you hydrated)

Remember too that fluid doesn’t just come from what you drink. Foods can also contribute to your hydration, particularly soups and stews, smoothies, fresh fruits and – perfect for this time of year – salads full of leafy greens. Get amongst it.

Tomorrow’s festive season tip #2 Digest your food

Feeling spewy?

Feeling sick through the early stages of pregnancy is not pleasant, but not unusual. In fact, up to 80% of women have mild to moderate nausea and over half of these will also experience vomiting.

Once  you’re through the first trimester (first 12 weeks) of pregnancy, symptoms will usually start to fade; although some women may continue to feel unwell through to around 20 weeks and even later into their pregnancy. Oh, hormones.

There are a number of things you can do to feel better that are relatively easy to slip into your daily routine.

Eat up – might sound like strange advice when you’re feeling nauseous. However, keeping your blood sugar level by eating regularly can really help. Getting to the point of feeling hungry tends to increase nausea. Eating little and often is the key here – especially good quality protein and complex carbohydrates e.g. eggs, avocado on rice crackers, natural yoghurt, fish or chicken with a small salad, legumes (such as in a lentil soup), baked beans, soaked muesli…

Starting the day with a small snack before getting up and moving around can also help – some gals will have crackers (or something similarly plain) by the bed to nibble on. If you have a lovely partner, they may even bring you a cup of tea and snack to bed (you can only ask!)

Ginger – this doesn’t work for everyone (and for some unlucky women makes things much worse), but for those it does: GOLD. Ginger tea, first thing in the morning (with your pre-movement snack) and/or throughout the day is a winner. If you can pulverise some fresh ginger and steep in water, that’s ideal… but teabags will also do the trick. Tablets and capsules can help too. Use what works for you.

Freshly chopped / crushed ginger + a generous squeeze of lemon + some shredded mint leaves = delicious, aromatic, stomach settling tea. (optional additions: cinnamon and cardamom)

You can also make up a big pot and put in the fridge to have a cool drink later in the day. Win.

B6 – supplementation can significantly help some women quell pregnancy nausea, either on its own or in a good quality B-complex.

Supplements should be additional to diet however, and B6 can be found in particularly high amounts in the following foods: chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, trout, tuna, spinach, broccoli, peas, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cashews, chickpeas and lentils.

Acupuncture – I cannot recommend this enough! Acupuncture throughout your pregnancy, and particularly in the lead up to birth, is an excellent inclusion in your healthcare at this important time. Acupuncture is excellent for morning sickness, digestive upsets and low energy that can categorise certain stages of pregnancy.

These are my top tips, but there are many more options available to help you feel well and enjoy your pregnancy.

What have you found most effective from your own experiences?

If you have any questions about healthy pregnancy or are experiencing pregnancy-related nausea, come and have a chat to me at Uclinic in Sydney or HealthWise in Brisbane.

Warding off coughs and colds.

This time of year is notorious for coughs, colds, sniffles, sinus and sore throats.

We haven’t even hit winter yet and people are dropping like flies. While there are plenty of things to be done when you actually get sick, keeping yourself in tip-top shape is the best idea – and that way avoid falling ill altogether.

What can you do to keep your health on track? Here are a few simple tips:

Eat healthy : Sounds obvious right? Still, it never hurts to be reminded. Particularly focus on eating foods rich in Zinc (e.g. organic meats, wholegrains, nuts & seeds) and vitamin C (e.g. red & orange coloured fruit & vegies, broccoli, green leafy vegies). Also remember to keep up your fluids – people often forget to drink regularly when the temperature drops.

Herbal teas : Not only will this help to keep you adequately hydrated, some herbal teas can help to boost your immune system.

We make our own Cold & Flu tea at the clinic that contains immune-supporting Echinacea and the diaphoretics Yarrow and Elder.

Some other excellent herbal teas for this time of year include Rosehip, Ginger, and Lemon.

Cook with medicinal herbs & spices : including Ginger, Garlic, Turmeric and Chili. These not only add depth and flavour to your food, but also give your immune system a kick!

Wash your hands! Particularly if people at work are unwell, if your kids bring home a bug, or you interact with a number of different people through the day. Washing your hands regularly (and before eating) will help to prevent picking up other people’s germs.

Relax : Easier said than done I know, but it’s a well known fact that people who experience stress and anxiety are more prone to low immune function. Breathing, exercise, sunshine… all these things make you feel good and help to keep stress levels, well, level.

What are your secrets to staying healthy through winter?