Summer has arrived and with it the festive season. Here are some tips to still enjoy the summer parties while keeping those Christmas kilos at bay.
- Hydrate: Make sure you are well hydrated by drinking a bottle of water before you go out. The more water you drink, the less fluid retention you will hold.
- Booze: Tis the party season but that doesn’t give us a licence to go overboard with alcohol! Try and eat before you drink and have a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage. Try lower alcohol drinks such as Pimms and fruit punches for hot afternoons or for a more refreshing thirst quencher try vodka and cranberry juice. Avoid cocktails which are high in sugar and calories. Have a night off the alcohol and be the designated driver.
- St Mary's Thistle: This is the best herb to take during the party season to protect your liver and help it detoxify.
- Detox Herbal Teas: Green tea and roasted dandelion coffee help the liver detoxify, while lemongrass and spearmint teas have a refreshing zing for summer.
- Summer Iced Teas: Make some iced herbal tea by adding ice cubes, slices of fresh fruit e.g strawberries, apple, orange and a sprig of fresh herbs. Herbal teas can even be frozen into ice blocks for your children with added honey.
- Energizing Juices: Freshly squeezed juices flush your system with antioxidants and aid detoxification. Carrot, celery, beetroot, ginger are particularly effective, while pineapple and mint give a little summer zing.
- Summer Salads: Surrounded by the abundance of tropical summer fruits, it’s easy to forget your greens but these cannot be replaced so make the most of the bountiful salad season with lots of rocket, baby spinach, or try some of the many varied coloured and curled lettuces.
- Unclog: Keep your bowel regular so the toxins can be removed from the body. Try prunes, psyllium husks, lemon in warm water on rising, consider colonic irrigation.
- Metabolism Booster: Exercise stimulates the lymphatic system which encourages toxins to move out of the body. It also pumps more oxygen to the cells and the brain as well as speeds up your metabolism so you burn your fat faster. Try and exercise at least every second day after which your metabolism begins to slow again.
- Electrolytes: If you are exercising heavily, choose a good quality electrolyte drink with added magnesium to help you reabsorb your fluids, preferably without artificial sweeteners.
- Dinner Parties: When preparing dinner, use fresh vegetables steamed or in a delicious salad, complemented by lightly grilled or barbequed fish, seafood or chicken.Wholegrain sourdough bread on the table is much better than white, and with a lower GI too. Avoid too many dairy foods which clog up your digestive system such as cheese, cream, ice-cream and chocolate.
- Plan Ahead: Eat a small meal before going to a party. The misconception that "if I skip dinner I can eat everything in sight" can lead to too many calories consumed. Often these party snacks produce bloating and lack nutritional value.
- Socialising: When arranging to meet friends, organise activities that don’t revolve around alcohol, such as a picnic in the park followed by a game of boules or cricket, or a swim or surf at the beach.
- Recharge: Get a good night’s sleep. Too many late nights take their toll on the body, resulting in post party overeating. Try to alternate a late night with an early one to maintain energy levels.
And remember...It’s not what happens between Christmas and New Year that’s important as what happens between New Year and Christmas!!
