I was reminded at the start of this year what can happen to your digestion during the festive season. Because, my tummy was not happy.
It led me to this question – how often do we put up with digestive problems well past the point of where we should?
December is hard on your body. There’s Christmas parties, alcohol, not much exercise, busy-ness beyond our control, stress, late nights, eating too much – the list goes on.
It’s not till you get to January, after holidays and maybe back to work, that you begin to feel the real effects.
A common question from clients is “do I need a detox?”
Well, perhaps not.
Most of the time you’re feeling less than ordinary because your digestive system has copped a pounding, not because you’ve stored up a zillion toxins in body tissues that need to be detoxed through your liver (that’s what a detox does).
What symptoms are a tell-tale sign?
If you’ve found yourself with any of the following symptoms after an over-indulgent holiday season, then you should think about improving your digestion, not a detox:
- Reflux/heartburn
- Indigestion
- Bloating/gas
- Diarrhoea/Constipation
- Nausea or feeling queasy
- Feeling tired/no energy
- Skin flare ups
- Bad breath
3 Simple Naturopathic Tips to Give Your Gut a Fresh Start
- Give it a break – try a 1 week hiatus from all the things that can upset your stomach. The main culprits are wheat/gluten, dairy, sugar and alcohol. Eat more fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, small amounts of fruit, lots of water and good protein.
- Take a broad spectrum probiotic – get the good bugs back in there. Your lower intestine has possibly been party central to those unhealthy bugs which have bred like wildfire over December/January. Putting the good guys back in will help crowd them out.
- Get things moving – from “chew to poo”. The simplest way is to make a ritual of lemon & water first thing in the morning for a while. Squeeze about 1/4 of a lemon into a about 250ml of water – this will give your digestion a kick start for the day.
If things are a little too far gone and this doesn’t do the trick, there is a Plan B. For more support and quick intervention, I can help.
Your Plan B
If you’re struggling with uncomfortable digestion, here’s how I can help:
- Book in for an appointment (in Clinic, Zoom or over the phone) to really drill down on what’s behind your digestion issues and learn how to get going again – Click here
- Lose weight and reboot your metabolism plus improve your digestion by eating foods right for your body. Find out how – Click here
- Grab a copy of my Rebuild Your Life Journal for 5 simple daily journal prompts to ground you and get those habits and routines important for focus and energy – it’s your daily reset button – Click here
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With your health in mind,
Catherine x
