PREVIEW

Five ways to stay balanced this festive season. While Christmas is a time for festive cheer, it can also be incredibly busy and stressful and overwhelming. From nutrition hacks and detox secrets to smart indulgences, herbalist and naturopath Jenya Di Pierro, founder of the London-based wellness club Cloud Twelve, shares her advice on how to thrive during the holiday season. Follow the 80/20 rule Everyone deserves a treat now and then! Try to keep your indulgences at 20 per cent and eat well the rest of the time. ”Over the holiday times it's good to balance overindulgent days with gentle detox the next day. During your 'good day' try to stay off sugar, dairy, gluten, alcohol, white carbs and processed, deep-fried foods, to give a break to your liver and pancreas and skip an evening meal to shed some extra weight and let your body rest, repair and detoxify." Jenya advises. Start the day right Kickstart your day with a smoothie packed full of fibre (kiwis, flax seeds, blueberries), good fats (nuts, avocado) and superfoods (hemp, raw chocolate, goji berries). ”Fibre will help rid the body of toxins, antioxidants in superfoods will offset free radical damage from inflammatory foods and drinks, while fats will help keep blood sugar levels stable and avoid constant snacking," the herbalist explains. Support your detox organs naturally Jenya recommends adding vitamins B and C and the antioxidant glutathione to your diet at this time of year to help support your liver as it detoxifies the body. ”In addition, foods rich in potassium, such as apricots, bananas, lentils, sweet potato, leafy greens, and diuretics such as dandelion leaf and cleavers help regulate fluid balance and reduce water retention supporting kidney and lymph detox," she continues, before suggesting Cloud Twelve's Bitter Helper, a herbal remedy which promotes gentle detoxification. Don’t drink on an empty stomach "One of the biggest mistakes people make in England is drinking without eating, because eating slows down alcohol absorption into the bloodstream and offsets some of its harmful effects on our body," the naturopath warns. Choose 'cleaner' alcohol options If you choose to drink alcohol this Christmas, perhaps consider which options are cleanest “Sadly wine contains too many chemicals, and for this reason, spirits are the cleanest form of alcohol. Having a couple of shots or glasses of vodka soda is the 'healthiest' option as long as you stop at a couple," Jenya shares.
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