Digesting the Holidaze
The season of indulgence is upon us.
For many Americans, the frenzy starts with Halloween candy, and gets worse before it gets better. For some, it gets a lot worse. But it doesn’t have to.
What can you do to maintain sanity, health, and self-respect during the holiday onslaught? Here are a few simple actions to consider. Implementing even one will help, especially if it’s the one that keeps you from sliding down your favorite rabbit hole of excess.
Tend your digestive system
Keep your digestive tract whirring by giving it a tune-up now, and continue extra maintenance as needed during the holidaze. Any form of ginger helps, even the ones that come with sugar (used with care). Keep a bottle of ginger tincture at your desk. Mix with hot water, a little Grade B maple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon if you like for a soothing, warming holiday digestive. Take the intestinal toner triphala nightly, at least through the end of the year. And when you realize it’s too late to prevent overdoing it, even one day eating only kichadi can work rebalancing wonders.
Try chewing your food long enough to savor the tastes and textures. Not only will you enjoy your meal more, you’ll also give your body time to register how full you are. Turn your food to soup in your mouth before swallowing.
Avoid sitting at the table ravenously hungry. If needed, have a little snack 30 minutes before a meal to take the edge off your hunger. A small dark chocolate does the job deliciously, and the bitter taste stimulates digestion.
Put some food in your stomach before sipping wine or a cocktail. Not only will this keep you from falling down and embarrassing yourself, you’ll also be less likely to overeat when the meal arrives.
Slumber on
Too many late nights and holiday-sparked emotion can make it hard for the nervous system to gear down at night, and sleep deprivation has been scientifically linked to weight gain. Once in bed, place your hands for even a few minutes of Reiki self-treatment to help you release the stress of the day and ease into deep, refreshing sleep.
What, you don’t practice Reiki? Then lie comfortably and observe your breath, letting the mind settle before surrendering to sleep. And add Reiki classes to your gift list.
What’s your favorite tip for staying healthy through the holidays?
Related Reading:
Practicing Happy Holidays
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What wonderful tips!They are really good.And they serve as a timely
reminder of how to not only enjoy the holidaze better but also how to
behave oneself wisely so as not to regret over indulgence later on.I’m
already using ginger and a few other condiments to make herbal tea to
sip a couple of times.You have reminded me of what I already had in
mind-of starting on with Trifla at night. You speak like a
Bodhisattva…Winter season is my favourite.One tends to sometimes go
overboard in eating in this season,only to regret later on.Because
gathering extra weight is easy with enjoyable things to eat,but
shedding extra pounds is a painful process…Can you also suggest as
to how to keep an increased level of body heat through winters while
eating food within healthy limits,I mean if you know of any formula or
food for a vegetarian.I’m sure you must have picked up some such
knowledge with your stint in the Indian culture.
One of the tips I picked up for a healthier living and which I am
trying my best to practice is to stop eating as soon as my body clock
tells me its intake requirement point is reached.
Dear Vish, there are many ways to keep the digestive fire going during the colkd winter days.
1 drink tear or warm water, do not drink ice or old water, it dulls the digestive fire
2) you can eat good soups that are warm, Yogi Bhajan’s Solistie soup is a vegetarian must.
3) pranayama; bhastrika, kapalabhati, nadi shodana & bhramari are great.
4) Asanas with encorporating a lot of twists wil help
And finally lst but not least, Surya Namaskar -Sun Salutations are wonderful to build heat int he body.
Just be sure to cool down with te pranayma aftr the asana practice, do some seep relaxation in savasanaand then some meditation.
All o these practies can help.
for now meditating on the solar plexus( manipura) chakra is reat as it is the souce of het in our body.
I hopethat helps
Namaste
Priyananada
Healibg Lotus Yoga & Reiki
Central New Jersey