Remedies for Holiday
Overindulgences
By Linda Tremer
If you overindulge this holiday season there are
some natural time-tested remedies you can try. And remember, excess eating taxes
the digestive system. This in turn lowers immunity and makes you susceptible to
colds and flu.
If overeating is causing heartburn, indigestion, and constipation, here are some
natural remedies. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice, available at a health food store
helps the body to heal and prevent heartburn.
For occasional heartburn and indigestion try drinking a large glass of water.
Also, aloe vera gel will help to soothe the digestive tract.
Or, mix one half a teaspoon
of baking soda in 8 ounces of water and drink it. Baking soda is an antacid and
will help indigestion and heartburn. Digestive enzymes taken with meals may help
prevent indigestion.
Sometimes eating the wrong foods causes constipation. Increase your fiber
intake. Take psyllium husks. Be sure to drink lots of water when you use fiber
supplements. Eat more raw vegetables and fruit. Prunes and figs are gentle laxatives.
And don’t forget the old standby beans.
Without a doubt, the holiday pressures can cause stress. It’s easy to get
overextended this time of year. The shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the
crowds, the noise, the bills, and the unrealistic expectations of the holidays
are all stressful. The letdown after the holidays can also contribute to stress.
Stress can affect different areas of the body. It also lowers your immunity.
Did you know the B complex vitamins will help your body cope with stress?
Homeopathic stress relief remedies available at health food stores are very
helpful in relieving stress. Sit back, put your feet up and relax for 15 minutes
while sipping a cup of chamomile tea.
Make time for exercise. Exercise is a great stress reliever. The holiday party
scene and shopping can result in lack of sleep. Lack of sleep causes stress and
short tempers. Make a real effort to get enough sleep throughout the holiday
season.
If the holiday pressures have gotten to you and you succumb to the common cold
there are some things you can do to get back on track. Use
Zicam.
This is a
cotton swab with zinc gel on the tip. You swab the inside of your nose with it.
This can lessen the duration of the cold. If used in time you can stop a cold in
its tracks.
It is a known fact that increasing your vitamin C intake at the first sign of a cold
will lessen the symptoms. Eat a clove or two
of raw garlic. Garlic will kill viruses and bacteria. As an added benefit the
garlic on your breath will cause some people to tend to
stay away from you thus keeping you from getting their
germs. Someone once recommended garlic tea to me.
I've never tried it but it might be worth looking into.
Put some dried thyme or
eucalyptus oil in a bowl, pour boiling water over it. Put a towel over your head
and the bowl, be careful not to tip the boiling water over you and inhale the
steam. The steam will kill viruses and help to relieve nasal congestion.
Sometimes we think we have the flu and we really have a case of food poisoning.
For a mild case of food poisoning, use charcoal tablets. They will absorb the
toxic substances from the body.
For a hangover try the baking soda remedy above. If you are restricting your
sodium, you might not want to use baking soda. Alcohol dehydrates the body.
It is a diuretic. Drink lots of water before drinking alcoholic beverages and the day
after.
Peppermint may help the nausea that occurs with a hangover. Ginger is also very
useful for nausea.
Researchers have found that your pounding hangover headache is usually from
dehydration. So rehydrate, not with more alcohol but with plain old water. While
drinking, eat foods that absorb the alcohol like cheese.
Eating anything and everything overtaxes the digestive system. Drinking to
excess and the pressures of the season contribute to stress and disease. Stock
up on these home remedies before you need them. If you overindulge this holiday
season whether it is alcohol, food or stress, there is a home remedy worth
trying. These remedies are not for critical, serious or unusual conditions.
Please consult you doctor before trying them.
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