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With the festive season in full swing, many people feel overwhelmed at the thought of Christmas shopping, preparing to host family and planning the perfect Christmas meal. 

Here are some tips to support your health whilst enjoying a decadent Christmas.

Eat Grass-Fed Meat and Dairy

Conventionally farmed animals are exposed to unhygienic, cruel living conditions and are given routine antibiotics to prevent infections and hormones to promote fast growth. Food eaten during the festive season is typically meat and dairy-heavy and you might find yourself eating more of these foods than you normally do. It is important that you choose free-range, organic meat and dairy products to avoid exposing yourself to antibiotic and hormone residues. Grass-fed cows, lamb, pigs and chickens are not fed GMO feed and are allowed to roam freely in pastures where they get exposed to sunlight and feed on natural food sources. This improves the nutrient content of their meat and gives it much higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Drink Organic

Frequent social engagements over the festive season make it likely that you will consume more beer and wine than normal. It’s fine to indulge during this time of year but make sure you are choosing natural and organic alcohol to reduce the toxic burden on your body. Drinking non-organic wine and beer will expose you to a cocktail of chemicals that are used during farming and manufacturing. Organic wines and beers are made from crops that have not been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and the farmers avoid chemical fertilisers. Sulphur dioxide is a preservative that is added to wine to give it a long shelf life and has been linked to respiratory symptoms, headaches and other unpleasant side effects in sensitive individuals. Organic wine does not have any added sulphates but some may be present naturally as a by-product of fermentation.

Support Your Digestion

By adopting a few digestion-supporting habits you can enjoy Christmas food without feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Avoid wolfing down your meal as digestion is impaired when our food is not properly broken down and mixed with saliva. Chew each mouthful of a meal slowly and thoroughly. Warm your liver and gallbladder up for the rich Christmas meal by starting your day with some lemon juice and ginger in a cup of warm water. Skip your after dinner coffee and have herbal teas that support digestion, such as peppermint, chamomile, dandelion, ginger and green tea.  Invest in some probiotic, lecithin and milk thistle capsules to get you through the festive season. These will support liver function, fat digestion and gut health.

Manage Your Stress

Our stress levels during the “silly season” can become a problem if we don’t adopt habits to manage them. It is important to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. This might mean being stricter with yourself and leaving a party an hour or two earlier. Working out a budget for Christmas gifts and food can be a helpful way to reduce financial stress. If you can’t face the thought of busy shopping malls you can easily do your Christmas shopping online. Most companies have an online store and they will even gift-wrap the items for you before shipping. Shopping online is also more likely to save you from making impulse purchases. Buying extra items like greeting cards and chocolate can be a great way of making sure you always have a gift for unexpected visitors. Consider doing your Christmas food shopping online so you can have your groceries delivered to your door. To save time and energy you can delegate kitchen tasks to your family and friends and ask guests to each bring a different dish.   
 

Sources
http://www.nrdc.org/living/eatingwell/top-10-reasons-eat-grass-fed-meat.asp
http://naturallysavvy.com/eat/drink-in-the-benefits-of-organic-wine
http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/top-10-herbs-to-improve-digestion/
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/03/simple-ways-to-improve-your-digestion-and-gut-health.html