The countdown to Christmas may be the most exciting time of year for the little people amongst us but it can throw the grown-ups into blind panic. The shopping days are rapidly reducing, work deadlines are looming, the turkey needs ordering and who knows when the Christmas tree will make its annual appearance. The endless list of jobs won’t magically disappear, but our approach to handling the stress of it all can be managed, making the build up to Christmas more of a pleasure and less of a chore.

Mind over matter

Try the Emotional Stress Release (ESR) technique whenever you have a moment of feeling completely overwhelmed, it will calm your nerves in an instant. Each time the manic thoughts of being unable to cope pop into your head, give this a try:

Run your fingers across your forehead and you will find a slightly raised area above each eye that’s like a bump. Hold each bump lightly with your fingers or gently press one hand across your forehead and it will give you a profound calming effect. The light pressure on these points will ease the muddle that’s spinning around in your mind helping you to think logically. Yes, your in-laws are still coming to lunch on Christmas day, the children are breaking up from school in a matter of weeks and the Christmas party is still taking place the night before a big deadline, but your brain will process the thoughts completely differently, encouraging you to turn a ‘how will I’ attitude into a ‘yes I can do this’ approach.

Love your liver

The increased stress building up to Christmas combined with the over indulgence throughout the festive season can put a strain on your liver. Give it a helping hand and you will feel the benefits:
Beetroot has been used for years to fight liver toxins and increase overall wellbeing. It has a deliciously rich flavour and can be simply integrated into your daily diet.
Hot water with lemon really is the best way to start the day as it reduces inflammation and oxidation in the liver when drunk on an empty stomach.
Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day as this helps the liver to flush out any toxins.

Hard to digest

We all enjoy the delicious food that Christmas brings but the uncomfortable feeling that soon follows is often part of the package. Enzymes are an integral part of your digestive system and indigestion is actually caused by a lack of acid in your stomach, not too much. If you struggle to digest rich foods try taking a zinc supplement as this is an essential mineral for all digestive enzymes. Food enzymes will also balance your digestive system and are found in bee pollen which you can buy in health food stores. Alternatively, you could introduce fresh pineapple into your diet which is full of the inflammation reducing enzyme bromelain.

If you’re really suffering make an appointment to come and see me as I specialise in identifying the root cause of your digestive issues to find a long term solution to overall health.

Kath’s tips for keeping calm at Christmas

• Try the Emotional Stress Release technique, it really does work.
• Love your liver! Make a smoothie or juice that contains raw beetroot, or add it to salad dishes at lunchtime or with your vegetables in the evening. Start your day with hot water and lemon to give your liver a boost and drink water throughout the day to flush out those toxins.
• Ease your digestion by taking a zinc supplement, or by introducing bee pollen or fresh pineapple into your diet which are full of food enzymes.
• Take some time for yourself and don’t forget Friday is Epsom bath salt night.