The festive season is lots of fun, but can also wreak havoc on your body - especially if you’re partying hard, over-indulging or dealing with work or family stress at the same time. These tips will help you stay in tip-top shape so you can enjoy every moment of the holidays.

Do your belly a favour and take a digestive tonic

The rich and fatty foods that are so popular at this time of year are renowned for causing digestive difficulties (especially when consumed in larger than usual serving sizes) including sluggish digestion, heartburn (also known as dyspepsia and indigestion), bloating, burping, abdominal fullness and flatulence. If you’re prone to over-indulgence or tend to experience symptoms of indigestion after rich meals, consider taking a herbal digestive tonic throughout the festive season, ideally including herbs such as Chinese Hawthorn, Atractylodes and Citrus Peel (Chen Pi), which have traditionally been taken to stimulate digestion and relieve symptoms of indigestion, bloating, and abdominal fullness.

Holy Basil relieves symptoms of stress

Are you feeling overwhelmed or mildly anxious about your work and family responsibilities in the lead up to the festivities? If so, the Ayurvedic herb Holy Basil may help, especially when taken as a standardised extract called OciBest. In a double blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, taking OciBest for six weeks was found to be 1.6 times more effective at relieving the symptoms of stress than taking a placebo. For many of the participants in the study, symptoms such as exhaustion, sleeping difficulties and forgetfulness started to improve after just two weeks of treatment. OciBest is best taken in combination with other herbs that help stress management, including Polygala, which has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine to soothe the mind and spirit and Withania, a traditional Ayurvedic herb used to support mental and physical resistance to stress.

Love your liver

It’s not surprising that so many of us get a bit emotional during the holidays, because from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), eating and drinking too much, exercising too little and feeling stressed may overload the Liver organ-meridian system, causing it to become stagnant or congested. Most Westerners think of the liver only from the perspective of its vitally important roles in the metabolism of fats and detoxification of alcohol and other potentially toxic substances. However, the traditional Chinese understanding of the Liver organ-meridian system’s functions also encompasses responsibility for regulating the emotions and ensuring that Qi (energy), Blood and body fluids are all able to flow throughout the body smoothly and without hindrance. Stagnation of the Liver organ-meridian can therefore result in the emergence of emotions like frustration, irritability, moodiness and a short temper, often along with physical symptoms such as morning fatigue, indigestion, musculoskeletal aches and pains and general sluggishness.

Give your Live the support it needs

So, what’s the solution? Firstly, support your Liver organ-meridian during the festivities by eating and drinking in moderation and continuing to maintain your normal exercise routine. Even taking a gentle walk around the neighbourhood after a heavy meal is better than doing nothing at all! At the same time, consider taking liver tonic herbs such as Chinese Dandelion and Baical Skullcap, which have traditionally been used in Chinese medicine to enhance the Liver’s detoxification functions, help regulate the flow of Qi and Blood, and promote a harmonious internal environment. The Western herb Milk Thistle may also be beneficial thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the liver and ability to stimulate bile production and flow.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Fusion Health products, premium quality Australian-made supplements that combine the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine and the science of modern Western herbalism, including:

• Fusion Health Digestive Tonic: A synergistic combination of traditional Chinese herbs to enhance digestion function and relieve indigestion, bloating, burping and flatulence.
• Fusion Health Stress & Anxiety: A high potency blend of OciBest and other herbs to enhance mental and physical resistance to stress and relieve mild anxiety.
• Fusion Health Liver Tonic: Combines Milk Thistle with traditional Chinese herbs that support liver and gall bladder function, detoxification, and the elimination of wastes.

Find out more about Fusion Health products to support you through the Festive Season here As always, whatever questions or concerns you have regarding herbal supplements to help you through the Festive Season all you have to do is drop by Mr Vitamins and ‘Ask a Naturopath’.